Omagh See Off Ardboe Challenge And Set Up Clash With Dromore

Saturday 24.09.2022

Championship Football

Omagh St Endas are through to a quarter final meeting with defending champions Dromore in the LCC Tyrone senior championship following a hard earned but very impressive win over a committed Ardboe team. Following a first half of grit and hard work the teams went in at the break level at 0-5 apiece. Omagh were much improved after the break and pulled away to a deserved 0-14 to 0-9 win.

The return of Conor Meyler gave the Omagh team confidence and direction and it was he who opened the scoring on ten minutes. With both defences on top and the marking close and tight, space was hard to find and even more difficult to use. Ronan O’Neill called for and converted a mark on thirteen minutes as Omagh seemed to settle to the task. Their full back line of Aidan Clarke, Eoin Corry and Ciaran Mc Laughlin were outstanding throughout and made life very difficult for the Ardboe forwards.

Team captain Shay Mc Guigan clipped over Ardboe’s first score from a free after seventeen minutes only for wing half back Fionnbharr Taggart to restore the two point differential after a strong run and calm finish.

Ardboe then hit something of a purple patch with another Mc Guigan score and a point apiece from Cormac Devlin and CJ Mc Gourty to take the lead for the first time. Omagh however refused to panic and playing some very controlled football went in at the break tied at five points apiece with their final scores of the first half coming from Enda Mc Caffrey and Meyler while Eugene Teague responded for Ardboe.

Both sides hit two points apiece early in the second half with Jason Mc Anulla getting both Omagh scores and Mc Guigan and Kyle Coney replying for Ardboe. Omagh were enjoying a much greater percentage of possession but failed at times to make Ardboe pay. Ronan O’Neill landed three points for Omagh while corner back Ciaran Mc Laughlin burst through to split the posts as the county town side moved four clear.

Shay Mc Guigan pointed to reduce the deficit with five minutes left but O’Neill responded in kind for Omagh who were now playing with confidence and belief.

Oran Mulgrew and Oisin Miller swapped points before Ardboe came close to finding the net after a superb effort from Shea O’Hare came back off the underside of the crossbar and was scrambled clear.

Unfortunately for Ardboe there was to be no fairytale ending and Omagh wrapped up the win with a final converted free from the boot of the outstanding Ronan O’Neill.

Full time score: Omagh 0-14, Ardboe 0-9

Omagh scorers: Ronan O’Neill 0-6, Jason McAnulla 0-2, Conor Meyler 0-2, Fionbharr Taggart 0-1, Oisin Miller 0-1, Ciaran Mc Laughlin 0-1, Enda Mc Caffrey 0-1

Ardboe scorers: Shea Mc Guigan 0-3, Kyle Coney 0-2, CJ Mc Gourty 0-1, Oran Mulgrew 0-1, Eugene Teague 0-1, Cormac Devlin 0-1.