Augher Shoot Down Owen Roes Dreams

WJ Dolan Junior Championship Quarter Final

Owen Roes 0-8 Augher 0-12

Report courtesy of Geoff Gillis of the Tyrone Times

From St.Lawrence's Park, Fintona

Augher set up a Junior Championship semi final meeting with Glenelly following their anticipated victory over Owen Roes, at Fintona on Sunday, but while the final score may have gone according to the script, it wasn’t reflective of Owen Roes’ battling efforts, writes Geoffrey Gillis.

The Leckpatrick men may have been rank outsiders to win this game, but you wouldn’t have thought so judging by their opening quarter display. Playing assured football Owen Roes succeeded in putting Augher on the back foot as Kevin Doherty, Brendan McCrossan and Brendan Boggs restricted Augher’s attack to half chances.

Chris Kelly, Aidan McCrossan and Declan McCrossan looked lively, and as their enterprising forwards carried the fight to Augher, it was evident Owen Roes were out to prove a point.

Midfielder Kelly thumped over the opening point on 8 minutes to compliment the industry of Gerard Devine and Declan McCrossan, and with Kevin O’Neill raiding down the flanks, they looked capable of building on their encouraging start.

Aidan McCrossan and Kelly combined to send Mickey Dooher through on goal, but his rasping effort crashed against the crossbar with Finbarr McQuaid averting the danger.

Fran McMeel burst through to restore parity on 13 minutes, but in the main Augher were struggling to build momentum, with goalkeeper Sean McElroy reacting well to clear a McCrossan free, when the former Tyrone star elected to go for goal with a point for the taking.

Several chances also went a begging for the North Tyrone side before Augher edged ahead on 16 minutes via an Aidan McElroy point. That score sparked a flurry of activity at either end of the field with Kevin O’Neill drilling over a gem from distance only to see two Jamie Donnelly frees hand Augher the initiative.

Damien McElroy, Kevin Hackett, Stephen McCaffrey and Conor Hackett were starting to impose their influence on the game, and three further Donnelly points edged them 0-7 to 0-2 clear after 26 minutes. The pressure was taking its toll as Kevin Doherty collected a yellow for a challenge as Aidan McElroy charged through on goal.

Augher were in command, but in the run up to half time Owen Roes rallied with points from Aidan McCrossan and Stephen Dooher offering them hope for the restart. Indeed Dooher was unlucky to see his goal chance rise over, as they greeted the whistle 7-4 in arrears.

The revival continued with three successive Kiernan Kelly points restoring parity within five minutes of the restart. Declan McCrossan was causing problems around midfield and although Conor Hackett blazed a goal chance wide on 40 minutes, it was Owen Roes, who continued to look the more threatening side.

Kelly, Aidan McCrossan and McGinley were leading by example, but a rash of wides frustrated their efforts before Francis McElroy created the opening for a timely Conor Hackett point on 13 minutes for a 0-8 to 0-7 advantage.

Donnelly (twice) and Cassidy edged Augher four clear, but any thoughts they held of easing over the winning line evaporated as Owen Roes rallied again. Aidan McCrossan belted over a free on 28 minutes, but their pressure failed to yield the scores needed to cause Augher problems with Donnelly’s eighth point of the afternoon completing a far from convincing victory.

TEAMS AND SCORERS

Augher

Sean McElroy

Finbarr McQuaid Damien McElroy Collie McKenna

Ryan McElhatton Mickey Donnelly Kevin Hackett

Stephen McCaffrey Aidan Cassidy 0-1

Fran McMeel 0-1 Conor Hackett 0-1 Barry McKenna

Francis McElroy Aidan McElroy 0-1 Jamie Donnelly 0-8.

Subs – Paul McKenna for McMeel, Emmett Neeson for McElhatton, Arthur Kelly for McCaffrey, Mel McCaughey for S McElroy

 

Owen Roes

Dylan Early

Paul Kelly Kevin Doherty Brendan McCrossan

Gerard Devine Cathal Dooher Brendan Boggs

Marcus McGinley Chris Kelly 0-1

Kevin O’Neill 0-1 Stephen Dooher 0-1 Kiernan Kelly 0-3

Declan McCrossan Mickey Dooher Aidan McCrossan 0-2.

Subs – Eamon McBride for O’Neill, Kevin O’Donnell for G Devine, Ryan Stewart for P Kelly, Mark O’Neill for S Dooher

 

 Referee – Martin Lynch, Omagh