Clarkes Snatch Dramatic Late Winner

Saturday 21.09.2024

Championship Football

Dungannon 1-13 Loughmacrory 2-9

Anybody who was at Plunkett Park on Saturday afternoon witnessed another classic Tyrone senior championship encounter with Dungannon snatching a dramatic injury time goal to edge past a Loughmacrory side who had led virtually all the way prior to that.

Substitute Conor McKee proved to be the hero for the Clarkes with that priceless winner four minutes into injury time as they crucially got their noses in front for the first time since the opening score of the contest. It is a game that no doubt Loughmacrory will feel that they should have won especially after two goals in a five minute spell early in the second half had left them five in front but full credit has to go to a Dungannon side who refused to accept defeat to set up a last four meeting with either Ardboe or Trillick.

Matthew Quinn opened the scoring for Dungannon in the 6th minute before a brilliant Eoin McElholm point levelled matters sixty seconds later. The impressive Aodhan Donaghy then edged Loughmacrory ahead before Pauraic Meenagh made it 0-3 to 0-1. A Paul Donaghy free reduced the deficit before the same player sent over the equaliser with an outstanding effort from out on the left wing after dummying three players. It was McElholm who had the final say of the first half with another well taken score to leave his side 0-4 to 0-3 in front.

As was the case in the first half Quinn had the opening point after the break before the first goal arrived in the 34th minute. Meenagh played the ball to Pearse Grimes and his inch perfect pass released McElholm who supplied an exquisite finish past Dungannon keeper Daire Martin. Moments later Loughmacrory cut open the Dungannon defence again but this time Cathal Donaghy fired over. Donaghy and Paudie McNulty responded with quality Dungannon points but in the 39th minute a long kickout from keeper Oisin O’Kane picked out Ronan Fox who put Gareth Donaghy in on goal and the full forward finished with aplomb to the top right hand corner of the net.

Loughmacrory now led 2-5 to 0-6 and looked in complete control but Dungannon were far from finished. Donaghy knocked over a free but McElholm responded immediately with an outstanding point. Loughmacrory keeper O’Kane then came to his side’s rescue with a fine save to deny Lorcan Mallon before the introduction of James Quinn helped change the game in favour of the Clarkes. He pointed with his first touch before Ryan Jones placed Donaghy for a point to leaver just three between the sides with ten minutes of normal time left to play. A quick free from Cathal Donaghy released defender Dara Curran for a point but then Quinn converted a mark and followed that up with an outstanding effort from out on the left wing to leave just two between the sides.

Dungannon now had all the momentum with Donaghy converting a brace of frees to leave it all square by the 59th minute. Ruairi McCullagh then edged Loughmacrory back in front but the drama wasn’t over yet. Four minutes into injury time a high ball into the Loughmacrory box broke and McKee reacted first to send it to the net. Loughmacrory responded with a point from substitute Diarmuid Gallagher and as they pushed for an equaliser the Clarkes defence stood firm to hold out for a dramatic victory.