Senior 2002

We opened our League campaign with a very disappointing performance against a beatable St Teresa's team. Despite dominating long periods of the match we gave away 4 very soft goals and were not able to convert possession into scores. Too many people had an off day. Adrian Doherty and Gavin McLaughlin(1) were our scorers.

We notched up our first win in a match we completely dominated, but had it not been for poor finishing the score would have been even more emphatic. We had a shot scrambled off the line and a goal disallowed after advantage hadn't been played for us, before Adrian Doherty finally scored the game's only goal. Mitchell's actually took the lead and had a shot cleared off the line by Fergal Lynch, but apart from that the Og's defence was tight and in command, especially the half backs, limiting Mitchell's to just 2 points. Emmett Holmes was unlucky to see a lobbed shot hit the crossbar and rebound to safety and Gavin McLaughlin also should have scored a goal. Other scorers included Conor Wills, Emmett Holmes, Peter Elliott, Fra Grimley, Gavin McLaughlin and Colm McAuley.

Another bad performance, in which nobody shone at all. Playing against the wind in the first half, there was nothing to separate the two teams other than St Pauls' pinpoint freetaking, which gave them a 5-2 lead at half-time. Three quick points at the start of the second half for St Paul's saw Eire Og's heads go down. The Og's cause wasn't helped by Fra Grimley's dismissal. In the end St Paul's won a stop-start match comfortably.

At last a good game - the Ogs were excellent. Despite having to make a changes with several players missing there was not a weakness in the team. Forwards showed for every ball, mid-field excellent and back first to every ball. Eire Og played good controlled football, kept possession very well and picked up almost every breaking ball. Scorers included Sean O'Neill(1 goal), Peter Elliot(1-4) and Colm McAuley(1-1). McAuley, scorer of the pick of the bunch, Dee, Paul George and Elliot all had great games.

A repeat of last year's Championship final saw the Ogs win again in a match they dominated but could not finish off. We were 1-5 to 0-2 up at half time thanks to a Sean O'Neill goal, but should have been more as we'd a goal disallowed and another golden opportunity for a goal wasted. The second half saw St Malachy's come out fighting. They hit us with 3 quick points before we regained control of the match. A St Malachy's goal with 10 minutes remaining brought them to within a point of us and ensured a nervous end to the match. But we pulled away again to win, though the winning margin should have been far greater. Scorers included Sean O'Neill, Colm McAuley, Gerard McNulty, Paul George, Peter Elliott and Dee McBryan.

After two easy wins against Lisburn and Ballycastle we were expecting a harder game with the visit of Glenravel. Despite not having a full team due to injuries and holidays, we raced into a 3-6 to 0-2 lead after 20 minutes, showing the form that won the Championship last year. But we let Glenravel back in the game before half time with a goal. Half time 3-6 to 1-6 for the Ogs. For some reason we just didn't perform in the second half - passes went astray and easy chances missed, which would ensured a comfortable win. Instead Glenravel dominated the second half and we hung on for a one point win. Scorers included Emmett Holmes, Gerard McNulty, Adrian Doherty, Gavin McLaughlin, John O'Kane.

Eire Og easily saw off a determined Lisburn team, scoring 3-11 and conceding a late goal to make it 1-4. The winning margin may have been greater but for some wayward shooting. Scorers included Adrian Doherty, Fra Grimley, Emmett Holmes, Gerard McNulty, Barry Hall.

The Og's winning run came to an end against a strong Ballycastle side in a competitive match dictated by the weather. Playing with the wind in the first half Eire Og came in at half time 1-6 to 0-3 ahead, with a fisted goal from Gavin McLaughlin and points from Fra Grimley, Paul Taggart, Gaggs and Emmett Holmes. Ballycastle hit an early goal in the second half and we were up against it then. We wasted some golden opportunities in the second half to draw, if not win the game, but having said that Ballycastle did hit the bar and post.

Honours were shared in a top of the table clash with St Teresa's, though our dominance should have brought about a victory, but for a few careless moments both in defence and attack. The Ogs played good football with the points being spread all across the team - half backs Neil Ryan and Gerard McNulty both scored, Conor Wills and Fra Grimley pointed from midfield and Adrian Doherty, Gaggs, Emmett Holmes, Colm McAuley and Sean O'Neill all scored up front.

Another two points that should have been ours were thrown away against St Paul's. In a low scoring first half several easy scoring opportunities were wasted, as we went in 3-2 down thanks to points from Peter Elliott and Colm McAuley. Alec McGoran equalised for the Ogs straight after half time, before St Paul's pulled away again. A goal and another point from Elliott put us two points ahead, but conceding a last minute goal, meant that we lost by a single point. It may not have been our strongest team out, but it should have been good enough to win.

An understrength Eire Og team dominated the last league match against St Malachy's and ended up with a comfortable 8 point victory. But it was St Malachy's who raced into a 3-1 early lead. A superb opportunist Peter Elliott goal, then gave us the lead which we then never looked like losing. Other points by Colm McAuley, Gaggs and Emmett Holmes gave us a 1-5 to 0-5 half time lead. Two further goals in the second half - a lobbed effort from Emmett Holmes and a breakaway goal from Kevin Brown - secured victory, with the other second half points coming from McAuley and Brown, and an instinctive save from Vernon giving us a comfortable win.

League Play Offs 2002

Quarter Final, Saturday September 7th
Eire Og 0-04 1-14 St Gall's

A depleted Ogs team came up against a strong St Gall's side in what was to prove to be a one sided contest. After having achieved our primary goal at the start of the season of reaching the playoffs, we disappointed ourselves in the knockout stages. This will be something to build on next year.

