U16 League Playoffs In Association With Ghost Pizza

Wednesday 07.06.2023

Club

If it was an open game of football that you wanted to see then Paddy Cullen Park was the place to be at the weekend as Cookstown and Dromore served up a high scoring thriller in the Grade 1 league quarter final with the Father Rocks going through after extra time 7-21 to 8-11.

With four minutes of normal time left to play the home side were two points in front but two Dromore goals turned the game on its head as we entered injury time. The St.Dympnas looked as though they were going to upset the odds until Lorcan McMurray weighed in with 1-1 to take the game to extra time. It was a contest that was played at a serious pace in tough heat conditions with both sides deserving enormous credit for the football that they served up in what was a brilliant advertisement for Youth football in the County.

It was anybody’s game at the end of the first period of extra time but then goals from McMurray and Eoin Long helped the winners pull away to claim victory and set up a semi final meeting with Ardboe this weekend. McMurray top scored for Cookstown with 2-7 to his name, Long got 2-4, Karl Wawrynkiewicz 2-2, Mark Devlin 0-4, Flynn Neeson 1-0, Rian McIvor 0-2, Charlie McElkerney 0-1 and Cormac Hamlin 0-1. Adrian McGurren was in superb form for Dromore with five goals with his brother Fergal getting a brace and Jack Donnelly also finding the net.

Ardboe played host to Clonoe with the Rossas proving too strong at Coney Park on a 5-13 to 2-9 scoreline. Darragh Devlin hit 1-4 for the winners with Jamie Concannon weighing in with 1-1 with Darragh Muldoon 0-3 and Davin McKeown 0-2 also on target on a day when they had good performances from Concannon and Cathair McKeown. Daire Devlin bagged both goals for the Rahillys and added two points for good measure with Eoin Mansell 0-4, TJ O’Neill 0-1, James Adamson 0-1 and Caolan Hughes 0-1 their other marksmen. Peter McKeever was excellent deputising in goals for Clonoe with Michael Donnelly, Sean Og McCabe, Eunan Shields and Feidhlim O’Hagan all playing well too.

Donaghmore bowed out in the last eight but not before they gave a good account of themselves away to Errigal Ciaran. Darragh O’Callaghan and Matthew Hamill got the goals for the St.Patricks with Aodhan Molloy among their points in a good all round team display with their defence particularly impressive. Shea McDermott top scored for the home side with 1-5 with Dan Loughran and Senan Canavan among the points as well as it finished 1-16 to 2-9.

Eglish are through to the grade two final after overcoming Pomeroy on a 5-19 to 1-8 scoreline. The two Matthew Dalys scored goals as did Brian Og McGuckin and Karol Donnelly with Matthew Daly c adding eight points, McGuckin getting five and James Daly, Rory O’Donnell, Gerard Donnelly and Karol Donnelly also on target. Ryan McCallan top scored for the Plunketts with 1-3 to his name, Ronan Fitzgerald got 0-3 with Peter McGoldrick and Caolan Slane also on target.

Goals won the day for Stewartstown in the grade three  as they made home advantage count to get the better of Owen Roes in a high scoring encounter, 8-8 to 3-15. The Harps led 4-5 to 1-5 at halftime with their goals coming from Rian Biggs, Odhran Robinson, Padraig Doran and Hogan O’Neill while Michael Hughes (2), Biggs, Doran and Conan McCullagh had points. In the second half McCullagh, Biggs, Robinson and Tomas Coyle added further majors with points coming from Michael Hughes, Robins and Aaron Hughes. Dara Dooher top scored for Owen Roes with 2-1 with Oisin Kelly and Adam Coyle hitting 0-5 each, Jack Crossan grabbing 1-1 and Aston Devine (2) and Sean McGonigle also on target. The visitors had good performances from McGonigle, Cormac O’Neill, Dooher, Coyle and Kelly.

Aghaloo rounded off their grade 4 group games with a comprehensive victory over Clogher. Darren McAnespie top scored for them with 2-6 to his name, Connor Quinn got 2-3, Tiarnan McCarron 2-2, Patrick Sherry 1-1, Daniel McGee 0-3 and Owen Rafferty 0-1. Michael Lowry and Niall McKenna got goals for Clogher with Vincent Lowry, McKenna and Patrick Kennedy among their points with great defensive work coming from Dara Stewart.