TYRONE SFC: Ardboe win as Kildress edge out Augher

Ardbor 1-15, Edendork 0-09

In the end Ardboe won this Senior championship first round encounter at Plunkett Park by double scores but that doesn’t tell the full story as Edendork asked serious questions of the Loughshore men.

It could all have been so different for the St. Malachys if two incidents within as many minutes at the beginning of the final quarter had gone their way.

First, Darren McCurry sent a penalty over the bar and moments later the Tyrone player found the net but the goal was disallowed after he had double bounced the ball. If he had got either of those scores it would have reduced the deficit to the minimum but they were to register just another point as Ardboe made good their escape to emerge comfortable winners.

The Rossas were out of the traps quickly with three unanswered points from Kyle Coney, Shay McGuigan and Ciaran Gervin although McCurry was desperately unlucky to see his goal bound shot hit the right post and then the left one before being cleared. Paul Donaghy, Niall Morgan and McCurry all weighed in with quality scores to haul Edendork level by the 8 th minute. They failed to score again though until injury time at the end of the first half as Ardboe got on top. McGuigan, Coney and defender Gavin Teague all scored to leave it 0-8 to 0-4 at halftime.

Four minutes into the second half Ardboe grabbed a goal when midfielder Martin McKeown gave keeper Mark McReynolds no chance with a thumping finish to the roof of the net.

Edendork though showed their mettle with scores from McCurry and midfielder Stephen Gervin (2) and with Ardboe down to 14 men after the dismissal of Ciaran Gervin it was ‘game on’ again.

That’s when Edendork were awarded their penalty after a foot block but McCurry sent it over the bar. Caolan Mallaghan got an Ardboe point before McCurry’s goal was disallowed. Donaghy had an Edendork point but that proved to be their last score of the game.

Michael Cassidy, McGuigan, Coney, Thomas Wylie and substitute Nishy O’Neill all landed points as Ardboe went through to a quarter final meeting with old rivals Dromore.

Ardboe scorers – Shay McGuigan 0-4, Kyle Coney 0-4, Martin McKeown 1-0, Michael Cassidy 0-2, Gavin Teague 0-1, Caolan Mallaghan 0-1, Ciaran Gervin 0-1, Thomas Wylie 0-1, Nishy O’Neill 0-1

Edendork scorers – Darren McCurry 0-4, Stephen Gervin 0-2, Paul Donaghy 0-2, Niall Morgan 0-1

Referee – Dermot Monaghan (Augher)

Coalisland 2-13, Galbally 0-11

Coalisland fully justified their favourites tag with an eight point success over Galbally.

The Pearses matched their opponents early on but failed to take chances and when Coalisland struck for their first goal in the 11th minute from Cathair Quinn, they never looked back. The winners led 1-7 to 0-4 at the break and picked up where they left off on the restart with the issue was already beyond doubt by the time Stephen McNally got their second goal in the 47th minute.

Twice Galbally led in the opening stages with well taken points from Paul Rafferty and Sean Murphy but Coalisland replied through Brian Toner and Quinn before the latter gave his side a lead they were never to lose in the 8th minute.

A superb pass from Peter Donnelly then found Quinn who showed great composure to dummy Galbally keeper Mickey Corr and plant the ball in an empty net. Plunkett Kane then took centre stage with three outstanding points and while Murphy replied for Galbally it was Coalisland who had the final say of the half through midfielder Padraig Hampsey.

Galbally needed a good start to the second half but the opposite happened with Dermot Thornton taking three quality scores inside four minutes.

The hard working Seamus Mulgrew responded for Galbally but the Fianna were well on top with full back Louis O’Neill getting forward to split the posts. Liam Rafferty then weighed in with a quality point for Galbally after he had evaded three challenges but in the next attack Quinn and Thornton combined for McNally to finish to the net for the Fianna.

Galbally had the final three points but it was only academic at that stage as Coalisland had already secured their place in the quarter finals.

Coalisland scorers: Cathair Quinn 1-3, Plunkett Kane 0-3, Dermot Thornton 0-3, Stephen McNally 1-0, Louis O’Neill 0-1, Padraig Hampsey 0-1, Philip Toner 0-1, Brian Toner 0-1

Galbally scorers: Sean Murphy 0-4, Paul Rafferty 0-3, Liam Rafferty 0-3, Seamus Mulgrew 0-1

Referee: Mark O’Neill (Cookstown)

Kildress 1-9, Augher 0-11

Two sides who are struggling in the league met in the opening round at Edendork with Kildress managing to just about edge the verdict.

The Wolfe Tones got off to the perfect start when a free from Des Treacy was fumbled into the net by Augher keeper Arthur Kelly. Liam Connolly replied with a well taken point before a brace from Darragh Kavanagh in the space of 60 seconds had the sides level. Treacy and Kavanagh swapped points before Philip Lennon edged Kildress back in front.

Kavanagh though was continuing to cause problems for the Kildress rear guard as he raised another white flag. In the final minute of the opening period, Niall Quinn took a fine score from out on the left wing to leave Kildress leading 1-3 to 0-5 at half-time.

Within three minutes of the resumption, the lead had changed hands again thanks to a Declan Connolly free and a Kavanagh effort from play. Kildress defender Conor McAleer then joined the attack to hoist over a superb point from distance but back came Augher with another Connolly free.

Des Treacy took a quality point from the left wing but going into the final quarter Augher had their noses in front thanks to Connolly’s third free of the half. Frank McGurk then came to the fore as he hit a splendid point from play before landing a free from a difficult angle out on the right wing to leave Kildress leading 0-10 to 1-6 with 10 minutes left.

The impressive Kavanagh tied the scores but crucially Kildress then struck twice in a few seconds through Lennon and Quinn to move clear. Augher midfielder Aidan McElroy was denied a goal by a fabulous save from keeper Gerard Grimes and while Kavanagh scored from the rebound with his seventh of the afternoon it was the Tones who held on to set up a quarter final meeting with Coalisland.

Kildress scorers: Des Treacy 1-2, Philip Lennon 0-2, Frank McGurk 0-2, Niall Quinn 0-2, Conor McAleer 0-1

Augher scorers – Darragh Kavanagh 0-7, Declan Connolly 0-3, Liam Connolly 0-1.