On Saturday afternoon Clogher Valley met Newcastle West, from Co Limerick, in the semi final of the All Ireland Junior Cup at ‘The Cran’, Fivemiletown.

Newcastle West probably had the better of the opening 20 minutes but Clogher Valley’s defense held firm.

On 22 minutes Paul Armstrong broke, chipped through and won the battle to ground the ball half a meter from the dead-ball line to record Clogher’s first score. His conversion moved the score along to 7 – 0.

Some 7 minutes later Newcastle reduced the lead with a short range Sean Herlihy penalty goal.

In a well worked move Matthew Bothwell crossed for Clogher after 35 minutes. Armstrong’s conversion took the score to 14 – 3, the halftime score.

On 43 minutes another Herlihy penalty goal reduced Clogher’s lead to 14 – 6.

Play continued between the ‘22’s, before, on 59 minutes, Armstrong’s interception on halfway, allowed him to cross the line unopposed, under the posts. His conversion moved Clogher’s lead up to 21 – 6.

A final Herlihy penalty goal reduced the deficit to 21 – 9 before Clogher cut loose!

Clogher took advantage of tiring Newcastle legs and launched a barrage against a weakened defense.

Ewan Haire, 67 minutes, Regan Wilkinson, 71 minutes, Stuart Brown, 73 minutes scored tries, 2 converted by Armstrong, moving the score up to 40-9, before Armstrong’s hat trick try on 80 minutes, which he converted, left Clogher with a 47-9 victory.

Clogher Valley’s victory earns them a place in the All Ireland Final with Ulster rivals, Ballyclare, at the end of January. Ballyclare defeated Connemara 14-12.

CLOGHER VALLEY: Ewan Haire, Regan Wilkinson, Paul Armstrong, Reece Smyton, Stuart Brown, David Maxwell, Matthew Bothwell, Michael Treanor, Kyle Cobane, Neil Henderson, Eugene McKenna, David Sharkey, David Stinson, Aaron Dunwoody, Callum Smyton. Replacements: Aaron Crawford, Richard Primrose, Jamie Allen, Tommi Coulter, Ryan Wilson, Daryl Liggett, Neil Trotter, Adam Boles.

NEWCASTLE WEST: Sean Ivess, Michael Bourke, Cian Tierney, Sean Murphy, Darragh Fox, Shane Airey, Sean Herlihy, TJ Relihan, Sean Corbett, John Walsh, Alan O’Riordan, Gerald Griffin, Keelan Headd, Donal O’Sullivan, Jason Woulfe. Replacements: Christopher Walsh, Evan Donovan, Liam Tierney, Cian Mulcahy, James Guina, Alex O’Halloran, Darragh O’Brien, Jack Kenny.

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