Tyrone SFC: Killyclogher find late spark in extra-time thriller
Killyclogher came back from the dead to deny Ardboe in an extra-time thriller at Carrickmore yesterday and book their place in the Tyrone SFC final.
Trailing by three points in stoppage time, they drew level with a Conall McCann goal, and pushed on to win by 2-9 to 1-9.
But they have serious concerns over Tyrone attacker Mark Bradley, who picked up a heavy knock early in the second half, and despite returning for a spell was subsequently forced off.
Killyclogher struck for a fortuitous 19th-minute goal as Aidy Kelly’s fisted effort came back off a post, and PT Cunningham finished to the net.
Ardboe’s responded with a goal seven minutes later with a touch of good fortune on their side: Kyle Coney’s floated delivery was misjudged by ‘keeper Sean Fox, and Shay McGuigan nipped in to poke the ball home.
A McGuigan free sent Ardboe in at the break with a 1-2 to 1-1 advantage, and Kyle Coney’s free gave them a three-point (1-6 to 1-3) lead.
They still led by three as the game slipped into stoppage time, but Simon O’Neill floated a free into the danger area, with Conall McCann ghosting in to punch home. Tiernan McCann steered over a wonderful lead point, but in the ninth minute of stoppage time, McGuigan knocked over a free to make it 2-4 to 1-7 and send the tie to extra-time.
Leading 2-7 to 1-8 midway through, with Donnelly, Murnaghan and James Carlin on target, Killyclogher saw it out with another Murnaghan effort and a Tiernan Cox point
Edendork came so close to pulling off another big shock as they pushed Coalisland to the very limit in a gripping semi-final at O’Neill Park.
The victors trailed for almost an hour, and just two minutes of normal time remained when they went ahead for the first time, before scraping home by 1-11 to 0-13. A breakaway goal by Peter Herron late in the first half proved so precious in the end.
A major turning point came in the 48th minute when Edendork lost Niall Morgan, the Tyrone goalkeeper who has been a sensation as an outfield player throughout this season’s championship adventure. Following Morgan’s departure on a black card, Coalisland reeled off five points without reply.
The St Malachy’s men had raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead early on through Paul Donaghy and Darren McCurry. Morgan drilled over a 50 metre free to send Edendork in with a 0-8 to 1-2 interval lead, but Coalisland corner-back Dan Fee pushed forward to pick off a couple of points, and Cormac O’Hagan also found the target early in the second half. Morgan had just surged through from halfway for a brilliant individual score when his game was ended by a black card in the 48th minute. Paddy McNeice converted a couple of frees, bringing his side level on 56 minutes, and two minutes later they went ahead for the first time through Herron.