Tennents Intermediate Championship 2002

1st Round - Hightown, Sunday May 19th 2.00pm
Eire Og 1-6 3-9 St Gall's

Eire Og did themselves proud against a St Gall's team that is dominating the other section of Division 3. Indeed the scoreline flatters the Milltown team as the Ogs dominated long periods of the game and felt that luck was against them in this open free flowing game.

Playing against the wind in the first half, Eire Og found themselves a couple of points down in the opening 10 minutes, but we dug deep and ended up dominating the half, playing good possession football. We brought the scores level 0-3 to 0-3 until just before the half time break saw St Gall's catch us out with a goal and two quick points, which was to be the difference at half time 1-5 to 0-3.

The second half very much mirrored the first. St Gall's again started the brighter and knocked over two points before Eire Og took control again. A great individual point from Emmett Holmes and a superb goal from Peter Elliott brought us to within three points of St Gall's, and set up an action packed, but ultimately disappointing last 10 minutes. St Gall's crossbar was rattled by a fierce shot from Gaggs, which would have brought the Ogs level. Minutes later St Gall's found the back of the net after a blatant throw set up the goal chance. The protests of a furious Og's defence were ignored by the referee. At the other end Eire Og were then denied a penalty after Colm McAuley appeared to have been brought down in the box. In the final minutes St Gall's scored another goal and a point as Eire Og pushed forward to look for scores to finish up winning 3-9 to 1-6.

The team as a whole played really well. Midfield dominated the middle of the park, the defence was tight and the half backs gave good support to our forwards. Up front Peter Elliott and Emmett Holmes had some excellent scores and the rest of forwards came out of the match having also played well. A disappointing result, we felt we might have deserved to get something more out of this game.

Challenge Matches

Eire Og 2-10 v 4-14 St Paul's, Lurgan

An understrength Eire Og side, missing 8 players, went to Lurgan for their first pre-season friendly. Colm McAuley in defence, Fra Grimley and Gerard McNulty at mid-field and Peter Elliott up front all turned in very good performances.
The Og's dominated early exchanges - had four wides (two from John O'Kane frees, one free from Raffo and one from play from Adrian O'Reilly) before O'Reilly scored a point from play. Three points from St Paul's followed by a goal from Elliott - fisted in from edge of square. St Paul's drew level again before Elliott got another goal against the run of play after a good ball accross the face of goal from Johnny Savage. St. Paul's running game was now the dominant feature however and the Ogs struggled for rest of the half. The Ogs kept in touch through points from Elliott and McNulty before St Paul's pulled into a four point lead before half-time with a good goal as the Ogs flagged a little at the end the 35 minute half.

Half-Time score; St. Paul's 1.10 Eire Og 2.3 Pretty good stuff but the Ogs forward line were pretty static - too many regulars missing.

The Og's picked it up at the start of the second half and were much more aggressive and direct. Still suffering from poor running off the ball but backs pretty solid. Colm McAuley was dragged into midfield as St. Paul's pulled their corner forward out as a third mid-fielder but this only copper-fastened the strangle-hold the Ogs had in that area. Points from Elliott, Adrian O'Reilly and Gerard McNulty helped put the Ogs ahead but a series of missed frees and poor finishing prevented the Ogs capitalising on a very good period. A few minor confrontations seemed to upset the Og's rhythm and St. Paul's came back into it. With about ten minutes to go the Og's were only two points down but a mix-up let the full-forward of St. Paul's in for a soft goal. St. Pauls then added two more points as the Og's tired and the game ended with a penalty award to the Lurgan side - a decision which even our esteemed goal-keeper couldn't dispute.

Final Score: St. Pauls Lurgan 4.14 Eire Og Derriaghy 2.10

Scorers: Peter Elliott 2.3, G. McNulty 0.2, A.O'Reilly 0.2, Paul Taggart 0.1, Chris Browning 0.1 and J. O'Kane 0.1

Gort na Mona St Patrick's Day Tournament
Eire Og 0-5 v 0-7 Gort na Mona
Eire Og played well and battled against a strong Gort na Mona team. But for some wayward shooting, the Ogs may well have surprised the Division 2 side.

Eire Og 1-3 v 1-5 St Agnes
Eire Og dominated the game against the Aggies after Chris Browning scored a goal to cancel out two early St Agnes' points. Again we were made to pay for some wayward shooting, despite some good Emmett Holmes' points, as St Agnes scored a last minute goal to win the match.

Some good performances although the scores did not reflect how we played. It was a good run out against decent teams - these friendlies showed we have the ability to do well this season.

Eire Og 0-10 v 1-12 Sarsfields
Our final friendly before the start of the league saw us take on a Sarsfields team determined to regain their Division 1 status at the first attempt. In a game played in three periods a Fra Grimley point put us ahead early in the first. Sarsfields replied well, taking full advantage of some mistakes, but points from Peter Elliott and Emmett Holmes, who both had really good games, brought us in trailing 4-3.
Sarsfields caught us cold at the start of the second period with three unanswered scores but the Ogs responded with points from Conor Wills, Emmett Holmes and Adrian O'Reilly, before Peter Elliott was very unlucky to see his fisted goal attempt go inches wide. 8-6 down after the second period, Eire Og were still playing well.
The final period saw points from Gerard McNulty, Holmes and Elliott again, before Elliott was again denied a goal with a last ditch block, but we seemed to tire at the end as we made mistakes and a late goal for Sarsfields, following a good save from goalkeeper Vernon, was perhaps a bit unlucky. A good performance from Eire Og against a good team - everyone did well and battled hard.