Defending Champions Stay On Course

Saturday 24.09.2022

Championship Football

Defending champions Dromore saw off the challenge of Killyclogher at O’Neills Healy Park on Friday night in the opening round of the LCC Tyrone senior championship on a final score of 3-9 to 1-10. The holders were 1-2 to no score up after three minutes but failed to build on their lightning fast start and by half time Killyclogher had the gap down to a single point.

Both sides were forced into changes just before the start with Oisin Mc Cann, Oran Grimes and Ostin Mc Aleer absent for Killyclogher and Niall Sludden and Andrew Mc Grath missing from the Dromore line up.

Emmett Mc Nabb converted a mark with Dromore’s first attack and they followed that with a goal from Ronan Mc Nabb Junior before Peter Teague extended the lead to five inside the opening four minutes.

Killyclogher looked somewhat shell shocked but with their defence working hard they settled to the task and began to get Mark Bradley into the game as he landed a brace of fine points. Emmett Mc Nabb replied for Dromore to make it a four point lead before Killyclogher took control of the final ten minutes of the opening half and added points from Bradley, Mickey Rafferty and Gavin Potter to go in at the break behind by a point on a scoreline of 1-3 to 0-5.

The game was tied inside the first minute of the second half as Mark Bradley swung over point number four. Unfortunately for Killyclogher they allowed Dromore midfielder Peter Teague time and space to get on the end of a fine move to finish to the net and put his team three clear.

Emmett Mc Nabb converted a free to extend the lead to four but Michael Rafferty struck over a superb score to keep Killyclogher in the game. Dromore then made it a five point game with scores from Ronan Mc Nabb Junior and Emmett Mc Nabb who were both causing all sorts of problems for the Killyclogher rearguard.

Mark Bradley landed two superb points for his team only to see Dromore respond with scores from substitute Declan Mc Nulty and Mc Nabb Junior once again.

With the game entering the final minutes Killyclogher struck for a superbly taken goal from Mark Hayes and suddenly there was only two between them. That soon became a single point when Mark Bradley stole in from the right and punched over his seventh point of the game.

Killyclogher had a chance for a second goal which was somehow stopped by the Dromore defence and buoyed by that the Saint Dympnas weathered the blue storm and added another Mc Nulty point and an Andrew Mc Grath goal deep in injury time to to take Dromore through to the quarter finals.

Final score: Dromore 3-9, Killyclogher 1-10

Dromore Scorers: Emmett Mc Nabb 0-4, Ronan Mc Nabb Junior 1-3, Peter Teague 1-0, Andrew Mc Nabb 1-0, Declan Mc Nulty 0-2,

Killyclogher: Mark Bradley 0-7, Mark Hayes 1-0, Mickey Rafferty 0-2, Gavin Potter 0-1.