Having led the league for most of the year, only to be pipped to a cup final place in the last round of games, the boys arrived determined to make this final count.
On a warm evening, North Armagh got off to a slow start against a strong Lisbellaw side, with their impressive number 3 causing plenty of early problems. An early tactical switch saw Dermot Quinn move into a man-marking role, and he carried out the task superbly for the remainder of the game.
Lisbellaw’s early scores sparked North Armagh into life, and vital goals from DC, Luke, and a memorable first U14 goal from Peter helped swing momentum our way. By half-time, the boys had built a strong lead at 6-2 to 2-3.
As expected, Lisbellaw came out fighting in the second half and applied plenty of pressure, but the North Armagh defence stood firm. The back line was expertly marshalled by Donacha, Cillian B, and Oggy, while Oscar and Enda were outstanding in winning possession and driving forward from defence. Also great goal keeping and puck outs from Darragh Donnelly who is sure to be eyeing up the goals for Armagh over the next few yrs.
In midfield, Luke and Cillian O worked tirelessly to ensure a steady supply of ball into the forwards. Liam, Noah, and Tadhg all created excellent scoring chances and, on another night, could easily have added to the tally.
In the end, North Armagh ran out deserving winners on a final scoreline of 9-4 to 5-5, securing a memorable victory and a historic night for the club.
Well done to all the boys. We’re back out again on Friday with two more games next week before moving into single-game fixtures.
As always, thank you to everyone for the continued support and effort around the team.
NAHABÚ