Tyrone Schools Competition Set to Begin

Thursday 17.11.2016

Ladies Football School

A return to Tyrone ladies schools football competitions is on the cards again as early possibly as March 2017 after delegates at the Tyrone Ladies AGM supported a motion to reintroduce what had been hugely successful post primary schools football in the county. A similar proposal to return all schools football in the Province back to county control is reportedly also set to be discussed at the Ulster convention. The hope from some is that once again a county winner would go forward to an Ulster series.

For now though the wheels will be in motion shortly to organise a meeting between County Board and schools officials with the view to having a new schools football committee set up and the first competitions up and running in the Spring.

Welcoming the news several teachers have already weighed in to support the move with concerns raised over the past year that the current format of competitions and grading of schools across the province have not been helpful and in some cases have been detrimental to schools participation.

The proposal for Tyrone schools would see a return to competitions at several age grades with cup and shield competitions split over several grades. The possibility is of course that the Ulster proposal may falter. Regardless of the outcome though it was agreed at the Tyrone AGM that the Tyrone competitions would still go ahead, a massive boost it was claimed for youth and schools football in the county.

It’s hoped there will be some consultation too with the new Ulster Schools football body headed by Jimmy Smith and local Colleges stalwart Seamus Woods as the Tyrone board seek advice and guidance.

Local sides are continuing in the Ulster football championships at the moment and there certainly is some good news for local sides as they attempt to progress in competitions across the grades.

St Patrick’s Academy are through to the play-offs from group one of the Under 20 B championship.  The Academy made it three wins from three as they edged to a 4-4 to 1-8 win over St Catherine’s in a keenly contested derby tussle to cement their position at the top of the group. In a week that saw  Edendork’s Donna McCrory take the chair of the County board another St Malachys lady was on the mark on the pitch. Maeve Maxwell led the scoring stakes bagging 2-2 with Tara Donaghy and Orlagh Gavin also among the goals while Nicole Murphy also landed a point . Another fine team effort and good outing from the Tyrone side. Thornhill Derry, Ard Fea and St Marys Magherafelt are all well placed in the other sections. The Magherafelt side ended Holy Trinity’s hopes when they beat the Cookstown side 4-14 to 2-8.

St Joseph’s Donaghmore are still in the hunt to qualify for the knock out stages with a game against Dean Maguirc College Carrickmore still  to come after they got their campaign up and running with a 1-11 to 2-3 win over Carndonagh. The win came on the heels of an opening round loss to St Louis Ballymena and was fully deserved  as Beth Moore scored 1-4 , as Eadaoin McKeever Helen McGuigan, Niamh Donaghy, Aoibhin Murray and Catherine McKenna all tagged on points. St Joseph’s led by two points at the break and pressed on in the second period with some sound defending too from Lucy O’Neill and Laura McCaffrey. This was a valuable win that leaves them third in the table ahead of that fixture with the Carrickmore girls.

The Dean lost to Carndonagh and still have games against Ballymena before that game with Donaghmore. They  indeed could carve out a place in the play-offs should results go their way.

In group 1 of the A competition St Ciaran’s and St Ronan’s go toe to toe this week with the winners set to qualify for the knock out stage. The Lurgan girls currently top the section although the Ballygawley College remain well placed. The task is clear for the Neamh Woods managed St Ciarans, they must win.

Loreto Omagh finally got started in group 2 in the A championship but despite a gutsy display against Loreto Cavan they slipped to a three point loss much to the annoyance of the Tyrone side managed by Kevin O’Rourke. The Omagh side boast a very experienced squad, that evidenced with the household names in the starting fifteen but there is no doubting the work being done in the Breffni County. Loreto now have to beat Mount Lourdes if they are to have any chance of advancing.

The Bawnacre Irvinestown played host to the clash of the Loreto’s on Monday . The Cavan win though leaves them top of  the group with two wins from two but they certainly did not have it all their own way by a battling Omagh who led at the break 2-8 to 0-11. Sasha Byrne and Beth Donaghy bagged two fine goals for Omagh. A quick fire brace of  Cavan goals just after the restart changed the complexion of this entertaining contest yet it was still all to play for. Roisin Devlin fired home a Loreto goal, Caitlin Kelly, Aiobhinn McHugh, Byrne and Donaghy added points but in the latter stages the Cavan defence closed ranks and held out for the win in spite of Omagh creating a host of chances.

In the Under 16 championship Holy Cross Strabane got off the mark in the D competition securing a  7-13 to no score win over St Patricks Dungiven. The Strabane team turned in a fine shift and  can progress if they beat St Killians in their final group game. The sides are currently level on points at the top of their section.

In the A competition Loreto Omagh have games to come against Mount Lourdes and Loreto Cavan while in group three St Ciaran’s Ballygawley are currently joint second with Our Ladys and St Patricks Belfast after Assumption Ballynahinch conceded their game with the Tyrone side. A win for  St Patrick’s Academy against Knock in their final group game will see them level on points with the leading duo. In Section C group 2 Holy Trinity and Baileborough are set to meet in their final group game. The winners will top the group after the Cookstown girls secured a comfortable 5-11 to 0-6 win over Virginia. Sadly St Joseph’s Donaghmore have withdrawn.

Sacred Heart College remain on course for the play-offs with a clash with St Johns still to be played. The Omagh side top D group one with wins recorded against St Comhghalls and St Josephs Coalisland.