Once again the Station Centre in Omagh played host to the Allianz Cumann Na mBunscol Girls’ indoor football competition. While there were only three teams participating in this final west Tyrone play-off, the intensity of the competition was in no way lessened.
Carrickmore St Columbkille’s, under the guidance of Mr. Emmett O’Neill, entered two teams while their old rivals Our Lady of Lourdes of Greencastle provided the opposition. Their teacher, Mrs. Diane Mc Cann, was quietly confident that the Greencastle girls could give the favourites a run for their money.
The final, which consisted of two five minute periods, produced a fabulous game of end-to-end football expertly refereed by Martin Devlin. Carrickmore scored first but Greencastle made a key positional switch and drew level at the break two goals apiece. The second half was every bit as intense as both sides denied their opponents several chances of scores. With time running out it seemed certain extra time would be required to separate the teams. However Mrs. Mc Cann’s girls capitalised on a defensive turnover to bag the winning score with time almost up. Congratulations to the Greencastle girls, but it takes two teams to make a real game of it and Carrickmore deserve great credit for the determined display they produced.
Our Lady of Lourdes can now look forward to the county final which will be held at the Omagh venue next week. Thanks are due to the officers of Tyrone Cumann Na mBunscol for organising the event, to the staff of the Station Centre for their assistance and to referee Martin Devlin for his excellent officiating.
