Rock upset the odds to claim first ever Intermediate Championship

Rock 0-23 Pomeroy 1-13

Rock contrived the perfect formula for renewal and triumph to soar to previously undiscovered heights by

winning the Tyrone Intermediate Football Championship for the first time.

Victory over Pomeroy in the replayed final at O’Neill Park in Dungannon was achieved in stylish and

commanding fashion as the St Patrick’s upset the odds.

They had learned enough in the drawn game about both the opposition and themselves to establish the

belief that they were more than capable of turning over the favourites.

And having focused on a number of key areas, principally the battle for possession in the middle third,

that had gone against them a week earlier, they put things right and got the job done.

Crucially, they had the men with the golden touch when it came to putting the ball over the bar, and with a

0-17 haul between them, Shane Murphy and Liam Nugent led the St Patrick’s home, with powerhouse

midfielder Thomas Mackle also playing a principal role.

Rock will play their league football in the top tier for the first time in the club’s history in 2027, although

they have competed in the senior championship in the past, as a Division 1B side prior to competition

restructuring.

Pomeroy received a massive pre-match boost with news that Frank Burns had been cleared to play,

despite receiving a straight red card in the closing stages of the drawn game.

He took his appeal to the Ulster Council and the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) and was given

interim relief’ and the go-ahead to line out for the rematch.

A week earlier the sides had finished level on 0-11 each at the same venue, with Rock coming from six

points behind to go ahead in the closing stages, before the Plunketts, down to 14 men, grabbed a late

equaliser.

Burns was quickly into the action with a turnover as Rock went for a fast start, but they continued to

press, Liam Nugent converting an early free.

Marty Coyle used his pace to escape the clutches of his marker to bring the sides level, but back came the

St Patrick’s to hit a couple of quick scores, Conor Ward and Aidan McGarrity moving eh ball to Conor

McGarrity for a neat finish.

Pomeroy were penalised for delaying the kick-out, giving Nugent the opportunity to score again from a

placed ball.

Kieran McGeary and Coyle linked smartly for Ryan Loughran to slot over a fine score, but despite putting

intense pressure on defenders coming out with the ball, they were unable to capitalise before Rock made

another move.

Shane Murphy’s range of passing was causing problems to the Plunketts cover, while his place-kicking

was also a major asset as he thumped over a two-point free.

Murphy sent a daisy-cutter pass to Nugent, who slipped the ball to Aidan McGarrity for a 0-6 to 0-2 by

the eleventh minute, and the men from Plunkett Park were feeling the pressure.

But they responded positively, Hugh McNamee breaking away for a point, and with wing backs Jue

Campbell and Kevin Armstrong pressing along the flanks, they built the pressure again.

Ronan Duffin, Nuno Silva and Hugh McNamee were involved in the move that was finished over the bar

by Frank Burns, but another Nugent score had the Rock ahead by 0-7 to 0-4 at the end of the opening

quarter.

Campbell broke lines to get Pomeroy back on the attack, with McNamee pinging a shot just over the bar,

and as they varied the approach, Shea Litter was alert to deal with a long ball from Burns.

Rock were moving the ball well, avoiding carrying possession into contact, and when a Murphy effort

dropped shot, Thomas Mackle gathered to fire the ball between the posts.

Ronan Duffin worked hard to get back and avert a dangerous situation, but conceded a ’45 which Murphy

drove between the posts to restore the four points advantage.

Pomeroy’s intense tackling put Rock defenders under increasing pressure as they came out with the ball,

but Cormac O’Neill, Mark McAleer and Litter did well to get their clearances away.

McNamee set up a point for Kieran McGeray, but again the Rock responded with a double, Aidan

McGarrity serving past a couple of defenders to hit a point, before Mackle went in for his second.

Cunningham responded for the Plunketts, but both sides were finding scoring opportunities difficult to

craft, with excellent defending at both ends of the field, exemplified by Conor Ward’s turnover on

McGeary, and an equally impressive challenge by Ryan Begley on Murphy.

At the turnaround, it was Rock who led by 0-11 to 0-7, and Pomeroy needed an injection of intensity as

the second half got under way, with Burns driving through for an early point.

However, they were struggling to turn pressure and possession into scores, hitting aa handful of wides,

dropping a couple short to the goalkeeper and failing to find the target with the final pass.

The frustration continued to grow as Murphy hoisted another two-point free between the posts, and

Nugent, who was having a terrific tussle with Brendan Burns, won a free that he converted himself for a

six points lead by the 40th minute.

Goalkeeper John McCiurt breathed a sigh of relief as a shot-kick-o8t, intercepted by Peter Loughran, was

not fully punished, but another attempt at a quick restart was pounced upon by Nugent, who flashed the

ball over the bar.

But Pomeroy got themselves right back into the game with a 1-1 salvo in the latter stages of the third

quarter.

First Hugh J Cunningham curled over appoint, and in the 43rd minute, they struck for a goal. Frank Burns

started the move with a turnover, and when Duffin’s shot was blocked, Hugh McNamee was there to first-

time the ball to the net.

Now just two points separated the sides, but Rock responded in the best possible fashion, reeling off the

next four points to regain control.

All four of them were scored by the brilliant Nugent, three of them from play, as he pushed his side six

points clear again going into the closing ten minutes.

Ryan Loughran worked hard around the middle to win the possession that got his side back on the attack,

and Cunningham sent McGeary in for a point, but as they pushed to close the gap further, Conor Ward

produced as superb tackle to halt Burns in his tracks.

And Thomas Mackle, a driving force at midfield all evening, powered through for an inspirational score.

Pomeroy redoubled their efforts, with McNamee raising an orange flag from a placed ball, and when

Burns collected from Leo Quinn to hit the target from a tight angle, just three points separated the sies.

But it was Rock who were able to produce the grandstand finish, with Murphy hitting two monster frees,

bit for two-pointers, clinching a memorable triumph for Rock St Patrick’s.

Rock scorers: Shane Murphy 0-9 (4 tp frees, 1 ‘45), Liam Nugent 0-8 (5 frees), Thomas Mackle 0-3,

Aidan McGarrity 0-2, Conor McGarrity 0-1.

Pomeroy scorers: Hugh McNamee 1-4 (1 tp free), Frank Burns 0-3, Kieran McGeary, Hugh J

Cunningham 0-2 each, Ryan Loughran, Marty Coyle 0-1 each.

Rock: Oisin MacNia; Mark McAleer, Cormac O’Neill, Odhran Nugent, Conor Ward, Cathal McWilliams,

Shea Litter, Conor Ward; Thomas Mackle, Diarmaid Carroll; Conor McGarrity, Shane Murphy, Peter

Loughran; Odhran Carroll, Aidan McGarrity, Liam Nugent.

Subs: Martin Ward for McAleer, Aidan Girvan for O Carroll, Shea Daly for Loughran, Niall McWilliams

for O Nugent.

Pomeroy: John McCourt; Nuno Silva, Leo Quinn, Ryan Begley; Jude Campbell, Peter Rafferty, Kevin

Armstrong; Frank Burns. Ryan Loughran; Marty Coyle, Kieran McGeary, Ronan Duffin; Brendan Burns,

Hugh McNamee, Hugh J Cunningham.

Subs: Ryan McCallan for Armstrong, Gavin Goodfellow for Silva, Packie Quinn for Campbell.

Referee: Shane Meehan (Glenelly).