Tyrone Minor Finals Match reports

Tyrone Minor Championship Finals

Aodh Ruadh take Grade One honours

Aodh Ruadh minor ladies staged a superb second half comeback to
take the Minor Grade One Championship in a dramatic clash with old
adversaries Carrickmore in Pomeroy last Saturday evening on a 1-11
to 2-7 scoreline.

The Carrickmore girls enjoyed the early running in the tie, racing
into a 1-5 to 0-0 lead in an opening quarter, which also saw Aodh
Ruadh’s influential defender Lisa Mc Alliskey sent to the sin bin
as Carrickmore’s forward unit ran riot with the wind at their backs,
Dearbhla Mc Callan the goalscorer.

There were twenty minutes on the clock before Aodh Ruadh made their
first impression on the score board, as a long range effort led
to a costly mistake by the Carrickmore keeper as the ball found
its way to the net.

Carrickmore though responded in the best possible fashion as the
impressive Claire Gallagher once again pointed to bring her tally
to five points, and the ace attacker also was unfortunate to see
her fine effort on goal rebound back off the post to safety.

The last say of the half though went to Aodh Ruadh, as Niamh Mc
Kernan, who was full of running throughout, slotted a fine score
over the bar to leave the half time score 1-6 to 1-1 in the Carmen
girls favour.

This was to prove to be a prime example of a game of two halves
though, as Aodh Ruadh returned from the dressing room and went on
to stage a dramatic turnaround in the second half. Mc Kernan pointed
again almost straight from the throw-in, as Aodh Ruadh camped themselves
out in the Carrickmore side of the field. Emma Conlon got forward
to point, before Fiona O’Donnell rattled the crossbar with a fine
effort on goal, and Mc Kerrnan swung over two further points to
leave just one point between the sides with ten minutes of the half
played.

Carrickmore’s Elaine Kelly broke clear, but once again her shot
came back off the woodwork in what was a rare Carrickmore excursion
downfield. This seemed to spur Aodh Ruadh on and provided them with
a renewed confidence as they continued to dominate proceedings.

With a quarter of the tie remaining, Emma Jane Girvan pointed for
Aodh Ruadh to bring the sides level, and Mc Kernan was once again
on target from a free kick to put the East Tyrone side in front
for the first time.

Claire Mc Alliskey, who had endured a frustrating evening as she
was well shackled by the Carrickmore defenders, broke clear to stretch
her sides lead. Mc Kernan pointed again before Carrickmore goalkeeper
Danielle Moore pulled off two fine saves to keep her side in the
reckoning.

There were only six minutes remaining when Claire Gallagher pointed
a 13m free to open her sides second half account, but Marian Vincent
pointed straight away for Aodh Ruadh after good work by Mc Alliskey.
Mc Alliskey pointed a free and with five minutes to play Aodh Ruadh
held a four point advantage.

Carrickmore though were not going to accept defeat, and they sprung
into life to ensure a rousing finale to the game. With three minutes
to play the impressive Gallagher won her side a penalty, and the
same player dusted herself down before coolly slotting the ball
beyond the reach of Aodh Ruadh keeper Orla Mc Cann.

With injury time approaching, Aodh Ruadh led by just a single point,
and incessant pressure from the Carrickmore girls made sure that
Aodh Ruadh finished the game on the back foot. A surging run from
Dearbhla Mc Callan brought a twenty metre free deep in injury time,
and it seemed that Carrickmore had been given the lifeline their
resurgence deserved. However, Claire Gallagher saw her effort fall
agonisingly wide of the post and the opportunity of a replay was
gone.

Ecstatic scenes amongst the relieved Aodh Ruadh players and mentors
greeted the final whistle, in stark contrast to the Carrickmore
squad who were forced to accept a third consecutive defeat in county
finals.

Teams & Scorers
Aodh Ruadh: Orla Mc Cann, Bernie Small, Alana Arthurs, Collette
Small, Katrina Devlin, Lisa Mc Alliskey, Rachel Molloy, Mary Cassidy,
Emma Conlon (0-1), Marian Vincent (0-1), Niamh Mc Kernan (1-6),
Michaela Ritchie, Emma Jane Girvan (0-1), Claire Mc Alliskey (0-2),
Fiona O’Donnell.
Sub used: Edel Barrett
Carrickmore: Danielle Moore, Jennifer Fox, Louise Mc Callan,
Jacqueline Fox, Nuala Fox, Nicole Hurson, Roisin Rafferty, Maire
Slane, Maeve Cobane, Elaine Kelly, Claire Gallagher (1-6), Stacey
Mc Cann, Briege Fox, Dearbhla Mc Callan (1-1), Aisling Mc Gurk
Sub used: Orla Cunningham

Cappagh and Ardboe must do it again

Cappagh staged a late rally to ensure themselves another bite of
the cherry in the Grade Three Championship Final against Ardboe,
as the sides played out an entertaining 2-6 to 3-3 draw in last
weeks decider at Pomeroy.

Clodagh Poyntz was the hero for Cappagh as she held her nerve to
convert three consecutive free kicks in the closing minutes to draw
her side level, adding to a polished performance by the attacker
who scored 1-3 of her sides total.

Cappagh opened in blistering fashion with midfielder Donna Donnelly
firing over early on, but they were unable to build on their good
start as Ardboe hit back with a score of their own, as Lisa Mallaghan
got on the end of a long ball to flick over the head of the advancing
goalkeeper. The loughshore side stretched their lead as Karen Quinn
converted a free kick, all this inside the opening six minutes.

Cappagh midfielder Tracey Wallace’s free kick from 45m deceived
everyone, including Ardboe goalkeeper Sinead Mc Vey, as the ball
found the back of the net for a Cappagh goal.

With ten minutes played, Poyntz seared through the Ardboe defence
before rifling the ball to the back of the net to put her side firmly
in control. Indeed, Cappagh could have had the game wrapped up by
half time, but a string of inspirational saves from Mc Vey kept
her side in the hunt. Catherine Sweeney and Stephanie Mc Ginn pointed
to extend Cappagh’s lead to 2-3 to 1-1 at the break.

The sin binning of Cappagh full back Stephanie Patterson at the
start of the second half was to have a huge bearing on the tie,
as Maeve Wylie found the Cappagh net in her absence to drag her
side back into the tie. Lisa Mallaghan pointed before Caoimhe Coney
also found her range to level the scores.

Cappagh continued to create, and miss, chances as the half progressed,
and with six minutes to play Emma Campbell found the net for Ardboe
to give her side a three-point advantage. Then came those three
crucial scores from Poyntz between the 27th and 34th minutes of
the second half to earn her side a replay, which will take place
this Saturday evening in Dungannon.

Teams and Scorers
Ardboe: Sinead Mc Vey, Christine Devlin, Claire Muldoon, Marian
O’Hagan, Brigin Mc Gurk, Claire Lynn, Britta Quinn, Karen Quinn
(0-1), Caoimhe Coney (0-1), Mairead Quinn, Maeve Wylie (1-0), Rachel
Mc Conville, Lisa Mallaghan (1-1), Kerry Graham, Emma Campbell (1-0)

Cappagh: Karen Donaghy, Cora Travers, Stephanie Patterson,
Laura Mc Cann, Jenny Quinn, Anna Nugent, Emma Daly, Tracy Wallace
(1-0), Donna Donnelly (0-1), Catherine Sweeney (0-1), Clodagh Poyntz
(1-3), Naomi Mc Annulla, Joanne Mc Aleer, Stephanie Mc Ginn (0-1),
Michelle Sweeney