Strabane Sigersons.............0-8
Derrytresk Fír an Chnoic.....0-9
Strabane Sigersons made the long journey to the Lough Shore last Sunday to play Derrytresk and came away with nothing to show for their endeavours. Strabane have not played at this venue since 1995 and after this result will be hoping not to be back for another thirteen years.
This was a game that Strabane will want to forget quickly as it was a well below par performance compared to that of the previous Sunday at home to Augher. Strabane can have little or no complaints about the outcome of this encounter, as the starting fifteen were very strong with Ciarán Friel and Danny McBride returning to the starting line up but it was the dismal second half display that cost them dearly and their own inability to get scores.
The team was far too reliant on Warner Mullen during the first half as he hit all seven scores and the team only managing a solitary point in that dismal second half tells its own story of the game.
To be fair, Derrytresk on home soil proved that they are a determined side and this shock win will give them great confidence and I would expect a few teams to trip up at this venue throughout the coming season.
Strabane went in at the break three ahead and should have had scored more with Warner Mullen putting on a one-man show.
Half-time score: Strabane 0-7, Derrytresk 0-4.
The start of the second half saw Strabane increase their lead to four points with John McLaughlin sending over a good point from play, however this was to be the last score of the game for Strabane as Derrytresk dug deep and grinded out a narrow one point win with Strabane failing to take a number of late chances that could have won the game or at the very least earned a draw.
Derrytresk began to fight their way back into the game and they were rewarded for their perseverance although the loss of Strabane defender Anthony McMenamin to a second yellow card offence also strengthened the home sides hand and they made their numerical advantage count with Strabane getting caught out in the overlap with the spare man proving beneficial.
It was until late on that Derrytresk took their slender lead but they held strong and must have breathed a sigh of relief as Strabane wasted a number of late glorious chances that could either have won or levelled the encounter.
Strabane were left to rue their disastrous outing to the Lough Shore venue and the only way to remedy this will be for everyone to redouble their efforts when they make another long journey to Brackaville this Sunday. This will be a test of the Strabane character and each and every player will know that they are capable of a lot better than last week's performance. Just as everyone shared in the glory of the recent good win over Augher, everyone must now shoulder responsibility for this defeat and bounce back to let the critics know that this was a one off!
Everyone involved with the club will have been shocked and disappointed with this result but none more so than the senior players and the management duo of Dermot and Dessie. It's going to be a long hard season, we all knew it would be tough and the only way we will get through this mini crisis at present is to move onwards and get behind the team and hope that this blip is just a reality check and it's what is required to get things right back on track.
Team and scorers
James O'Reilly, Ciarán O'Kane, Ciarán Friel, Anthony McMenamin, Sean Barkley, Danny McBride, Ryan O'Kane, Gerard McCrossan and Richard O'Neill, Niall Conwell, Warner Mullen (0-7), Stephen Stewart, Brendan McLaughlin, Martin McNulty, John McLaughlin (0-1).
Substitutes: Gerard Murray for Niall Conwell, Chris Devine for Brendan McLaughlin, Brendan McLaughlin for Chris Devine.
Referee: Paul Martin (Cookstown).
