Without a game since before Christmas – a win against Enniskillen – and with a fewer than ideal numbers turning out at recent training, Omagh U17 travelled to Monaghan hoping to turn around a narrow defeat in the opposite fixture but not quite sure if their form would be up to the mark.
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After a lot of rain the Monaghan pitch (the only one playable) was actually quite good underfoot and Omagh kicked off hoping to use the kicking game offered by Packie O’Neill at outhalf to put them in position to keep pressure on the opposition. O’Neill is a fine all round sportsman and has huge potential as a flyhalf. A fine kicker from out of hand and also of the tee. He also is a powerful runner as he was to show today.
Omagh started well and the forwards were recycling lots of possession which Eoin Murnaghan (having grown about 6 inches in the last fortnight) used intelligently to give O’Neill and Sweeney time to push Omagh onto the offensive. The forwards with Heatherington and Murphy to the fore were stopped 5 metres short. Ryan Flanagan showed his power when he got in the right body position to drive the ruck over and he touched down for a trademark Flanagan try. The conversion was missed.
From the restart Omagh drove forward with Wilson and Kee to the fore – good to see Wilson back after a spell off with a groin injury – from a ruck Murnaghan released the backs (who looked sharp all day) and Mattie Sweeney went on one of his mazy runs – several side steps and pirouettes later he put O’Neill in at the corner for a well worked try to leave the score 10-0 and Omagh in control. Omagh were now oozing confidence and backs and forwards were combining well with numerous offloads and several sidesteps from Killen, McFarland and Kee. Good to see the forwards utilising the recent skills coach McFarland has been trying to indoctrinate.
However, over confidence can lead to complacency in this Omagh team and with the foot off the gas, Monaghan came back and scored 2 soft tries to level the match at half time. The second one a poor Omagh scrum being turned over for a try.
A stern talking to from coach McFarland meant Omagh started the second half with more urgency – Robinson, Brown and Alastair McFarland combined well to push Omagh onto the attack. Murnaghan picked up from a scrum, broke blind and with a well timed pass, drew the defence for Walsh to break forward – the ball was recycled and moved across the backs – Darren Wilson appeared in the centre and managed to offload to James Kee who appeared from nowhere to pass to Mark Hopton-Brown for a superb team score. Kee is proving himself to be pound for pound a very effective loose forward.
From the restart another back move was finished off when O’Neill raced in at the corner – he really does glide over the turf and he didn’t look out of breath despite roasting several would be defenders.
The final try was a training ground line-out move which worked a treat for Johnny McFarland to score close to the corner and O’Neill converting from the corner.
A good league win to reverse the result against Monaghan earlier in the season. More of the same could see a reasonable cup run in the offing.
Omagh Team:
Aaron Heatherington, Mark Hopton-Brown, Gareth Murphy, Ryan Flanagan, James Kee, Darren Wilson, Freddie McDowell, Macauley Killen, Eoin Murnaghan, Packie O’Neill, Stewart Robinson, Matthew Sweeney, Johnny McFarland, Alastair McFarland, Trent Brown, Jamie Walsh.
