Copyright derryjournal
Slaughtmanus 2-08, Clogher Eire Og 5-15 Slaughtmanus hopes of provincial glory were ended in emphatic fashion by a strong Clogher Eire Og side in Sunday's Ulster Junior quarter-final tie at Owenbeg. James McQuillan's team had fought back from an indifferent start to bring the Tyrone champions - and Ulster Club Championship favourites - within one point thanks to Conor McGee's superb penalty only two minutes into the second half. At that point it was anyone's game but Clogher had a gear Slaughtmanus couldn't match and inspired by talisman Ciaran Bogue and full forward Marc McConnell, the Tyrone men simply had too much fire power for the St. Mary's. Indeed the longer the second half wore on, the more spaces the big Owenbeg pitch offered up to a Clogher team who had the personnel to take advantage. Injury time goals from Conor Shields and hat-trick hero Bogue - who finished with 3-03 - put a gloss on the scoreboard that Slaughtmanus didn't deserve but this is a Clogher team who will take some beating in Ulster. And it was perhaps fitting after what has been an excellent season for McQuillan's team that the final score of an otherwise disappointing afternoon belonged to David Quigg. The big midfielder closed out the game by splitting the posts with a fine two point effort and while it will feel like scant consolation, one bad day at the office should not take erase all that has gone before it in 2025. Slaughtmanus had started in fine fashion, the prolific McGee needing only seconds to show what he could do as he was out in front to spin and split the posts inside 25 seconds of throw-in. Yet it would be another 19 minutes before St Mary's troubled the scoreboard again as Clogher, who had defeated Drumragh Sarsfields to win their first Tyrone Junior title in 25 years, took a vice-like grip on proceedings. Pre-match it was full forward McConnell and Bogue who were identified as the main dangers and that duo more than lived up to their billing with 4-04 between them, although Slaughtmanus manager McQuillan will be disappointed with how his team defended some of the goals. Cillian Barkey cancelled out McGee's opener within a minute and for the next 20 minutes play centred almost exclusively in the Slaughtmanus half as Clogher dominated both the kick-out and the breaking ball. McConnell kicked the Tyrone side in front and on nine minutes they had their first goal when Bogue, held off two Slaughtmanus defenders before rifling a high shot past Slaughtmanus keeper Gavin McShane, who was excellent in the No. 1 shirt for St. Mary's. The Tyrone lead was 1-04 to 0-1 by the time McGee's free doubled Slaughtmanus' tally but that score signalled St. Mary's best spell of the match. Within seconds a patient Slaughtmanus build up saw Killene Thornton burst through, lose possession but have the awareness to square the ball first time across goal for the arriving Conaire Molloy to expertly fire home. With Barry Lyons then tagging on a point, Slaughtmanus had pinned Clogher back to 1-03 to 1-04 by the 21st minute. A Ryan McCaughey free steadied Clogher but perhaps the game's pivotal score arrived minutes later when the impressive McCaughey drifted in behind Cahir Cooke, took a long ball into his chest and put his pass on a plate for McConnell to punch into an empty net for a 2-05 to 1-04 half-time lead. Slaughtmanus were out early for the second half and looked in business when McGee was fouled in the square and converted his own penalty to make it 2-05 to 2-04. However it proved a false dawn for the Derry men who weren't helped by a couple of soft Clogher frees, both despatched by Bogue, in the immediate aftermath of the penalty. Those scores got Clogher ticking again and from then there was only ever one winner. Bogue grabbed his second and Clogher’s third goal after accepting a quick free in far too much space and firing a clinical low finish to the net for 3-09 to 2-4 at the three quarter point. It visibly deflated Slaughtmanus. Those late goals were harsh on a St. Mary's team who had had their chances but Clogher were worthy winners and will be highly fancied to overcome Fermanagh's St. Patrick's Donagh in the last four. For Slaughtmanus, a disappointing finale but it's still been a great year. Clogher scorers: Ciaran Bogue 3-3 (2f), Cillian Barkey 0-3, Marc McConnell 1-1, Ryan McCaughey 0-5 (2f), Conor Shields 1-1, Paul Callaghan 0-1, Barry McKenna 0-1. Slaughtmanus scorers: Conor McGee 1-3 (1pen, 2f), Conaire Molloy 1-0, Barry Lyons 0-1, David Quigg 0-3 (1tp), Oran Carton 0-1. Clogher: Rory McElroy, Eoin Mellon, Dominic McKernan, Cillian Barkey, Conor Shields, Matty Callaghan, Mark Bogue, Barry McKenna, Darragh Mellon, Sean Bogue, Ciaran Bogue, Michael McCaughey, Ryan McCaughey, Mark McConnell, Finbarr McCaughey. (Subs) Emmet Hagan for D McKernan, 46mins; Jamie Callaghan for M McCaughey, 46mins; Eoin McCarron for F McCaughey, 50mins; Gareth McKenna for M Callaghan, 52mins; Paul Callaghan for M Bogue, 54mins. Slaughtmanus: Gavin McShane, Corin McMonagle, Cathal Deery, Cahir Cooke, Oran Carton, Jude Mullan, Eoghan Cassidy, Conaire Molloy, David Quigg, Rian McCormick, Caolan Hargan, Conor Lyons, Killene Thornton, Connor McGee, Barry Lyons. (Subs) Eamon Deery for C Cooke, HT; Shay Crawford for J Mullan (blood sub), 48-50mins; Gerald McCormick for K Thornton, 51mins; Shay Crawford for B Lyons, 54mins; Jason Ferguson for C McMonagle, 58mins. Referee: Eoin Murphy (Fermanagh)
