Tyrone ACL Division One final: Dungannon Clarke’s 1-13 Carrickmore 0-8
Dungannon swept aside Carrickmore’s challenge with style and confidence to lift the club’s first Tyrone Division One league title.
They made light of a nine-week lay-off since the semi-final to lay on a performance of fluency and pace at Augher, stemming Carrickmore’s fightback with a Ryan Jones goal at the beginning of the final quarter.
Four days short of Christmas, a big crowd braved the December chill, with a bracing wind sweeping through the Clogher Valley, but this was a heart-warming afternoon for Clarke’s fans.
Team captain Padraig McNulty put his team’s success down to the hard work invested in consistency through a lengthy league campaign.
“When we started out at the start of the year, we really wanted a good league, to be consistently good, try and win as many games as we can,” he said.
“The best teams all have consistency throughout the year and we wanted that.”
And he hailed the dedication of a group of players who maintained high levels of commitment and fitness throughout the season.
“The boys all keep themselves well. When you’re a Division One footballer, you have to keep yourself well. If you don’t, then you’re going to be found out. The big boys are trying to be the best.”
The sides were level at 0-2 each after 13 minutes, early Dungannon points from Lorcan Mallon and Patrick McKearney cancelled out by Brian Conway and Lorcan McGarrity.
But the Clarke’s stepped up the tempo early in the second quarter, hitting six points in as many minutes to get a firm grip on the contest.
Paul Donaghy landed a gem and added a couple of frees from difficult angles, while Ciaran Barker converted a 45 and McKearney added his second.
Late in the half, Carmen pulled back scores through McGarrity and Rory Loughran, but trailed by 0-8 to 0-4 at the break.
They continued to claw it back, with goalkeeper Ryan McGarrity’s ‘45 leaving just a point between the sides.
However, Dungannon imposed themselves on the contest again, and their opponents never recovered after Ryan Jones smashed hme the only goal of the game on 45 minutes.
Carrickmore could manage only one further score, from substitute Stephen Grugan, while the men from O’Neill Park saw it home in style, with Barker converting a second ‘45, and scores from Donaghy and substitutes Oisin Cowan and James Quinn capping a highly impressive performance.
Dungannon scorers: R Jones (1-1), P Donaghy (0-4, 0-2 frees), P McKearney (0-2), C Barker (0-2 ‘45), D Jones (0-1), L Mallon (0-1), O Cowan (0-1), J Quinn (0-1)
Carrickmore scorers: L McGarrity (0-3, 0-1 free), C Munroe (0-1), B Conway (0-1), R Loughran (0-1, S Grugan (0-1), R McGarrity (0-1 45)