Father Rocks Crowned Grade 1 League Winners

Monday 09.06.2025

Club

Cookstown 2-17 Carrickmore 5-5

Cookstown lifted the Grade 1 U14 League title when they held off a spirited Carrickmore side in the decider at Plunkett Park in Pomeroy on Sunday afternoon. It was a contest that swayed one way and then the other with the Father Rocks emerging deserving winners in the end.

It certainly didn’t look that way at the end of an opening quarter that the St.Colmcilles completely dominated. Cathaoir Gormley and Gearoid McElhatton both hit early points before the former finished to the bottom left hand corner of the net in the 7th minute. Gormley then first timed the ball to the net and when midfielder Shea Martin also raised a green flag it was 3-2 to 0-1, GHOST PIZZA man of the match Mattie Coyle with Cookstown’s only score.

Gradually though Cookstown got to grips with the Carrickmore attack and at the other end of the field they began to make possession count. Jake Mulligan and Coyle both hit a brace each with Michael Heron and Aodan Rushe also on target as they reeled off seven points without reply. Carrickmore then got in for their 4th goal when Lorcan Dobbs fired to the net but in the next attack the winners got a goal of their own through Tiernan Lagan and when Coyle added a point it left the scoreboard reading 4-2 to 1-9 at halftime.

It was corner forward Lagan who led by example on the restart for the winners with three superb points inside four minutes to put his side in front for the first time in the contest. In the 36th minute though Carrickmore grabbed another major when Dobbs somehow got in along the endline past a number of players to get his second goal of the contest. Eoin Daly then added a point for Carrickmore but again Cookstown demonstrated what they are made of. Team Captain Mulligan hit a brilliant two pointer from out on the left wing to level matters and after Coyle had scored again midfielder Rory Rushe got a crucial goal at the end of the third quarter. Mulligan and Martin exchanged points and as Carrickmore piled on the pressure in the closing stages Cookstown keeper Aden McKeever produced a number of outstanding saves to keep them at bay. All Carrickmore could get from that spell of pressure was a converted free from Daly as Cookstown came out on top.