FINTONA SWIFTS ..............................................1
OMAGH HOSPITALS ...........................................5
HOSPITALS strike force, Derryl McQuade and Mickey Coyle put the skids under the unbeaten league leaders at Cranny Bridge, McQuade grabbing a sparkling hat-trick and Coyle helping himself to the other two.
McQuade crashed his side into the lead in only 27 seconds after the rampaging Barry McMahon and Pete Neill had exchanged passes along the left, McMahon ultimately providing the cross for the striker to signal his intent.
The lead survived until the sixth minute when Hugh McCarney latched onto Mark Kelly's back heel and fired a thunderous effort beyond Ronan McCanny's right hand from the corner of the box.
Fintona were without central defensive pairing Padhraic Cunningham and Kieran McDonnell and it showed, McDonnell, in fact, deputizing for the unavailable, Ryan Monteith in goal. But they kept the visitors at bay until the 25th minute.
Meanwhile, they fashioned a chance for Cathal Moore only for the hitman to waste McCarney's excellent delivery. McCanny's clearance launched a swift counterattack and McDonnell had to make a brave save at Coyle's feet.
The openings then arrived quick and fast, Chris Armstrong scuffing his shot when well placed in front of McDonnell, Moore countering with a screaming 35-yard free kick that flashed inches past with McCanny struggling, and James Parkinson skying a great opportunity in the wake of a McMahon free kick.
A goal had to come and when it did there was more than a hint of good fortune about it. Mark Welsh lost possession 20 yards out and the lively Coyle swooped, took a couple of paces and struck a low 16-yard shot that deceived the diving McDonnell with a wicked bounced.
Five minutes later it needed a fine saving tackle by Sean Deery to halt Coyle, although Swifts responded with Moore forcing McCanny to redeem himself after a poor kick-out.
But Coyle was not to be denied and when McQuade exploded down the right and whipped in a good cross, the spearhead made it 3-1 with a cheeky near-post flick. Straight from the restart McQuade burst through to the edge of the area but failed to get direction in his parting shot.
Swifts were still in contention, however, and Kelly squandered chances to throw them a lifeline either side of the interval, while substitute, Conor McCarney headed above McCanny's goal from Moore's teasing free kick and made the keeper get down smartly to save his snap shot on the hour.
But that was as good as it got. Fintona shipped a fourth goal on 64 minutes, McQuade clinically sticking the ball away when McMahon's intended shot through a crowded area fell invitingly into his path.
And the impressive McQuade sealed his hat-trick 13 minutes from time, netting off the base of the far post when substitute, Ryan Timlin and that man Coyle, wide on the right, combined majestically to carve out the opening.
Shelbourne go joint top
SHELBOURNE.......................................................3
BERAGH SWIFTS...................................................1
IT might be early days but at this stage the odds on Shelbourne making an instant return to the top flight would have shortened considerably after Mickey O'Sullivan's side edged out a Beragh outfit, who themselves carry aspirations of playing Division One football at some point in the near future.
In truth, it was a game that could have went either way and it was only after Swifts squandered a number of excellent opportunities that the Shels stamped their authority on a closely contested encounter.
Poor defending at a throw-in allowed Shelbourne's Kevin Sloan to open the scoring with a glancing near post header after 15 minutes.
However, by the half-time interval it was all-square as striker Michael Browne connected with a Mickey Rae pass before stepping past two defenders to steer the ball beyond the despairing dive of goalkeeper Shane McNamee.
Buoyed by their equaliser, Swifts began the second period in the ascendancy and on three occasions Ricky Lyons' side should have taken the lead.
Midfielder Stephen Brown failed to hit the target when well placed, substitute Mark Lynch was denied by McNamee and, before Shelbourne assumed control, Michael Browne flicked a Nigel Humphrey cross inches above the home crossbar.
