OMAGH CBS......................3-13
ST PAT'S ARMAGH...................1-10
By KEVIN KELLY
OMAGH CBS are celebrating lifting the first grade "A" colleges football title of the season after turning on the style in the second half at Dunmoyle on Saturday morning to run out emphatic nine point winners over a St Pats Armagh side who went into the decider as slight favourites.
It may have been in the second half when Omagh racked up then scores but there is no doubt that they laid the foundations for this superb win in the opening period as they led by two points at the short whistle despite having played into a gale force wind.
Armagh had the better of things in terms of possession in the first half but they failed to make it count on the scoreboard and a lot of credit for that has to go down to an Omagh defence who forced their opponents into shooting from distance with the result that they kicked a number of wides.
Michael McCann was outstanding for the winners at the back in a man of the match performance with Blaine Garrity and Tomas McCarron also to the fore while at midfield Stephen Kelly and Brendan Donaghy had the edge over Philip Kelly and Daniel McQuaid.
Up front centre half forward Ruairi Bradley finished the game as top scorer with seven points to his name with Cormac O'Neill and Colly McRory others who caused the Armagh defence problems every time they gained possession.
It was St Pats Armagh full forward Tom Murphy who opened the scoring but Omagh levelled matters after seven minutes when McRory cut inside his marker before landing a brilliant point with his weaker left foot.
Niall Patterson put the Orchard lads back in front but again their advantage was short lived as Bradley did well to convert a placed ball into the strong wind.
Armagh were having the better of things at this stage in terms of possession but a hard working Omagh side were making life difficult for them as they put them under pressure every time they took a shot at the target.
In the 18th minute the first goal arrived and it was a well worked move from Omagh with Bradley and Kelly both involved in the build up before McRory finished to the bottom corner of the net past keeper Ethan Rafferty.
Patterson and McRory traded points with Murphy on the mark again for Armagh but Omagh half back Barry O'Neill joined the attack to hit an inspirational score to enable his side to lead 1-4 to 0-5 at the interval.
On the resumption St Pats Armagh defender Mickey Carson reduced the deficit to the minimum but that was as good as it got for them and after Bradley knocked over a free that he had won himself Omagh pounced for their second goal.
O'Neill won the ball and there was Kelly coming through off his shoulder and he collected the pass before firing into the corner of the net. To their credit Armagh responded with three unanswered points from Patterson [2] and Daniel McQuaid but Omagh were the better side and they made it count on the scoreboard.
Bradley, McRory and Damian Ball all had points and going into the closing stages they were nine in front.
Armagh then hit them on the break with midfielder Kelly grabbing a goal but it was Omagh's day and substitute Thomas McGrath put the icing on the cake with a goal late on.
