McNabb turns on the style as Dromore cruise to Cup triumph

DROMORE cruised to a fourpoint win over Carryduff yesterday to win the Paddy McLarnon Cup and become Ulster U21 club tournament champions.

A man of the match performance from Emmett McNabb

(below) and a 45th minute goal from Tiernan Sludden helped the Tyrone champions to victory but it was their second half performance that laid the foundation for their win.

McNabb led the challenge for the Tyrone men, finishing the match with six points to his name and four of those coming from play in the first half. It was a hugely impressive performance from the Dromore star forward in an all-action display where Carryduff struggled to deal with his pace.

Carryduff kept in touch in the first half thanks largely to the free taking ability of John McGeough. The roaming half back hit five frees — four from distance into the wind during the opening 30 minutes — and although trailing by the minimum at the short whistle, Carryduff would have been the happier side at the interval.

The second half started with Carryduff restoring parity to the sides five minutes in for the fourth time in the final but that was to be the Down men’s last score for 25 minutes. Dromore controlled the ball and dominated.

Sludden scored the final’s decisive score but there was more than a hint of fortune about their goal. Substitute Odhran Rafferty went for a point but ’keeper Darren Ross lost the flight of the ball, palming it on to the post. The rebound fell to Sludden and the Dromore man made no mistake from close range.

McNabb’s second free of the half and sixth of the hour stretched the Dromore lead to six points with three minute of the hour remaining and while Carryduff pushed for the scores that would revitalise their fading hopes, points from McGeough and Ronan Beatty (free) were all they had to show for their efforts.

Dromore cruised the closing stages, however, becoming the third team from Tyrone to win the U21 Ulster Club Tournament and the first Ulster men’s title from their club.

Scorers: Dromore: Caolan Slevin (0-1), Caolan McCarron (0-2, 2f’s), Tiernan Sludden (1-00), Emmett McNabb (0-6, 2f’s).

Carryduff: John McGeough (0-6, 5f’s), Ronan Beatty (0-2, 1f).