Tuesday 19th February 2025
Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Thír Eoghain held Heat 9 of its 2025 Boys Indoor Football competition in the MUSA indoor arena in Cookstown.
The schools who attended this heat were:
- Holy Trinity P.S. Cookstown
- St Joseph's P.S. Galbally
- Mary's P.S. Dunamore
- St Mary's P.S. Pomeroy
- St Patrick's Donaghmore
- St Patrick's Mullinahoe
- Peter's P.S. Moortown
With all our teams present the schools were drawn out of a hat into two groups.
Section ‘A’ featured: St. Peter's P.S. Moortown, St Joseph's P.S. Galbally, St Mary's P.S. Pomeroy, Holy Trinity P.S. Cookstown.
Section 'B' was made up of the three remaining teams: St Patrick's P.S. Donaghmore, St. Mary's P.S. Dunamore and St Patrick's P.S. Mullinahoe.
GROUP GAMES
The boys from Dunamore and Donaghmore got the day off to a great start in the opening group game. Ruben Gallagher started brightly for the St Mary’s men but the Donaghmore boys were keen to put back to back titles together after winning last year. Frankie Donnelly had a great game and led the St. Patricks boys to their first points of the day with a tight win.
St Joseph's P.S. Galbally got their day off to a good start against St. Peters Moortown with a narrow but well-deserved victory. After an early score against them the Moortown boys put up a brave fight, Joe Lavery and Harry Kelly worked very hard and kept driving forward looking for the next score while in defence Thomas Reagan stood out for the Moortown boys, intercepting a number of dangerous looking attacks. However the Donaghmore boys managed to get the scores needed to take the victory. Despite it being a good team display Darragh Gillespie and Niall Rafferty stood out in this first win.
Next up were St Mary's P.S. Pomeroy against Holy Trinity P.S. Cookstown. Cookstown had a flying start with two quick goals that gave them a lead they were able to hold onto. Davin Graham in midfield for Pomeroy gave everything to try and get his team a result. Despite a few amazing saves from Joe McCaul in nets Cookstown always kept their lead to earn their first two points of the day. Harry Niblock had his shooting boots on and scored the best goal of the game after he had got the turnover to set up the attack.
The last team into action were St Patrick's P.S. Mullinahoe boys who met St. Mary's P.S. Dunamore. Jonah Corey and Dylan Loughran were excellent for the Dunamore boys and almost got them the victory thew were looking for. The Ardboe boys could thank Adam Toal for a number of excellent saves and some good very good finishing late on from Caolan McNally and Donnacha Wylie to give them both points.
The group stages continued to provide lots of drama and excitement as the teams battled to top their groups. There were some great individual performances and examples of great skills on show. In these games plenty of players caught the eye, Ryan O’Hare for Ardboe, Joey Knipe for Pomeroy, Michael Kelly for Galbally, and a rocket of a goal from Odhran Wylie to the roof of the net in Ardboe's final group game. The sections were very tight with the a number of games in both sections ending in draws as teams went point for point and couldn’t be separated.
After these group games were completed the table was tight. Both groups had to be settled on score difference to give us our top 4 teams. Cookstown topped Group 1, with Galbally in second place. In Group 2 Donaghmore came out on top with Ardboe in second position.
SEMI FINALS
In Our First Semi-Final the top team in Group 1 played the 2nd placed team in Group 2. This gave us Holy Trinity P.S. Cookstown v St Patrick's Mullinahoe. Holy Trinity started the brightest with McCoy and Niblock continuing to stand out and causing the Loughshore men problems. This was a very tight and cagy affair with both sides creating chances but were unable to finish them. In goals Adam Toal made a few great saves with Josh McNulty and Ethan Coyle in front of him tackling like tigers and forcing a few turnovers with some great defending. But despite their best efforts the boys from Cookstown came out on top.
The second Semi-final paired old rivals and neighbours St Joseph's P.S. Galbally and St Patrick's Donaghmore. This game had everything great blocks, high catches and some brilliant glimpses of individual skill. Naitus Striaka had a great game and as he had done all day made a number of spectacular saves. Donaghmore had a fey early chances but it was Galbally who took the lead and were playing some great football. Donaghmore responded from two down score two goals of their own with Frankie Donnelly leading the charge. The Galbally responded and lads finished strongly with Michael Kelly and Paudrig McRory having great games. Despite Donaghmore’s best efforts Galbally held on and came through to meet Cookstown in the final.
FINAL
The final was a great game with the two highest scoring teams who were also both still unbeaten. Cookstown had McCoy and Niblock both continuing the good form that took them to the final and Galbally had Rafferty and Kelly stand out as they were just so sharp in front of goal, always taking the right shot or making the right pass.
The Galbally boys looked like they could run all day and with a few subs running on they hit another goal to guarantee them victory. The Cookstown boys can hold their heads up high as they played some great football all day. They just came up a tiny bit short in the final.
The Galbally boys have now booked themselves a place in the Tyrone Boys Indoor County Final later in March at MUSA. We wish these gifted lads well.
A huge word of thanks goes to all the schools and teachers involved today. As well as complementing them on their performances we need to complement them on their behaviour and attitude. They were all a credit to their schools and families and the Heat today was a pleasure to run.
Finally, a word of thanks to our young whistlers from Holy Trinity College who never put a foot wrong on the day, and to the friendly staff of MUSA for helping us ensure the heat ran smoothly.
Please check out our pictures below.
To all concerned, Go raibh míle maith agaibh!
@AllianzIreland
