Match Report (Courtesy of The Tyrone Herald)
Killyclogher suffer first league loss
COALISLAND 2-13
KILLYCLOGHER 0-10
A FLUENT Coalisland side moved joint top of the Division One table alongside their opponents when they inflicted Killyclogher’s first defeat of the season at Fr Campbell Park on Thursday evening.
Two second half Dermot Thornton goals, including a penalty right at the death, eased the Fianna to an emphatic nine point triumph as they turned on the after burners in the final quarter. Heading past the 45 minute mark, the visitors were still very much in contention, trailing by the bare minimum, 0-9 to 0-8, but their challenge tailed off during those closing stages, with the hosts producing a decisive late scoring spree.
The teams were locked together six times during an engaging first half, a sequence of impressive league results this term clearly having boosted confidence and belief among both sets of players, despite their disappointing early exits from the Championship. Scores were exchanged regularly, the bulk of them quality efforts from open play, as the sides sought to close in on a top four league play-off slot. Conor Meenan’s excellent effort with the outside of the foot, which handed Killyclogher the lead, set the trend for a free-flowing, expansive opening spell. St Mary’s also shot a few poor wides during their impressive early onslaught, though they were relieved to see a piledriver from Thornton deflected onto Sean Fox’s cross bar.
Soon after Thornton fisted the Fianna level and as the half unfolded, points quickly began to tally up as the forward units clicked into gear. At the midway stage of the half it was three points apiece. Leo Meenan (free) and the lively Mark Bradley registered for Killyclogher, while Plunkett Kane, with a superb effort from out on the left, and Brian Toner (free) were on target for the home side.
With Dermot Carlin and Tiernan McCann bombing up the middle at every opportunity, St Mary’s sought to push ahead but despite a McCann free, they were struggling to stem the accuracy of the Fianna marksmen who availed of most opportunities that came their way. Two brilliant Stephen Curran scores and a tidy catch and conversion by Thornton handed Coalisland some breathing space, but back came Killyclogher with a couple of top notch points of their own, tagged on by Bradley and wing-back Marty Swift, which made it 0-6 apiece.
It then became seven each as Curran and McCann converted placed balls, but a fisted Niall Fox point, which almost found the back of the net, gave the hosts a slight edge 0-8 to 0-7 at the break. A superb block by defender Gavin Sludden denied Thornton a goal on the restart and with the back units displaying more adhesive qualities overall, there was just a point apiece scored during the third quarter, Plunkett Kane and Leo Meenan (free) on the mark. A great catch and cracking shot to the net by Thornton, after he collected Paddy O’Farrell’s high ball, in the 46th minute, at last opened some significant daylight between the teams. Thornton’s aerial prowess was proving a real headache for the Killyclogher defence and he tagged on a couple of fine points as the Fianna made an impressive burst for the finishing line.
Three late black cards disrupted the flow of the contest and in spite of another Meenan free, Killyclogher were picked off on the counter-attack in the closing stages. Full-back Louis O’Neill and sub Sean Corr both pointed for the hosts, before Thornton put the cap on a fine individual display in injury time, as he smacked home a spot-kick past Fox, after Corr had been fouled.
THE SCORERS
Coalisland
Dermot Thornton (2-4), Stephen Curran (0-3,1 free), Plunkett Kane (0-2), Niall, Fox, Louis O’Neill, Brian Toner, Sean Corr (0-1 each)
Killyclogher
Leo Meenan (0-3, 3 frees), Mark Bradley (0-2), Tiernan McCann (0-2,1 ‘45’), Marty Swift, Niall McFadden, Conor Meenan (0-1 each)
THE TEAMS
Coalisland
Johnny Curran, Dan Fee, Louis O’Neill, Conor Bayne, Peter Donnelly, Niall Kerr, Patrick O’Farrell, Padraig Hampsey, Philip Toner, Brian Toner, Plunkett Kane, Stephen Curran, Gerard Toner, Niall Fox, Dermot Thornton. Subs used: Sean Corr for N Fox (42mins), Liam Wylie for P Hampsey (48), Eoin Hampsey for G Toner (60)
Killyclogher
Sean Fox, Niall Bradley, Danny Gorman, Gavin Sludden, Marty Swift, Dermot Carlin, Emmet McFadden, Conal McCann, Michael Meenagh, Tiernan McCann, Aidan Kelly, Niall McFadden, Leo Meenan, Conor Meenan, Mark Bradley. Subs used: Tiernan Cox for C Meenan (50), Simon O’Neill for L Meenan (53 mins), Nathan Donnelly for A Kelly (57)
Referee
Eamon McHugh (Aghyaran)
