Emmetts And Wolfe Tones Advance In Double Bill At Fintona

Sunday 15.09.2019

Championship Football

Eskra and Kildress advanced to the last four of the LCC Junior championship thanks to wins over Errigal Ciaran Thirds and Drumragh respectively at Fintona on Friday evening.

The Emmetts went into the first game as favourites but they certainly didn’t get matters all their own way against their Dunmoyle based neighbours. Errigal were out of the traps quickly with points from Patrick McDermott and Michael Harte coupled with a Caolan Tierney goal all inside five minutes. Eskra then hit a purple patch with a Niall Marlow goal and points from Joe McCarroll, Mickey Woods and Cathal Meegan to get their noses in front. Tierney, Harte and McDermott then all raised white flags for Errigal Ciaran before Eskra’s Eoin McCaffrey had the final say of the half to leave it 1-7 each at the break.

Errigal Ciaran began the second half on top as well with a brace of points from Tierney but they then had Eoin McNeilis sent off. Substitute Shane Hackett opened Eskra’s second half account before a Paul Turbitt goal put them in front in the 43^rd minute. Aaron McAnenly and Hackett swapped points as did McCarroll and Fintan Kelly to leave the issue still in doubt going into the last five minutes. Eskra though finished strong with points from Hackett, Woods and Tiernan McCaffery to secure a 2-13 to 1-11 victory.

The second game in the double bill also proved to be a high scoring encounter with the Wolfe Tones prevailing ion a 4-14 to 3-6 scoreline. Ronan Maguire and Des Treacy had early points for their respective teams before Shane Cleary bagged an 8^th minute goal for the Sarsfields. Mattie McGuigan and Stephen Loughran responded with points for Kildress before Philip Lennon converted a penalty for them. Cleary knocked over a brace of frees but McGuigan hit back with a second goal for the Wolfe Tones. Cleary and Tommy Mullan had points apiece as the first half finished 2-6 to 1-5.

McGuigan and Pauric Lagan stretched the winners’ advantage on the restart but a second Cleary goal kept Drumragh in the hunt. Two minutes later though McGuigan got his second major of the contest to keep the Wolfe Tones in the driving seat. Cleary’s third goal meant that there had been three green flags raised in the space of six minutes but that also proved to be Drumragh’s last score of the game. The Wolfe Tones upped the tempo in the final quarter with points from Lagan, Treacy, Lennon and McGuigan coming either side of a goal from substitute Martin McGurk as they ran out emphatic winners in the end.