Strabane Sigersons........... 1-11

Aghaloo O'Neill's................. 0-11

STRABANE Sigersons played their first of two games of the week on Tuesday night past when they made the long journey to Aughnacloy on the Monaghan border to play Aghaloo in Division 3 and after a keenly contested affair came away with both points in what was a hard fought but fully deserved victory.

This was the fourth win in a row for Strabane and the result keeps the pressure on league leaders Drumquin as the season now approaches the halfway stage.

Aghaloo is always a difficult place to go to and get a result and last Tuesday night didn't prove any different as Strabane battled to the final whistle to achieve this win. With less than ten minutes remaining, Strabane trailed by two points but the goal coming from Warner Mullen at such a crucial stage proved the difference and the Sigersons side made the long journey home a lot more satisfied.

Strabane had raced into an early four-point lead in the game with Brendan McLaughlin opening the scoring from play closely followed by a point from a Warner Mullen free kick. Two excellent scores then came via the impressive Stephen Stewart before Aghaloo replied with two points from play to open their account.

John McLaughlin was unlucky not to have added a goal to the Strabane tally but his effort went just wide and he was a trifle unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty for a late tug on his jersey.

Warner Mullen and Brendan McLaughlin then added good points from play for Strabane with the home side firing over a point from a free kick but with the interval looming, Aghaloo levelled the game with two points from play and one from a free kick but Strabane edged in front on the stroke of half-time with a pointed free kick through the hard working Brendan McLaughlin.

Half-time score: Strabane 0-7, Aghaloo 0-6.

The second half was only minutes old when the home side got back on level terms with a fine point from play. Warner Mullen replied with a similar strike for Strabane but two points from free kicks gave Aghaloo their first lead in the game. A fine point from play via Chris Devine had Strabane back on level terms and the same player was extremely unlucky not to have added a goal minutes later when the Aghaloo keeper pulled off an excellent save.

The game then swung in favour of Aghaloo as they hit two good points from play and again they rode their luck when Strabane substitute Gerard Murray was denied a goal following another excellent save by the home keeper.

It looked as though the Strabane journey was to be in vain until a moment of magic arrived with Gerard McCrossan firing a long ball into the corner and John McLaughlin excellently sent the ball into the edge of the Aghaloo square and Warner Mullen was on hand to fist to the net for what was a very well timed score.

It was Mullen who ensured the points for Strabane with two further points from free kicks to bring his personal tally to 1-5 but most importantly ensured a great win for Strabane against an opposition whom we always find very difficult to beat such has been the rivalry built up over the years.

This was an excellent result for Strabane and it came about as the result of a fine squad effort with each and every one of the nineteen players used all contributing to the win. The youth and experience in the side is blending well at present and it is encouraging to see some of the younger players coming through but the older experienced heads are also playing a pivotal role.

Overall on the basis of the play during the course of the hour, Strabane were the better side with goalkeeper Conor McGrath not having a single save to make as he continues to deputise with excellence for the injured James O'Reilly.

The game was very kindly sponsored by: Kelly's Mace of Melmount, Strabane.