2008 Ulster Minor Club Championship

[tyrone exile]

creggan and ardboe both beat

[drici]

Creggan 0-06 Scotstown 1-08

(Would be handy if Rossa could get a scoreboard)

[ONeill]

A hearty crowd braved the elements as a whiff of Loughshore suffocated the bank whilst the young bucks of neighbouring Ballinderry and Ardboe locked horns at the Rossa's pitch, 3 mile from their clubroom.

As the players warmed up I was thinking to myself that what on earth are the Derry lads breeding these days as the number 14 for the Shamrocks bore an uncanny resemblance to the Tyson like (in his latter years) Gavin McGeehan in physique and appearance. A few minutes into the game and sure wasn't it Big Tam himself. I thought he'd be rightly overage now as he played in the All-Ireland Minor final of '07 but he must've been rightly underage then.

Twas a tale of the wine. Ardboe played into the wine in the first half and suffered badly for it. The wine was responsible for many of their attacks falling short or veering wide also with the help of a big puddle in the goalmouth that saved two likely three-pointers. Anyway, Ballinderry utilised the wine brilliantly with McGeehan claiming every ball that went his way. He nicked one of their two first half goals as the Shamrocks led 2-7 to 0-4 I think (no scoreboard). It definitely wasn't a reflection of their superiority. They weren't all that much better than the other Rossas. They just used the ball well with Coney well shackled. Felt a little that Coney was holding back somewhat, maybe injured or not slapping about for fear of Aussie wrath. He started at FF in the first half (a crazy decision from Horse Devlin if he was the manager as it was obvious little of no ball was going to be lumped into that wine). He soon moved out into centrefield to limited impact such was the effort needed to break the wine, and was well covered with no 11 for Ballinderry doing some sterling work.

Although 9 down at half time and oul McGuckian with that smug grin on him winging its way from ear to ear, I still thought Ardboe would make a fist of it as yer man beside me said 'we didn't come down to lose the game' which was reassuring. Sure enough, with the wine at their backs Ardboe proceeded to chip away at the Ballinderry lead, getting the margin down to 4 points on two occasions, mostly from Coney frees. Coney was operating at FF for the whole of the second half and although they threw in a few Hail Marys, he never really availed of this and most of his good work was out around the 30-40 where he was invariably fouled. Horse wasn't too happy about Coney's travelling tendencies and continually told him to get back in as the wine was still strong.

Ballinderry had the intelligence up front to make hay when they actually managed to get the ball over half-way. At 0-10 to 2-8, Coney was narrowly wide with a fisted effort which would have left them just one behind and seriously on top. McGuckian was growling. Ballinderry broke and in 3 minutes it was 0-10 to 4-8, one a moment of hesitation from an unconvincing Ardboe goalie. From then on it was point for point although Coney made a few unusual decisions to go for points with frees instead of hammering it into the square on an oul wet dirty day like that. When he made it 0-12 to 4-10 from a free he turned to Horse and asked 'how much is in it Horse?' They really must get a scoreboard.

Better team won, though not 10 points better. I thought it ended 0-13 to 4-11 but could be wrong. Ballinderry are a good team with strong performers all over the field. Their no 13 is tidy. McGeehan is a pleasure to watch. He was actually moved out from FF when Ardboe were on top and was used as the spare man (the Tyrone men were down to 14 for 2 yellows), sweeping in front of the isolated Coney. He won almost every battle with his more illustrious opponent and I'd even go as far to say that Coney was slightly intimidated with his presence. No 11, the cramping lad, is also a fine footballer. A strong side all around. Ardboe had decent players in each line but too many weak links/light players as well.

There were curlews flying overhead apparently. Hope the young Ardboe lad who was stretcher off was ok. The man beside me told me he heard the 'brak' but I didn't believe him as he also said that match had been abandoned when the teams got into a huddle whilst the young lad was being treated. They like the hyperbole on the shore.

[ONeill]

Were you there ye balax?

[DoYerJob Linesman]

Great win for the lads today. The scorline flattered us big time.

[orangeman]

Great win for the lads today. The scorline flattered us big time.

Well done to the Shamrocks - hard luck to uor lads who battled gamely. It's ben a great season for the minors -so take a bow lads.

[ONeill]

Who'd you think played well?

[loughshore lad]

A good summary of the game by O'Neill. 

Congratulations to Ballinderry they deserved the victory with a very clinical and economical performance. 

Gavin McGeehan is just a joy to watch.  He is one of the most efficient footballers I have seen in quite a while.  He produced the type of game for the shamrocks that Ardboe needed from Kyle.  Can't for the life of me work out why he is not on the shamrocks senior panel, they could have been doing with him against cross.

The shamrocks also had good performances from their full back, centre half forward and the youg lad Fintan Bell playing up front.

For our lads yound Simon Teague in left corner back had a good game I thought while Gavin drove the team on at every opportunity.  Thomas Wylie was playing reasonably well until his harsh sending off.  Mattie Bell was playing a very influential role until he had to retire with a knee injury. 

[fitzroyalty]

What age is McGeehan, mind seeing him for Derry minors when they got to the AI final last year, quare man. To think B'derry don't have him in their senior panel beggars belief

[drici]

Ard Bó Uí Dhonnabhain Rossa Cumann Lúthchleas Gael is based in East Tyrone, close
to the shores of Lough Neagh. Within the Parish of Ardboe, ourselves and Moortown
St Malachys draw footballers from all corners and have had very successful teams down
through the years.

Gaelic games in Ardboe have been present for well over a century but the current club
Ardboe O'Donovan Rossa was officially formed and affiliated in 1947 arising out of a three
year suspension and the first O'Donovan Rossa Senior team take to the field was in a tournament
to officially open the new GAA Park at Kilmenagh.

As the Club was finding its feet, Senior success was not to come for a while, but the forerunners
of the Club were building for the future and its first Title came in 1951 when the Minors defeated
Omagh in the Championship Final in Pomeroy by a Final score of Ardboe 3-06 Omagh 2-04.

The Senior team was having mixed fortunes in the League and Championship in the 50s but in 1953
the first Senior League silverware came when Ardboe were awarded the East Tyrone Senior League.
The Minor teams were also doing well come the end of the decade and in 1958 they won both League
and Championship and in 1959 also retained their League Title that was also held until 1961. The Seniors
also had success with their(!) second and third wins in the East Tyrone Senior League in 1958 and 59.

With Youth and Senior success in the 50s, the O'Neill Cup still eluded Ardboe but 1968 was the year that
finally the Tyrone Senior Championship was won with a 1-08 to 0-07 point victory over Coalisland in Dungannon.


(Easily the best of this year's ones)

[orangeman]

Any word yet ??

[orangeman]

Great win for the Shamrocks - who do you meet in the final ?.

[KIDDO 4]

Scotstown.

[orangeman]

Scotstown.

Will be a clinking final.

[stiffler]

Whens the final?