Edendork Claim U16 Championship Title

Sunday 09.05.2021

Club

Tyrone U16 Grade 3 Championship Final
Edendork 4-12 Killeeshil 1-7

What a difference a lockdown makes to some teams.  On the scoreboard Edendork U16’s rarely looked in any trouble in Donaghmore on Sunday afternoon.  In reality Killeeshil could have had three first half goals.  

At the end the St Malachy’s men annexed the Grade 3 Tyrone U16 Championship title with quite a bit to spare.  Edendork raced into a four point lead inside twelve minutes with Cory Bell, James McAvoy, Patrick McGoldrick and Patrick McLernon all on target.  

Killeeshil finally opened their account in the 13^th minute as Daniel Rafferty fired over.  That only spurred Edendork on further.  First Peter McGoldrick fired into the top right hand corner of the net followed just a few seconds later by a second St Malachy’s major.  James McAvoy sliding the ball into the corner of the Killeeshil net.  

It was Edendork’s efficiency in front of the posts that stood out.  Killeeshil zipped two excellent goal chances past the Edendork posts, and one off the post in the opening half.  When they did hit the target they ran into a goalkeeper in Tiarnan Donaghy who was in fine form.

Eoin Conway clipped over a second point for Killeeshil eight minutes from the break and Daniel Rafferty shot the St Mary’s sides third point following an excellent free off the deck from Edendork’s Rian Nelis.  Both Nelis and Rafferty would add another point each before the break before Edendork delivered another hammer blow.  James McAvoy nipping in to take full advantage of a mistake in the Killeeshil and turn the ball to the Killeeshil net to leave the half time scoreline Edendork 3-7 Killeeshil 0-4.

Killeeshil responded well to the half time team talk from manager Malachy McGlinchy and outscored Edendork 1-2 to 0-1 in the first ten minutes of the second half.  Two Daniel Rafferty frees were galvanised by an excellent Dillon O’Neill penalty in the 40^th minute, Fiachra Nelis with Edendork’s only point during that spell.  

That was as good as it got for Killeeshil as Rian Nelis landed a superb free kick off the ground from a yard inside the sideline.  That piece of skill was equalled seconds later when the same player cut in from the right to smash the ball into the top left hand corner of the Killeeshil net.  The Edendork lead was now eleven points.

Rian Nelis extended that lead with a 45 in the 45^th minute before another Nelis this time Fiachra fired over a long range point two minutes later.  As the game entered the last six minutes Padraig McGurk got in on the scoring act for the St Malachy’s men.  It was left to Killeeshil’s Eoin Conway to record the final point of the game two minutes from the end as Edendork avenged the league final defeat to annex the championship.   

Final Score – Edendork 4-12 Killeeshil 1-7

Edendork Scorers – James McAvoy 2-1, Peter McGoldrick 1-2, Rian Nelis, 1-4, Fiachra Nelis 0-2, Padraig McGurk 0-1, Cory Bell 0-1, Patrick McLernon 0-1

Killeeshil Scorers – Daniel Rafferty 0-5, Dillon O’Neill 1-0, Eoin Conway 0-2
Referee – Martin McErlain (Clonoe)