Danske Bank MacRory Cup Final

OMAGH CBS: 0-16 HOLY TRINITY COOKSTOWN: 1-6

By Declan Bogue

WITH the last five scores of the game in the final quarter, Omagh CBS pulled away from Holy Trinity Cookstown to make it their fifth triumph of the MacRory Cup, including their shared title with St Michael’s in the foot and mouth crisis of 2001.

Ahead of the game, a lot of attention was focussed on how Holy Trinity might use their captain Ruairí McHugh, the Coalisland Fianna lad blessed with awesome physique and running power.

After the first five minutes, he had been on the ball six times and taken a few heavy hits. After 13 minutes he was on the ground clearly suffering the effects and by that stage a pattern was set.

The Cookstown side had gotten off to a blistering start and on six minutes a Conan Devlin handpass hung in the air with a few Omagh defenders hesitating. Liam Lawn grabbed it and armed with momentum, cut through the cover and while Omagh goalkeeper Conor McAneney raced off his line, Lawn potted the goal with a cool-headed sidefooted finish.

Omagh then got off the mark with a Ruairí McCullagh free and it was his first of five points in the first half, four from the dead ball and his final one coming from play to leave the scores 0-9 to 1-3 at the break in favour of Omagh with other points coming from Tomás Haigney, captain Eoin McElholm, Conor Owens and Liam Óg Mossey.

At the back, they were marshalled well by Callum Daly who directed matters from centre back, but their main weapon was their zonal press on Cookstown’s kickout. While Ruairí Dillon’s first five kickouts ended in Cookstown hands, Omagh made headway into this as McHugh’s influence winnowed.

While not hitting the heights they had in the first half, Omagh always appeared to have more in their locker for the second. Conor Watson, who had done such a good job on McHugh had to be replaced after a heavy knock.

Two successful frees from Conor Owens and a clever mark from Liam Óg Mossey helped them along.

Cookstown’s scores were less frequent, but they had the point of the game with Brian Hampsey from a massive distance, one that his brother, the Tyrone captain Padraig would have been very happy with.

Midfielder Jack Martin went for a goal that was saved on the line with two minutes to go, but Omagh were not to be denied.

Scorers for Omagh: R McCullagh (0-5, 3f, 1x’45’), C Owens (0-4, 2f), E McElholm, T Haigney (0-2 each), C Donnelly (0-1), L Óg Mossey (0-2, 1m)

Scorers for HTC: L Lawn (1-0), J Martin (0-3f), C Devlin, B Hampsey (0-1 each), R Quinn (0-1f)

OMAGH CBS: C McAneney; N Farry, B McMenamin, S Kerr; Caolan Donnelly, C Daly, T Haigney; E Donaghy, Charlie Donnelly; C Watson, E McElholm, L McCullagh; R McCullagh, C Owens, L Óg Mossey. Subs: D McCallan for L McCullagh (42m), N McCarney for Watson (50m), C McConnell for McCullagh (61m)

HTC: R Dillon; M Donnelly, L Cullen, Conor Devlin ; R Nelis, B Hampsey, S McCann; R McHugh, J Martin; Conan Devlin, Cormac Devlin, H Cunningham; R Quinn, M McElhatton, L Lawn. Subs: S Hughes for Donnelly (HT), J Concannon for Nelis (43m), K McGuigan for Martin (60m)

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)