Ulster Under 21 Football Club Championship (at Creggan)

[paddy g]

error in today's (9th Feb) Irish News -
I can confirm both semi-final games are on 19th Feb at 1pm and 2.45pm. Final is scheduled for 26th Feb.

[SuperHans]

Good luck to dungiven tomorrow against mayobridge! cant make the game but if they play the way they did agasint kilcar they should prevail.

the last day out they limited mcbrearty and mchughs influence although both had played for donegal the day before.

Omagh looked good the last day out so im predicting an omagh v dungiven final, another good derry tyrone tussle

Mawn the town!

[Any craic]

Mayobridge beat Dungiven today - see their first goal here : http://tinyurl.com/76xdkdy

[everymanaman]

Omagh beat Cullyhanna 0-14 to 0-13 with late winner coming from Cormac O'Neill

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Very disappointed, we could have nicked at least a draw at the end but it was another heroic performance from a team with seven minors in the starting XV and arguably missing our two strongest players. Congratulations to Omagh who were admittedly deserving of their victory.

[fitzroyalty]

Very disappointed, we could have nicked at least a draw at the end but it was another heroic performance from a team with seven minors in the starting XV and arguably missing our two strongest players. Congratulations to Omagh who were admittedly deserving of their victory.

Hard luck. Surely would have won with RT there, was in fine form last night in Newry.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Very disappointed, we could have nicked at least a draw at the end but it was another heroic performance from a team with seven minors in the starting XV and arguably missing our two strongest players. Congratulations to Omagh who were admittedly deserving of their victory.

Hard luck. Surely would have won with RT there, was in fine form last night in Newry.

His loss.

[The Worker]

Who will be favourites for the final then?

[Feckitt]

[[/quote]Hard luck. Surely would have won with RT there, was in fine form last night in Newry.
[/quote]

What does that mean? Why is he not playing for Cullyhanna?

[redhandloo]

[

Hard luck. Surely would have won with RT there, was in fine form last night in Newry.
[/quote]

What does that mean? Why is he not playing for Cullyhanna?
[/quote]
Is that wee tasker?  What's the story there? A really good minor in 09

[theticklemister]

by the sounds of it they are better off without him

[The Worker]

Who is tasker playing for now?

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Ulster Club under 21 Championship Semi-final: St Patrick's Cullyhanna 0-13 Omagh St Enda's 0-14

After 7 thrilling displays and 6 tremendous victories, the magnificent voyage undertaken by the Cullyhanna under 21 team finally came to an end on Sunday as a gallant St Pat's side were edged out by the narrowest of margins. And while defeat was undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow, Cullyhanna's under 21s exited in a blaze of glory, producing arguably as good a performance as they managed all year and playing an integral part in a magnificent game of football. St Pat's were dealt their first crucial blow prior to throw in with news that midfielder and talisman Pearse Casey had been laid low with flu and was unable to start. Unlike the previous match against Kickhams Creggan, conditions were as good as could be expected for the time of year. However St Patrick's appeared unsettled in the early stages with Tyrone senior intercounty star Ronan O'Neill firing over 2 points in as many minutes for Omagh. The Tyrone side had been billed as heavy favourites pre-match and were in sparkling form in the early stages. Cullyhanna custodian Deaglan McArdle had to be alert to keep his goal intact, tipping over a goal bound effort four minutes in. Trailing by 3 points to nil, St Patrick's appeared to be on the verge of getting overrun by their opponents but Colm Hoey assumed the leadership mantle, embarking on an inspirational 40 yard solo run before kicking a fine opening score. Within seconds the deficit was reduced to a single point as Tony Donnelly claimed a breaking ball from the Omagh kick-out before transferring to Rory O'Neill who pointed. The early stages continued to be a free-scoring affair as Omagh kicked over a free before a great Tony Donnelly point from range put only a point between the teams again. Nine minutes in, Ronan O'Neill kicked his fourth point of the match for Omagh while a minute later Rory O'Neill responded with a pointed free of his own after a foul on Kevin Hoey. That left the score Omagh 0-5 St Pat's 0-4 after an enthralling opening ten minutes.

It was inevitable that the scoring rate of both sides would slow however Omagh edged further into the lead after thirteen minutes with a fine point. St Pat's responded again 21 minutes in when a remarkable fetch at midfield from Colm Hoey initiated a St Patrick's attack which culminated with another Rory O'Neill point. Omagh extended their advantage with a point a minute later, however the introduction of Cathal McGlade for Cullyhanna paid immediate dividends as he created a scoring opportunity which was converted by Kyle McEvoy. After 25 minutes, St Pat's finally drew level for the first time when Colm Hoey was hauled down whilst in the middle of a purposeful solo run. Kyle McEvoy made no mistake from the free to draw his side level at 0-7 apiece. Unfortunately this was to prove only a brief interlude of parity as Omagh finished the half the strongest with two late points to leave the Tyrone side ahead after an attractive first half on a scoreline of St Patrick's 0-7 Omagh 0-9. While St Pat's will have been disappointed that lapses in concentration late in the half had resulted in a half-time deficit, given the atrocious start made, most Cullyhanna supporters were fairly content at the break.