Those missed opportunities returned to haunt Swifts the moment Sloan ghosted in at the back stick to head home Ryan Pritchard's left wing cross to make it 2-1 and in the final minutes Swifts' misery was complete when right-back Glen Dunlop turned a dangerous John Barrett cross into his own net.
Elliott brace sinks Killen
GLEBE UNITED.......................................................3
KILLEN RANGERS...................................................1
A BRACE of goals by veteran striker Colin Elliott, one from a disputed penalty, helped Glebe United steady the ship against a Killen outfit still in search of their first win.
In the first half it was all Glebe and before Elliott opened the scoring from the penalty spot, after the referee harshly adjudged that the striker had been pushed by marker James Coulter, Brian Sweeney headed wide of a gapping goal from an Elliott delivery.
Goalkeeper Ian Young also pushed a Sweeney effort around a post before brilliantly tipping a Derek Maxwell pile-driver over his crossbar.
At the beginning of the second half, Rangers came out all guns blazing and the visitors should have equalised when midfielder Darren Young headed narrowly wide.
The midfield linchpin made amends moments later by heading home a pinpoint Clive Morrison cross but, after Trevor Irwin squandered a glorious opportunity to give the visiting side the lead, United assumed control.
Elliott ghosted in at the back stick to head home a Maxwell free kick to make it 2-1 and shortly afterwards substitute Patrick McGavigan steered the ball into an empty net, following a thrilling run and cross by PJ McMenamin on the right.
McHugh inspires
high-flying Churchtown
CHURCHTOWN.......................................................4
LISNARICK.............................................................1
CHURCHTOWN, inspired by central midfielder Chris McHugh, went joint top of Division Two following this comprehensive victory over a Lisnarick side that was missing a number of influential figures.
The home side bolted out of the traps with Sean Harper hitting a post, McHugh curling a 25-yard effort inches wide while Gary O'Connell and Peter Connolly were both denied by visiting netminder Sean McCusker.
On 25 minutes it was that man McHugh who broke the deadlock, this time his curling 25-yarder was perfect precision, the ball sneaking high inside the goalkeeper's left upright.
Moments later, player-manager Michael Connolly doubled Churchtown's advantage from the penalty spot, after the impressive Harper was unceremoniously dumped in the penalty area, as the Derg men continued to bombard the visiting goal.
From a yard out Harper failed to convert an inviting cross by Patrick Lynch, but on the hour mark the hotshot atoned by scoring his fourth goal in as many matches.
McCusker tipped a swerving McHugh free kick onto his crossbar and quick as a flash Harper pounced to head the ball into a gapping net.
Lisnarick swiftly reduced the deficit to two, but any hopes of a comeback were soon extinguished when McCusker hauled down Conor McCallion, who had raced clear onto a precise through ball from fellow debutant Rory Blee. Connolly again stepped up to convert.
In the final minutes the visitors put a gloss on their contribution by scoring a second.
It was a good day all round for Churchtown whose Colts hit six without reply to go joint top of Reserve Division Two.
First defeat for Derg side
ENNISKILLEN SANTOS............................................5
BARROWFIELD.......................................................2
A SPARKLING hat-trick by Byron McNern sent Enniskillen Santos joint top of Division Two against a Barrowfield side that was unbeaten in their opening three games.
McNern set the tone as early as the 10th minute by drilling home with his left foot before visiting stand-in goalkeeper Mark Connolly fumbled a free kick from Chris Corrigan for Santos right-back Chris Hannan to make it 2-0.
The goalkeeper was again suspect as McNern beat him to the ball to head home number three before midfielder Barry Porter pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time.
Any thoughts the visitors had of launching a second-half revival were soon nipped in the bud as Corrigan connected with a through ball from Darren Rodgers to restore the three -goal cushion.
McNern completed his stunning three-hit with another rasping angled drive, that after Santos had squandered a bagful of clear-cut opportunities.
A disappointing Barrowfield had the final say when Porter netted his second from the penalty spot.
