Murphy’s Gaelic Gloves Senior Football Championship

Friday 23.08.2019

Championship Football

Sperrin Og 4-14

Aghyaran 3-11

A high scoring contest at Drumquin eventually saw Sperrin Óg advance to the last four of the senior championship with Niamh O’Neill hitting an impressive 3-10 of the Greencastle side’s tally as they finished six points clear of a hard working Aghyaran who had been in the hunt throughout.

Claire Touhey and O’Neill goals in the opening ten minutes edged Sperrin Óg into a commanding lead but the St Davog’s responded strongly. Aimee Coyle’s 0-4 and Louise Carlin’s point kept them in touch and as O’Neill added a brace of points at the end of the first quarter fellow county star Sasha Byrne beat the Sperrin Óg keeper from distance to leave it a three point game.

Both sides were guilty of some poor misses and Aghyaran keeper Katie Byrne made a couple of fine saves to deny O’Neill and Touhey. Byrne though was beaten a third time by O’Neill after a well timed Aileen Touhey pass teed  her up and at the break it was 3-6 to 2-6 in Sperrin Óg’s favour.

The game swung back and forth after the break. The impressive Aoibheann Mc Hugh continued to dominate midfield and tried to force her St Davog’s back into the tie. Byrne and Coyle were creative but it was score for score. Aileen Touhey had an excellent game on the half forward line and continued to link well with O’Neill.  O’Neill was a powerhouse for the Greencastle side. She tagged on another 0-3 and was again denied by Byrne twice before  she slammed home her team’s fourth goal with ten minutes left.

Aghyaran refused to give up and Byrne hit a late 1-1 to give them hope. However a further three points from talisman O’Neill and a well taken Meagan Clarke point extended the gap to six and there was no way back for a battling Aghyaran who exit the championship but remain in senior football for 2020.

O’Neill’s quality was evident tonight and Sperrin Og can take plenty of positives into the last four. Both teams had a player sin binned in the final five minutes.