ALLIANZ CUMANN Na mBUNSCOL
Boys’ Indoor Football: Heats 4 & 5
Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Thír Eoghain held the fourth and fifth heats of its annual 5-a-side Boys’ Indoor Gaelic Football for primary schools in the superb Loughview Centre, Dungannon, and in Cookstown’s splendid Leisure Centre. Apologies in advance for the reports being shorter than normal, but our chief-typist is off his feet for a few days…
Heat 4, in Loughview, saw 6 school teams lock horns. The format of the day’s play was based on two sections (A & B) of 3 school teams, respectively. Both sections were keenly contested but, despite giving of their best, Derrylatinee St. Francis’ P.S. and Edendork P.S. narrowly lost out whilst Moy and Roan made the semi-finals as section winners. Dungannon and Ballygawley also made the semi’s as section runners-up.
St. Mary’s P.S. Ballygawley played-out a thrilling 4-4 first semi-final with St. John’s P.S. Moy. Extra-time eventually saw the Moy lads progress to the heat final, but what a game! Roan St. Patrick’s P.S. accounted for their Dungannon namesakes to set up an intriguing Moy v Roan Final.
After going one way - then the other - one goal in seven saw St. John’s P.S. Moy claim a nail-biting 4-3 victory over final specialists Roan.
Heat 5, in Cookstown, saw 4 schools compete in a round-robin series of matches. Sacred Heart P.S. Rock won all 3 of their games – although Stewartstown made them sweat in a 3-2 classic. However, it wasn’t all bad news for the St. Mary’s P.S. lads as they, like Rock P.S., made the final. Honourable mentions to Laghey P.S. and St. Mary’s P.S. Lisbuoy, Carland for displaying great footballing skills on the day.
As has been the case in all of our heat finals thus far, very little separated our finalists. Rock versus Stewartstown was to be no different. A tactical battle resulted in a 1-1 draw and even extra-time couldn’t divide the two teams. It would all boil down to the ‘Golden Goal’ scenario. Who would score it? Despite tremendous endeavour from St. Mary’s P.S. Stewartstown, it was the Sacred Heart, Rock, P.S. boys who bagged the decisive winner.
Therefore, after two cracking heats, St. John’s P.S. Moy and Sacred Heart P.S. Rock both achieve well-earned Tyrone Indoor Football County Final spots on Tuesday 12 March in Cookstown’s MUSA Indoor Arena. We wish them well. Ádh mór oraibh.
A huge word of thanks goes to our referees Marty Devlin and Sean McCartan and to the main man at Loughview Centre, Joe McAree. Cookstown Leisure Centre staff are also thanked. Mickey Quinn and Patrick McGivern (Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Thír Eoghain) ensured the smooth running of the days’ games. Go raibh maith agaibh! Terrific football was had by all.
