Omagh sink Armagh with great start
Omagh CBS 1-17 St Patrick’s Armagh 0-9
From Kevin Kelly in Athletic Grounds Armagh
Omagh CBS produced a power packed display at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh on Satur-day evening to win the Danske Bank MacCormack when they proved too strong for St Pat-rick’s Armagh.
Armagh were without key forward Michael Conroy which certainly didn’t help their cause but on the day Omagh were full value for their 11 points success with nine different players getting their names on the scoresheet. It was an impressive display throughout from the win-ners and they were well on their way to victory at the end of the opening quarter having es-tablished a 1-6 to 0-0 lead.
Aidan McConnell opened the scoring and further points came from Liam Gray, Tom Donaghy, Daniel Fullerton, Mark Hayes and an outstanding effort with the outside of the boot from corner back Cormac McBride.
In the 16th minute the winners sliced open the Armagh defence with a flowing move that in-volved McConnell, Antoin Fox and Hayes with the latter laying the ball off to Sean McDonagh who brilliantly chipped keeper Jack Gibney. That totalled seven scores all from different players and Armagh were in trouble.
Full forward Justin Kieran eventually opened their account in the 19th minute and he hit an-other couple of points with Ruairi McDonald and Dillon Horsfield also on target. Omagh though led 1-8 to 0-5 at the break and they were unlucky not to get another goal when McConnell struck the post after going past three challenges.
Corner back Donaghy cut in from the right wing to open the second half scoring with his sec-ond point and while Kieran cancelled that out two frees from Gray and Fullerton kept Omagh CBS well in charge of proceedings.
St Patrick’s midfielder Conor Lavery then landed a point before they were thrown a lifeline in the 39th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Kieran was brought down by Oran Grimes, the Omagh keeper getting black carded for the offence.
Aaron MacRory came on in his place and his first action was to face the spot kick but Kieran sent it to the wrong side of the left hand post. 60 seconds later Michael McGleenan burst through but his shot was saved by MacRory.
If either of those chances had hit the net the gap would have been cut to four points but it was Omagh who re-asserted their dominance. Gray converted two frees with McDonagh and substitute Simon Garrity on target from play and while Kieran responded for Armagh it was a goal that they needed.
Gray took his personal haul to 0-7 from another couple of frees and while Kieran had the final say it was an impressive Omagh side who took the silverware and on this display they will take a bit of beating in the race for MacRory Cup honours.
Omagh CBS: O Grimes, C McBride (0-1), R Hollywood, T Donaghy (0-2), R Donnelly, A Fox, C Colton, L McBride, A Montgomery (0-1), E Montgomery, L Gray (0-7, 6F), S McDonagh (1-1), M Hayes (0-1), D Fullerton (0-2, 2F), A McConnell (0-1).
Subs: A MacRory for Grimes (black card), R Kennedy for Donnelly, S Garrity (0-1) for E Montgomery, B Conway for Colton, B Groogan for A Montgomery
St Patrick’s Armagh: J Gibney, O Guy, O McKeagney, A Harney, C Murray, C Toner, N Boyle, M McGleenan, C Lavery (0-1), D Horsfield (0-1), R McDonald (0-2), T Weir, S Quigley, J Kieran (0-5, 4F), L Coulter.
Subs: R Bradley for Coulter, O Conety for Murray, C McParland for Guy, C Power for Quigley, O McGurgan for Horsfield
Referee: M McNally, Monaghan
