TYRONE SFC: Killyclogher back in final after holding off Dromore

Killyclogher are back in their second successive Tyrone Senior Football decider after once again getting the better of Dromore at the semi-final stage at Healy Park on Friday night.

As expected it was a keenly contested game from start to finish with no quarter asked for or given, played in front of a bumper crowd of around 7,000.

The contest got off to a lively start with Dromore midfielder, Sean O’Neill, splitting the posts after only 35 seconds but Killyclogher equalised in the second minute with an equally quality score from the boot of Conall McCann.

By the 12th minute, Killyclogher were 0-4 to 0-1 to the good thanks to three frees in a row from a similar position on the right wing from Tyrone attacker Mark Bradley.

A Ruairi Sludden free gave Dromore a much needed response before his brother Niall hit an outstanding score with the outside of his boot. Killyclogher though were looking the better side with Bradley converting another placed ball and midfielder Feargal Meenagh scoring from play. The rest of the first half though belonged to Dromore despite the fact that they were playing against the wind.

Sludden knocked over two frees before scoring a superb point from play and at the half-time whistle it was 0-6 apiece.

The second half was to be a much tougher affair with both sides fighting tooth and nail for that coveted place in the county final. The first scored of the second period arrived in the eighth minute and it proved to be a decisive one. It was a superb move from Killyclogher with Bradley, Tiernan McCann and Aidy Kelly all involved before ‘man of the match’ Emmett McFadden finished in style to the back of the net past keeper Damian McGale.

Meenagh then weighed in with his second point of the game as the St. Marys moved four clear. Sludden converted another free and after Nathan Donnelly and Sean McDonnell had exchanged points, there was still three between them with eight minutes of normal time left to play.

Bradley’s fifth score of the night left four between the sides again but Dromore weren’t finished yet. Eoin McCusker cut in from the left and elected to take a point when he had men inside him for a goal chance before Sludden scored another free.

There was at least nine minutes of injury time signalled to be played but amazingly another four were played on top of that. With the last kick Dromore were awarded a 13m free and Sludden went for goal but his shot went just over the bar and when the final whistle sounded Killyclogher had just about held on.

Killyclogher scorers: Mark Bradley 0-5, Emmett McFadden 1-0, Feargal Meenagh 0-2, Conall McCann 0-1, Nathan Donnelly 0-1

Dromore scorers: Ruairi Sludden 0-6, Eoin McCusker 0-2, Sean O’Neill 0-1, Sean McDonnell 0-1, Niall Sludden 0-1

Referee: Simon Brady, Moy