Killyclogher 2-13 Carrickmore 0-12 (Match Report Courtesy of The Tyrone Herald)
KILLYCLOGHER continued their blistering start to their 2014 campaign with another comprehensive win, running out seven point winners over neighbours Carrickmore at sunny Ballinamullin.
A quick-thinking goal midway through the first half, finished by Mark Bradley, set the blues on their way to victory, while a second major from Leo Meenan early in the second half put the home side into an unassailable lead as they ran out comfortable winners.
In what proved to be a nip and tuck first half, it was the home side who struck first, Niall McFadden pointing inside a minute, but Carrickmore hit back with a Michael Gallagher point off the outside of his right.
A Declan Leonard score from play and a first from Leo Meenan, from a free, edged Killyclogher ahead 0-3 to 0-1, before Mark Donnelly responded once again for Carrickmore with eight minutes played.
Good work from the effervescent Mark Bradley teed up Conall McCann to score for Killyclogher to make the scoreboard read 0-4 to 0-2 after ten minutes of action, but the visitors responded with an excellent long-range point from Donnelly and a free from the boot of Marty Penrose to level matters at 0-4 each with 12 minutes played.
A minute later, Carrickmore edged in front for the first and only time in the game as Penrose landed a long range point from a free to make it 0-5 to 0-4.
Referee Fergal Ward awarded Killyclogher a free for a late foul on wing-back Gary Wallace. From where the ball landed, Leo Meenan showed some quick thinking to play the ball across into the path of the onrushing Mark Bradley, who coolly slotted to the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-4 to 0-5 with 14 minutes played.
Penrose pointed from another longrange free, but that was quickly cancelled out by Meenan who pointed a 20m free following an off-the-ball foul on Bradley.
The game continued to ebb and flow, Ruairi Loughran and Penrose from a free either side of another successfully converted placed ball by Meenan to make it 1-6 to 0-8 after 21 minutes.
A ball across the Carrickmore square was fisted over by McFadden, before Mark Donnelly responded for Carrickmore as the half-time whistle approached.
There was still time for Aidy Kelly to point for Killyclogher to send the home side in with a two point lead at the interval, 1-8 to 0-9 the half-time score.
Killyclogher started the second half in blistering fashion. Leo Meenan beat three Carrickmore defenders before firing over, while the same player fired over a great score from the left wing to put four between them.
Penrose fed the ball in to Paul McAleer, who saw his shot smartly saved by Sean Fox in the Killyclogher goal, before a foul on Gormley 13 metres out saw Caolan Daly convert the resulting free to make it 1-10 to 0-10 after 40 minutes.
That was to be as close as Carrickmore would get though, as Meenan beat his marker before rounding the Carrickmore keeper Ruairi Haughey to goal and make it 2-10 to 0-11.
McFadden landed a monster of a point from distance, while Carrickmore could only manage a point from Penrose as the goal they needed continued to elude them, primarily due to the heroics of Sean Fox in the Killyclogher goal.
Bradley tagged on a late pointed free, and Con all McCann grabbed his second point of the day with a great score on the run to make it 2-13 to 0-11 as the final whistle approached.
Carrickmore continued to probe in injury time, and a long range free from Donnelly into the square was punched over the bar by his county colleague Gormley, but it could not take the gloss off a slick Killyclogher display.
The fact that the Killyclogher were still on the field in a huddle more than ten minutes after the final whistle shows that their eyes are on a bigger prize. With the start of their Championship campaign now just four weeks away, where Dromore await, the St Mary’s will be hoping that they can maintain their rich vein of form and secure a notable knockout victory.
Team: Sean Fox, Marty Swift, Danny Gorman, Gavin Sludden, Niall Bradley, Emmet McFadden, Gary Wallace, Micheal Meenagh, Conall McCann, Aidy Kelly, Niall McFadden, Declan Leonard, Tiernan McCann, Leo Meenan, Mark Bradley
Subs used: Eoin Bradley for Niall Bradley (40), Tomas Flanagan for Declan Leonard (54).
Scorers: Leo Meenan 1-5 (4f), Mark Bradley 1-1 (1f), Niall McFadden 0-3, Conall McCann 0-2, Aidy Kelly and Declan Leonard 0-1 each.
Watch the match here:
http://new.livestream.com/screens2gotv/events/2947241
