ALLIANZ Cumann na mBunscol
BOYS’ INDOOR FOOTBALL HEAT 9: OMAGH
Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Thír Eoghain held the last Heat of its annual Boys’ Indoor Football 5-a-side competition in Omagh’s Station Centre. A total of seven schools competed in another action-packed day of tremendous football, providing thrills and spills aplenty.
Teachers helped draw the teams into two groups of 4 and 3, respectively. Section ‘A’ featured St. Colmcille’s P.S. Carrickmore; St. Mary’s P.S. Strabane; St. Mary’s P.S. Killyclogher and St. Patrick’s P.S. Castlederg. The lads from Strabane and Castlederg played tremendously throughout but they just missed out on progression despite their worthy efforts. Instead, an unbeaten St. Mary’s Killyclogher P.S. topped the section from runners-up Carrickmore. Both of these schools, therefore, secured a semi-final place.
Section ‘B’ comprised St. Conor’s P.S. Omagh; St. Dympna’s P.S. Dromore, and Holy Family P.S. Omagh. St. Conor’s topped the section with a perfect 2 wins from 2, and they were joined in the semi-finals by group runners-up Dromore. Holy Family P.S. played some great stuff but just came up short on the day.
The scene was now set for the semi-finals. The Runners-Up from Section ‘B’ (St. Dympna’s P.S. Dromore) took the ‘A’ winners, Killyclogher, to a 2-2 draw before sealing their place in the heat final with an extra-time winner!
A battling Carrickmore pushed St. Conor’s all the way before the Omagh lads maintained their 100% record with a 2-1 win. This left Carrickmore facing Killyclogher in a brilliant 3rd place play-off which Carmen edged 2-1. Both schools deserve enormous credit for their battling qualities on the day.
Therefore, our final saw the unbeaten St. Conor’s team lock horns with St. Dympna’s P.S. Dromore. It was always going to be a nerve-filled occasion, and so it proved. The Dromore lads, managed superbly by Cathy Martin, gave their all, but a solitary goal from St. Conor’s P.S. Omagh saw them emerge victorious on a narrow 1-0 scoreline. It was heartache for the gallant St. Dympna’s, but jubilation for Omagh and their mentors: Masters Paul Logue and local legend Liam Grugan. They now advance to the Tyrone Finals next month, to be held in Cookstown’s M.U.S.A. Indoor Arena on 12 March.
We wish them well. Ádh mór oraibh!
Finally, thanks to Marty Devlin for his expert officiating as referee, and to Pat McGivern (Allianz Cumann na mBunscol, Thír Eoghain) for co-ordinating today’s event. Our thanks, also, to the staff from the Station Centre for their hospitality over the past few days.
Go raibh maith agaibh!
