Wins For Aghyaran And Trillick In Entertaining Double Header

Saturday 23.09.2023

 

Friday night’s double header in Omagh attracted a large crowd and provided plenty of entertainment for those in attendance.

The first game saw Aghyaran find the net early in both halves to ensure they kept Tattyreagh at arm’s and ease through to the quarter finals. The second game was a much closer affair between Trillick and Loughmacrory which went to extra time before being decided by a penalty shoot out that was won by Trillick.

A Ronan Mc Hugh penalty after six minutes opened the scoring in their quarter final clash with Tattyreagh to give Aghyaran the perfect start before Johnny Harkin hit the first of three first half points to get the Tatts motoring.

Both sides enjoyed plenty of possession with Tattyreagh guilty of some poor ball use which cost them several scores. Defensively they were being made to work hard and goalkeeper  Niall Keyes kept them in the game with a superb save from Eoghan Mc Hugh after sixteen minutes. By that time Ronan Mc Hugh and Gopower man of the match Benny Gallen had  added a point each for the north Tyrone men.

Tattyreagh enjoyed a spell of dominance with further scores from Harkin and Keelan Mc Donagh but scores from Ronan Mc Hugh and Gallen left three points 1-4 to 0-4 between them as the game entered added time at the end of the first half.

Tattyreagh had the last say of the half when Callum Leonard clipped over a point to reduce the gap to two on the half time whistle.

A converted forty five from Ronan Mc Hugh after two minutes of the second half made it a three point game. A low scoring second half saw and Ethan Mc Hugh goal and points from Ronan Mc Hugh (2) and Ronan Mc Namee stretch the Aghyaran lead to 2-7 to 0-5 as they looked home and hosed.

Defensively they worked hard to  keep Tattyreagh scoreless for the first twenty two minutes of the second half as they made good use of their pace and physicality.

Eventually Johnny Harkin pointed for his side but Aghyaran’s response was another score from Ronan Mc Hugh and although both sides added a brace of late points each the north Tyrone men ran out deserving winners.

Final score: Aghyaran 2-10, Tattyreagh 0-9.

The first round senior game between Loughmacrory and Trillick served up a cracking game with both sides giving it everything in the pursuit of victory.

The teams were level at the end of normal time at 0-10 apiece and even twenty minutes of added time could not separate them as the outcome was finally decided by a penalty shoot out which Trillick won 4-3.

Loughmacrory settled well with early points from Cathaoir Gallagher and Conall Grimes. Trillick rose to the challenge with five unanswered points to lead 0-5 to 0-2 with scores from Lee Brennan (3) and Gopower Man of the Match Ciaran Daly.

Loughmacrory were put under serious pressure by the Trillick press and they struggled to get the ball into good positions in their opponents half. Aodhan Donaghy hit their first point in twenty four minutes to give them hope but Trillick responded with another Ciaran Daly score to leave it a three point game at the short whistle 0-6 to 0-3.

Loughmacrory sent on Pauric Meenagh at the break and his influence on the game was immediate and effective. He swapped points with Daly to make it a two point game but then the Loch men dominated hitting four unanswered points from Pearse Grimes, Eoin Mc Elholm and Meenagh (2) to lead 0-8 to 0-7.

The very impressive Seanie O’Donnell led the Trillick response to tie the game at 0-8 apiece as the match entered the last quarter. Further points from Daly and Ryan Gray turned the tie in favour of Trillick once more but the Loch lads dug deep and got themselves back in contention.

A superb score from wide on the left by Cathaoir Gallagher reduced the game to a single point before super sub Meenagh pointed to take the game to extra time.

Loughmacrory made a great start to the first period to go two clear with points from Meenagh and Gallagher again but a superb Rory Brennan point just before the break made it a one point game 0-12 to 0-11 with only the second period of extra time remaining.

Credit to both sides the shackles were well and truly off at this stage. James Garrity pointed to tie the game before Ritchie Donnelly pointed to put Trillick in pole position. Loughmacrory dug deep and secured the draw 0-13 to 0-13 to take the game to penalties with Trillick emerging 4-3 winners after the shoot out.