GAA: Damp squib replay for Cookstown's Under 16s
Grade One U16 Championship Final
Omagh 4-19
Cookstown 1-5
A lot of the time replays fail to live up to the original encounter and that was certainly the case at Healy Park on Friday, as Omagh strolled to victory against a Cookstown side who failed to play the football of which they are capable, writes Kevin Kelly.
In the drawn game the young Fr Rocks were leading by half a dozen points with less than ten minutes to play but they failed to hold out and Omagh were going to make the most of the second chance that came their way and they did it in devastating fashion.
In truth the game was over as a contest by halftime as Omagh had established a 2-8 to 1-2 advantage and had a vice like grip on proceedings that they never looked like relinquishing.
Fullforward Sean Canavan set them on their way with a second minute goal and a series of points from Stephen Murphy, Ruairi Bradley and the superb Cormac O'Neill had them in control by the time James McGahan cracked home a Cookstown goal.
In the dying seconds of the first half Omagh sliced open the Cookstown defence for Bradley to net and when the Father Rocks had centre half back Mattie Hughes sent off three minutes after the restart it was all over bar the shouting.
Oisin Maguire and Ryan Owens had Cookstown points but it was Omagh who continued to dominate on their way to an impressive haul. O'Neill took his individual tally on the night to seven with Ciaran Canavan, Rory McBride and Thomas Hannigan all weighing in with scores as well.
Omagh had substitute Conor Goulding straight red carded three minutes from time but it didn't prevent them from scoring two more goals from Bradley and Darren McMenamin as they clinched a memorable double at this grade.
Omagh - Niall McGinn, Nigel Brannigan, Ruairi Bradley, Paul McBride, Piaras McElduff, James Gallagher, Blaine Garrity, Ciaran Canavan, Ciaran McLaughlin, James Mullan, Cormac O'Neill, Cormac Hannigan, Rory McBride, Sean Canavan, Stephen Murphy. Subs - Thomas Hannigan for Paul McBride, Conor Goulding for Sean Canavan, Darren McMenamin for Rory McBride, Paddy Duddy for Mullan, Ciaran Eannetta for Cormac Hannigan
Scorers - Ruairi Bradley 2-2, Cormac O'Neill 0-7, Stephen Murphy 0-3, Ciaran Canavan 0-3, Sean Canavan 1-0, Darren McMenamin 1-0, Cormac Hannigan 0-2, Rory McBride 0-2
Cookstown - Niall Wallace, Conor Kelly, Ciaran Blake, Ruairi Mullan, Eoin O'Connor, Mattie Hughes, John McIvor, Ciaran Owens, Leigh McCracken, Oisin Maguire, Barry Potter, Ryan Owens, Peter Murray, James McGahan, Eoin Coyle. Sub - Gary McKenna for McIvor
Scorers- Oisin Maguire 0-3, Peter Murray 1-0, James McGahan 0-1, Ryan Owens 0-1
Referee - Sean McCartan, Loughmacrory
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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