Our dream of returning to Croke Park was ended by Clogher Eire Og on a scoreline of 2.13 to 0.09 in a cold & frosty Pairc Sean Mac Diarmaida, Carrick-on-Shannon. The match was due to start at 12.30 pm, but was moved back to 1.00 pm due to hard frost on the pitch.

By half-time, we were down by 6 points, and thanks to a great save by Jamie McNicholas, we eagerly looked forward to the second half. Jamie was to save us again in the 2^nd half when he denied their No. 11, Ciaran Bogue, a clear goal chance. Indeed, the Clogher number 11 had a fine game, and he ended up scoring 2.04 from play. We had our own goal chance in the first half when Oisin Mulderrig got through on goal but his shot was saved by the Clogher keeper.

In the first half, we contested every ball, and in the early stages, we were more than a match for Clogher.  They started with two wides. Then their number 11 was put through on goal, but Jamie McNicholas pulled off a great save, putting the ball out for a 45. Clogher’s keeper, Rory McElroy, converted the 45, but this point was cancelled out by a point from Oisin Mulderrig. Clogher’s Ryan McCaughey and Tommy Keegan exchanged points before Clogher went 2 points ahead with points by Ryan McCaughey and Rory McElroy.

Tomas Keegan scored his second point, reducing Clogher’s’ lead to 1 point, but their lead was restored with a point by Ciaran Bogue. We had a golden chance for a goal when Aiden Cosgrove’s quick free kick picked out Oisin Mulderrig, only for Oisin’s shot to be saved by the Clogher keeper. A minute later, Ciaran Bogue made up for his missed chance earlier by netting his first goal, putting the ball low into the bottom corner out of the reach of Jamie McNicholas. Clogher added two further points through Bogue and Vincent Lowry to one from Tomas Keegan, and at half-time, Clogher led on a scoreline of 1.07 to 0.04.

We started the second half with a quick point from Conor Mallee, but Clogher replied with two more points by Ryan McCaughey and Ciaran Bogue, stretching their lead to 7 points. In the 41st minute, Paul Kelly scored a huge 2-pointer, but his game was cut short minutes later when he sustained a concussion while blocking Ciaran Bogues’ shot for his fourth point of the afternoon.

Any faint hopes we had of a comeback were ended with ten minutes of normal time remaining when Ryan McCaughey played in Ciaran Bogue for his second goal of the afternoon. This ended the game as a contest, and Clogher tagged three late points, ensuring they qualified to meet Munster champions, Ballymacelligott, in the All-Ireland Junior final.

TEAM
Jamie McNicholas, Mattie Cummins, Kevin Mulderrig, Evan Cosgrove, Jack Niland, Liam Kelly, Darragh McGovern, Paul Kelly, Brian Gallagher, Stephen McDonnell, Conor Mallee, Oisin Mulderrig, Fionnan Burke, Aiden Cosgrove, Tomas Keegan.

SUBSTITUTES USED
Liam Smyth, Donovan Cosgrove, David Lydon, Jack Mahon, Eoghan Lavin, Ryan Carroll