Connollys of Moy Tyrone SFC quarter-final replay Killyclogher 0-8 Carrickmore 0-6
MARK Bradley inspired Killyclogher to a place in the Connollys of Moy Tyrone SFC semi-finals with the vital scores as they chiselled out a narrow victory in a dogged replay at O’Neills Healy Park last night.
It was a tense encounter, lacking the drama of the drawn game, when the St Mary’s grabbed a late goal to keep themselves alive in the title race and earn a second chance.
And they seized that opportunity gratefully, matching Carrickmore’s battling spirit with their own resilience to claim a last-four place and a meeting with either Errigal Ciaran or Clonoe, who meet in their own replay tomorrow.
Carrickmore will have bitter regrets that they failed to seal the deal on day one, and that they did not do themselves justice in the rematch, but the winners had a plan which they implemented to the letter, and it garnered the rewards they wanted.
Danny Fullerton got wind-assisted Carrickmore off the mark from a 45, but they were pinned back in their own half for spells as the men from Ballinamullan pressed in numbers.
Nathan Donnelly and Conall McCann probed for openings in a packed defence, and it was Donnelly who drifted into a pocket of space to collect Gavin Potter’s pass for the leveller.
Killyclogher went in front on 10 minutes, corner-back Michael Rafferty starting and finishing a tidy move.
Donnelly was getting on plenty of ball around the middle, and threaded a pass for Potter to break through for a crack at goal, but he was denied by a terrific Ryan McGarrity save.
After a quiet opening quarter, Bradley sparked into action with a trademark angled point.
Carrickmore were content to sit back and allow their opponents to have the ball, stringing together extended sequences of passes but running out of road as Carmen waited patiently for the turnover moment.
For all their dominance of possession, the St Mary’s found themselves pegged back to level terms as Fullerton landed a couple of frees.
And it was Carrickmore who went in at the break with a slender advantage, Rory Donnelly’s stoppage-time mark leaving it 0-4 to 0-3 at the interval.
They had survived on a meagre ration of breakaway raids before the break, and Carmen fell behind again within two minutes of the restart as Bradley fired over a couple of quickfire scores.
Another Bradley free put Killyclogher two clear going into the final quarter, Carrickmore struggling to break down a well organised defensive system, forced to shoot from distance and landing a couple of efforts harmlessly into the goalkeeper’s arms, others sailing wide.
Rafferty fisted over his second score of the evening in a neat exchange with Bradley, and Killyclogher were firmly in control of the contest, but wary of an opponent that was dangerously close.
Carrickmore’s first point of the second half arrived 18 minutes in, a Fullerton free, and they still hadn’t scored from play until Lorcan McGarrity hit the target in the 56th minute to close the gap to a point.
But they couldn’t find that vital equaliser despite a spell of intense pressure, and Killyclogher broke away for Bradley to kick the insurance point with his weaker right foot.
Scorers
Killyclogher M Bradley 0-5 (0-2f); M Rafferty 0-2, N Donnelly 0-1
Carrickmore D Fullerton 0-4 (0-3f, 0-1 45), R Donnelly (m) & L McGarrity 0-1 each
