Friday 05 May 2006
LOUGHMACRORY 2 - 08 2 - 11 DONAGHMORE (AT OMAGH)
Seniors exit championship
Donaghmore defeated Loughmacrory by three points in the opening round of the 2006 Tyrone Senior Championship at Omagh on Friday night. The early exchanges were even as Donaghmore opened up a two points lead before Ronan Ward levelled matters from two placed balls. Things didn’t look good for Loughmacrory when Seamus Mulgrew struck for a goal sandwiched between two further Donaghmore points to put the St Patrick’s into a five points lead by the end of the first quarter. Loughmacrory were relying on Ronan Ward’s accuracy from frees as with two further strikes he reduced the deficit and two fine scores from Stephen Conway and Ciarán Meenagh gave Loughmacrory a boost before the interval.
On the resumption Loughmacrory produced their best football of the evening A goal from Damien McAleer in the first minute of the half sparked Loughmacrory to life and when Ronan Ward levelled the match on 1 - 07 each five minutes later it was all to play for. Donaghmore, however, surged ahead once more with their second goal and three points to take a six points lead with little over five minutes left to play. The Lough boys were not finished yet however and the Donaghmore keeper was called upon to stop a goal bound shot from Brendan Ward. There was no stopping Ronan Ward’s well struck penalty a few minutes later which reduced the deficit to a kick of the ball as the game entered the final stages. Donaghmore held out however as Shane Mulgrew and Ronan Ward swapped points to leave Donaghmore emerging three points winners at 2 - 08 to 2 - 11.
