HARRY GETS HIS GLORY BEFORE REDS GOAL RUSH
Harry gets his glory before Reds goal rush
From Terry Patterson at St Julian's Road
TINY St Julian's Road was bursting at the seams for last night's glamour friendly between Omagh Town and Premiership giants Liverpool in aid of the Omagh Fund.
After genial host Highland Radio's Charlie Collins had managed to get his tongue around a posse of foreign names in red there was an impeccably observed one minute's silence in memory of the victims of the August 1998 bombing atrocity.
When the action started the recently married Eamonn Gallagher twice came to Town's rescue saving with his feet from Vladimir Smicer and Patrick Berger.
But in the ninth minute the crowd rose to salute the first goal scored by Omagh in any of the three games against Premiership clubs.
The much-travelled Harry McCourt struck from a good pass by Mark Donnelly and slumped to his knees to kiss the turf.
There was a hum of expectation any time the Irish league part-timers broke into the Liverpool box. On 20 minutes little Barry Curran threatened to dispossess giant American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who delayed his clearance on the line.
But almost immediately Titi Camara stretched to stick away the equaliser at the back post from a great right sided cross by Veggard Heggem.
Then the Merseysiders stepped up a gear. Erik Meijer put them in front from Berger's precision pass and then doubled the lead a minute from the break with Smicer adding a fourth.
England stars Michael Owen and Jamie Redknapp joined the fray for the second half but it was Camara who rifled in a fifth for the visitors.
Berger then stepped in with the goal of the game, a super strike from 25 yards and Redknapp completed the rout with a rare headed goal.
Earlier in the day Owen had laid a wreath in memory of the bomb victims at the Garden of Remembrance in Omagh's Market Street.
He was accompanied by his manager Gerard Houllier and team-mates Steve Staunton and Jamie Redknapp.
Owen said: "We have come over here to pay our respects to those who have died and to those who have lost their loved ones. I'm glad we are able to play this game tonight."
Omagh Town: Gallagher, Johnston, Kavanagh, Gauld, Moore, Wilson, Curran, Kelly, Donnelly, Crilly, McCourt. Subs: Callaghan (GK), Nixon, Boyle, McHugh, McGill, A Doherty, D Doherty, Bums, McCreadie, Sloan, Mooney, Friel, Barrett.
Liverpool: Friedel, Carragher, Matteo, Traore, Hamann, Berger, Heggem, Camara, Smicer, Bjornebye, Meiier. Subs: Owen, Thompson, Murphy, Staunton, Song, Henchoz, Maxwell, Neilsen, Rednapp. Referee: Leslie Irvine (Limavady)
From Terry Patterson at St Julian's Road
TINY St Julian's Road was bursting at the seams for last night's glamour friendly between Omagh Town and Premiership giants Liverpool in aid of the Omagh Fund.
After genial host Highland Radio's Charlie Collins had managed to get his tongue around a posse of foreign names in red there was an impeccably observed one minute's silence in memory of the victims of the August 1998 bombing atrocity.
When the action started the recently married Eamonn Gallagher twice came to Town's rescue saving with his feet from Vladimir Smicer and Patrick Berger.
But in the ninth minute the crowd rose to salute the first goal scored by Omagh in any of the three games against Premiership clubs.
The much-travelled Harry McCourt struck from a good pass by Mark Donnelly and slumped to his knees to kiss the turf.
There was a hum of expectation any time the Irish league part-timers broke into the Liverpool box. On 20 minutes little Barry Curran threatened to dispossess giant American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who delayed his clearance on the line.
But almost immediately Titi Camara stretched to stick away the equaliser at the back post from a great right sided cross by Veggard Heggem.
Then the Merseysiders stepped up a gear. Erik Meijer put them in front from Berger's precision pass and then doubled the lead a minute from the break with Smicer adding a fourth.
England stars Michael Owen and Jamie Redknapp joined the fray for the second half but it was Camara who rifled in a fifth for the visitors.
Berger then stepped in with the goal of the game, a super strike from 25 yards and Redknapp completed the rout with a rare headed goal.
Earlier in the day Owen had laid a wreath in memory of the bomb victims at the Garden of Remembrance in Omagh's Market Street.
He was accompanied by his manager Gerard Houllier and team-mates Steve Staunton and Jamie Redknapp.
Owen said: "We have come over here to pay our respects to those who have died and to those who have lost their loved ones. I'm glad we are able to play this game tonight."
Omagh Town: Gallagher, Johnston, Kavanagh, Gauld, Moore, Wilson, Curran, Kelly, Donnelly, Crilly, McCourt. Subs: Callaghan (GK), Nixon, Boyle, McHugh, McGill, A Doherty, D Doherty, Bums, McCreadie, Sloan, Mooney, Friel, Barrett.
Liverpool: Friedel, Carragher, Matteo, Traore, Hamann, Berger, Heggem, Camara, Smicer, Bjornebye, Meiier. Subs: Owen, Thompson, Murphy, Staunton, Song, Henchoz, Maxwell, Neilsen, Rednapp. Referee: Leslie Irvine (Limavady)
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0330
Published Date: 19-Oct-99
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