Intermediate semi-final
Dromore St Dympna’s 2-9
Fr Rock’s Cookstown 3-5
Dromore held off a gallant Fr Rock’s as they booked their place in the final of the intermediate championship. Cookstown will feel they could easily have won this tie after coming back from eight points down at the start of the second half to level matters going into the final seven minutes.
Cookstown created a couple of clear cut goal chances in the final five minutes and only the width of a post denied them as they threw everything at Paddy O’Brien’s side who now face the winners of the Loughmacrory v Ardboe replay.
To their credit Dromore deserved the win. They carved out a series of openings, scored some well worked points and also saw a couple of goal-bound efforts well saved by fine young Cookstown keeper Caoimhe Meeke.
The St Dympna’s led 1-3 to no score after eight minutes with Ciara McMahon rolling in an early goal and Louise McCann , Emma Smyth and Shaunna McNabb latching on points. Aobhinn Devlin was on target for the Cookstown side who struggled to cope with the pace and power of Dromore.
Rebecca O’Brien played the Dromore sweeping role to perfection while Catherine McNabb impressed throughout in the half back line. Midfielder Ciarrai McCann linked well with Smyth who along with McNabb in the full forward line performed well throughout the contest.
Young Meeke denied Ciara Teague a certain goal after McCann put her through and Dromore were also guilty of some poor wides when well on top. Cookstown rallied and Devlin put Nikita McGuckin in for a goal just before the break. That left five between them which soon became eight. Two minutes after the restart, a tidy ball down the right was collected by full forward McCann who fired high to the net.
Fresh off the bench for Cookstown Anna Kelly was promptly yellow carded. Surprisingly that galvanised the team and they landed a brace of points from McGuckin and Annie Nugent. Dromore replied with a Smyth free but as the game entered the final quarter with Cookstown back to a full complement Meeke made another great stop from Teague. The clearance found Devlin down the left, she in turn sent the returning Kelly in for a cracking goal.
Within five minutes the sides were level. A sweeping move up the park initiated by Mairead Mullan sent Devlin in on goal again. She teed up Nugent who rolled her effort past Dromore keeper Megan O’Brien with midfielder Mullan landing the equalising point moments later.
A thrilling finish was now on the cards. Dromore’s Shaunna McNabb gave them the advantage again and Mc Mahon finished well after Smyth set her up to leave two between the sides but only Cookstown’s Devlin will know who she didn’t find the net twice in between those scores.
Under pressure from two defenders, Nugent put her through only for the keeper to do enough to turn the ball away superbly. Then Clodagh Mc Cracken’s great run put the number 12 in again, this time the post denied her and keeper O’Brien was mightily relieved when the rebound fell to her and she completed the clearance.
There was still time for Anna Kelly to add a late Fr Rocks free to leave the minimum between the sides. Unfortunately for Cookstown that was that. A narrow win for Dromore in the end but manager O’Brien will be well aware of the challenge that lies ahead in the final.
Great credit to Cookstown, they made a real fist of things in the last quarter and could at least have taken the tie to extra time, a battling young side they will certainly be back.
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