The Tyrone side kept their opponents waiting before taking the field at the beginning of the second however when they did emerge, they did so in determined mood, making much the better start. A defensive error lead to an early Omagh point and a fine attack seven minutes in put the Tyrone side four points to the good. By this stage, St Patrick's were struggling to gain possession at midfield and appeared in danger of being overawed by their opponents. Any further scores from Omagh at this stage may have signalled the end of the St Patrick's challenge but Aidan Nugent announced his introduction as substitute with a superb point from distance eight minutes in. Midway through the half, Kyle McEvoy pointed a free after a foul on Conor Nugent to leave only two points between the teams. Determined to quell any possible comeback, Omagh soon laid siege to the St Patrick's goalmouth, fashioning clear goal-scoring opportunities on four occasions between the 16th and 23rd minutes of the half. It took a combination of resilient and composed defending, magnificent goalkeeping and the fortune of a ball striking the post to repel Omagh and keep the St Patrick's goal in tact.

Remarkably St Pat's emerged from this difficult period closer to their opponents on the scoreboard when Sean Connell provided brief respite from the waves of Omagh attacks with a superb point from distance to put only one between the sides. With seven minutes remaining, it appeared Omagh had struck the decisive blows as two points within a minute gave them a seemingly unassailable 3 point advantage. Yet still St Patrick's would not accept defeat, driving forward once more to attempt to rescue the situation. Pearse Casey emerged from the bench to take up station on the edge of the Omagh square and he made an immediate impact, winning a free which Tony Donnelly pointed. Reinvigorated by a renewed sense of belief, Cullyhanna pushed forward once more and reduced the deficit to the minimum when Tony Donnelly collected a sideline ball from Gareth Mackin. Donnelly turned and fired over a crucial point. By now, Cullyhanna were in the ascendancy and, almost unbelievably, pulled level with three minutes remaining as Aidan Nugent showed best to a Tony Donnelly sideline ball and kicked a magnificent score to the delight of the travelling Cullyhanna support. This wonderful exhibition of football continued to ebb and flow in its final stages but as the clock ticked into injury time, neither side could conjure the winning point. Sport can be cruel pursuit however and no better was this illustrated to Cullyhanna than after 31 minutes of the second half when clever play from a long range free resulted in another free being awarded to Omagh in a much more scorable position. Despite the pressure on the young Tyrone forward, his kick was good and Omagh led by a point deep into stoppage time. Still Cullyhanna refused to accept their fate and fashioned another scoring opportunity in the final minute. Pearse Casey's effort was partially blocked by a desperate defender and although possession was retain by the Cullyhanna forward line, the resultant snapshot at goal went agonisingly wide. When Omagh collected possession from the resultant kick-out, Cullyhanna's brave fight was finally over as the match ended in heartbreak for the St Pat's.

While few words of condolence will lift the spirits of the players in the aftermath of such a crushing defeat, it can be fairly stated that in a season of remarkable performances, this side perhaps saved the best to last. All eighteen players who took the field emerged with credit and Cullyhanna could not be more proud of this side had they won the entire tournament. While Cullyhanna could have snatched a late draw, the hugely talented and more experienced Omagh side deserved their victory however St Patrick's lost little in defeat and can look back on their exploits with pride. This Cullyhanna side were not fancied to emerge from their Armagh quarter-final clash with Harps and have regularly fielded with seven or eight minors in the starting fifteen. But despite this, they have grown in stature throughout this season, producing some wonderful football and consistently showing immense levels of courage and tenacity, responding in great style to each challenge laid before them. This team has far exceeded even the most optimistic of expectations and the committee of St Patrick's are delighted with the magnificent manner in which they have represented our club, our village and our county. Every single player involved in this side has the potential to play a huge role in the future of our club and if these lads continue to show the dedication and commitment of the last five months throughout their future footballing careers, there is no doubt they will have long and successful days in the red, black and amber. Our congratulations also to the management team of Stephen Reel and Mal Mackin who performed heroics in their first managerial assignment and thanks to Liam O'Hare and Gary McCooey who were of great assistance to the side. Finally, we wish Omagh every success in the final.

Starting XV: Deaglan McArdle; Kieran McCooey, Darren Mackin, Michael Murray; Sean Connell (0-1), Eoin McArdle, Colm Hoey (0-1); Neil Donnelly, Tony Donnelly (0-3); Rory O'Neill (0-3), Genie McCooey, Kevin Hoey; Kyle McEvoy (0-3), Gareth Mackin, Conor Nugent. Subs Used: Cathal McGlade, Aidan Nugent (0-2), Pearse Casey

[AFS]

Who is tasker playing for now?

The Armagh U21s.

Fair play to Cullyhanna for doing so well. From the sounds of it, their management deserve a lot of credit for the way they handled things throughout the campaign.

[Any craic]

Cullyhanna were very impressive, they should have been dead and buried a few times but survived goal efforts somehow and were still hanging in there and so nearly got a draw - fair play, see the last 5/6 minutes on video here - http://tinyurl.com/7c5qvcv