A great day’s football was had by all the boys who attended Heat 7 which was held in the Station Centre, Omagh on Wednesday 7th February. Section 1: Knocknagor PS Trillick, Roscavey PS Beragh & Sacred Heart PS Tattyreagh. Section 2: St Patrick’s PS Gortin, St Oliver Plunkett PS Beragh & Tummery PS Dromore.
Matches lasted 5 mins and an exciting feature of the ‘indoor game’ is that the ball was always in play. All-out attack was the order of the day with 39 goals scored in 9 matches, however that total would have been much higher if it was not for the outstanding performances of the goalkeepers present.
Roscavey PS & Sacred Heart PS Tattyreagh got the action underway, with the Tattyreagh boys really setting down a marker for the rest of the heat. This was followed up with St. Oliver Plunkett’s who also gave notice that they would be a force to be reckoned with, getting the better of Tummery PS, despite the best efforts of their brilliant keeper James Logue, who had pulled off a string of saves.
Round 2 began with Micheal McCarron and Oisin Boyle shining for St Roscavey PS winning against Knocknagor PS, on a 2-1 score line. Next up saw Tummery and Gortin lock horns, and although a low scoring affair, it more than made up for this by its end-to-end nature. As the game ebbed and flowed, any score was going to be a big score, and it went in the way of the Gortin boys, for whom Conan McGovern played a starring role in defence. Despite the best efforts of Tommy McQuaid in mid-field for Tummery, 1 goal to no score enough to see Gortin over the line.
Round 3 began with a real ding-dong which saw Sacred Heart PS, inspired by Daniel Norris in mid-field, lead his team to a very narrow 3-2 victory over a gallant Knocknagor, who had impressive players in Jarlath McElholm and Oisin Keenan, two lads who fought hard to the very end. Next up saw Beragh tussle with Gortin. The Beragh lads had in Donnacha Harley and Cathal Dillon, 2 leaders who led from the front for St Oliver Plunkett’s during this encounter, leading their team to a 4-0 win. Gortin however did have very solid performer in Ronan McCullagh, who fought the fight to the very end.
The first semi-final saw an undefeated Sacred Heart PS Tattyreagh take on St Patrick’s PS, Gortin. In what was an end-to-end game, Tattyreagh, greatly assisted by James Darcy, had a 3-1 victory, ending the Gortin team’s involvement in the heat.
The Beragh Parish Derby was the second semi-final and saw St Oliver Plunkett PS overcome Roscavey PS. Both teams really went hammer and tongue at it, but an ability to take their scores when it mattered, saw the Beragh boys being victorious.
The final between Sacred Heart PS Tattyreagh and St Oliver Plunkett PS Beragh lived up to its pre-match billing, with both teams giving superb individual and team performances in what was a pulsating encounter. As the game flowed from end to end, it was the boys from Beragh who started the stronger and got some initial scores. However, in true Tattyreagh spirit, the Sacred Heart boys fought back and took the led 3-2 going into the last minute. Just when all seemed gone for the Beragh boys, Harry Óg McNamee stepped up and knocked in the equaliser to take the game into extra-time.
Just when it didn’t seem possible, the pace of the game lifted again in extra-time, with both teams spurning near chances to be declared Heat winners. In the end, it was a single score from Cathal Dillon who just edged out the result and to overcome the stubborn resistance of the 'Tatts,' on a scoreline of 4 goals to 3. We wish the Beragh boys well in the next stage of the competition.
Thanks to Brian McGinn who was a very impartial referee for all games, however I’m sure that he would agree that his day was made easy due the fact that not a single player or teacher as much as contested a decision throughout the day. Well done to all players involved, especially the victorious St Oliver Plunkett PS Beragh.
