Late points win MacRory knock-out spot for Omagh

Omagh CBS 1-12 St Patrick’s Armagh 1-10

This Danske Bank MacRory Cup tie in Augher was a strange game that swung towards one side then the other throughout and was eventually nailed for Omagh CBS with late points from James Garrity and Mark Hayes.

To illustrate the topsy-turvy nature of the game, Armagh scored the opening five points through Justin Kieran, Michael Conroy and Seamus Muldoon, before Omagh hit four points in succession to bring them right back into the game.

Although Kieran responded with a point for Armagh, Omagh finished the half strongly to lead by 0-7 to 0-6 with four of the scores coming from James Garrity.

The third quarter went score-for-score until Cormac Rodgers fired home a goal for Omagh and they opened a four points’ gap when Liam Gray quickly tapped over a point.

However Justin Kearns steered home a penalty award soon after and Ben Toal’s point pulled the teams level at 1-10 each.

But Omagh had the last say with two late points. Those scores complete the Group B games with St Ronan’s in the MacCormack Cup semi-finals, Omagh through to the knock-out stages after Christmas and Armagh and St Malachy’s Castlewellan facing relegation play-offs in a fortnight’s time.

Omagh CBS : Cormac Rodgers 1-0, James Garrity 0-5, 0-2 frees, Aidan Clarke 0-2, Caolan Slevin 0-2, Aaron Montgomery 0-1, Liam Gray 0-1, Mark Hayes 0-1.

St Patrick’s : Justin Kieran 1-3, 1-0 pen., 0-2 frees, Michael Conroy 0-3, 0-frees, Seamus Muldoon 0-2, Cormac Smith 0-1, Ben Toal 0-1.