Ulster Club IFC quarter-final: Pomeroy Plunketts (Tyrone) 1-16 St Patrick’s, Arva (Cavan) 0-7
Tyrone champions Pomeroy swept to the Ulster Club IFC semi-finals with a convincing win over Arva in Omagh yesterday.
The Plunketts survived a nervy opening to turn in a highly impressive display. Midfielder Ryan Loughran picked off five quality points from play, while there were magnificent defensive showings from skipper Hugh Pat McGeary and Brendan Burns.
Frank Burns rifled home the only goal of the game early in the first half and, from that point onwards, there was only going to be one winner.
Peter Morris edged Arva in front in the eighth minute as they had put the home defence under sustained pressure, with Hugh Pat McGeary coming to Pomeroy’s rescue with a couple of important interventions.
But the Plunketts responded with a ferocious bout of attacking football, hitting 1-5 in the space of seven minutes to take a firm grip.
Midfielder Ryan Loughran was a constant threat and his finishing was top drawer as well, with three points from play. It was in the 12th minute that Frank Burns cut in from the left to smash a fierce shot to the roof of the net and the Tyrone champions were 1-6 to 0-2 ahead.
Ryan Magarahan and James Morris defended solidly to close out a couple of dangerous situations, while midfielders Fergal McGlade and Ciaran Brady dug deep to give some impetus to the Breffni challenge and they closed the gap with a couple of Sheridan scores.
Pomeroy swept back downfield, and Ollie McCreesh sent John Loughran through for what looked a goal, but goalkeeper Richard Keith responded with a brilliant save.
The Plunketts led by 1-7 to 0-5 at the break and made the game virtually safe with another volley of scores early in the second half.
Now they led by nine and the Breffnimen were now playing off the cuff.
Brady continued to lead the challenge from midfield, but their main man could get no change out of the inspired McGeary. Corner-back Brendan Burns was also flawless.
Arva managed just two second half scores, both Sheridan frees, and time and again they found themselves squeezed out by Pomeroy.
Justin McCaffrey came off the bench to shoot a couple of scores, while Burns knocked over a couple of frees to put the issue beyond doubt. Both sides finished with 14 men, as they had already used their full quota of subs by the time Jonathan McCabe (Arva) and Pomeroy sub Damian Woods were black-carded late on.
MATCH STATS
Pomeroy: J McCourt, B Burns, C McKenna, S Quinn, D Nugent, HP McGeary (0-1), M McKeever, B Cunningham, R Loughran (0-5), K McGeary (0-1), O McCreesh (0-2), F Burns (1-3, 0-3 frees), J Loughran (0-1), C Colhoun (0-1), K Armstrong. Subs: G Goodfellow for Cunningham, J McCaffrey (0-2) for Colhoun, R Begley for McKeever, D Woods for J Loughran, A Woods for McCreesh, R Lagan for K McGeary
Arva: R Keith, R Magarahan, J Morris, D Ellis, C McCabe, T Brady, C McEntee, F McGlade, C Brady, P Morris (0-1), J McCabe, C Sheridan (0-5, 0-4 frees), S Ellis, K Bouchier (0-1), P Bouchier. Subs: B McEntee for Ellis, P Conneely for P Bouchier B Ellis for P Morris, S Finnegan for Magarahan, C Cooney for K Bouchier, S Hamilton for C McCabe
Referee: P Faloon (Down).
