SYMBOLISM WITH NO SENTIMENTALITY
Symbolism with no sentimentality
By Tony Bailie
IT was pure symbolism when Niall McSorley ran onto the pitch at Plunkett Park in Pomeroy last night for Omagh St Enda's.
Omagh were already beaten as McSorley, still heavily bandaged around shrapnel wounds to his legs could only hover close to opponents Ardboe's goal in the hope of a late winning score.
Pictures of the Omagh player were flashed around the world as he limped on a pair of crutches to lay a bouquet of flowers in memory of those who died in the Omagh bomb.
Omagh St Enda's had been due to play Donaghmore in the semi-final of the O'Neill cup on the Sunday after the Omagh blast, but the match was postponed and only played 10 days ago when Omagh secured their place in yesterday's Tyrone Senior county final.
Other Omagh players included Paddy Quinn, a fireman who helped rescue many of the injured from the rubble of the blast.
Gareth McGirr, an Omagh doctor who treated many of the injured on the day of the blast, was also on the Omagh squad but in the second half of the match he was sent off the pitch after a foul on an Ardboe player.
It was a match that seasoned commentators described as "extremely dirty". Players tumbled like skittles throughout the game, some sliding on the wet grass, others crumbling beneath a tackle a trip or a push from their opponents.
Omagh looked to be on form during the first half of the game and the sending off of Ardboe's Michael Coleman gave them an advantage and they went into half time with a 0.5, 0.1 lead.
But the squad was weakened and seemingly demoralised when key player Ciaran bride was stretchered off with a badly injured ankle.
In the end Ardboe won the O'Neill Cup 0.11 to 0.8.
One of Omagh's team managers Frankie Bradley admitted that the decision to play Niall McSorley was loaded with symbolism but insisted that was where the sentimentality ended.
He said: "We made a keen decision that Niall was going to play for the last 2 minutes no matter what. In the dressing room before the match we hoped to do well but in the end Ardboe outplayed us in the second half of the game. That's football."
By Tony Bailie
IT was pure symbolism when Niall McSorley ran onto the pitch at Plunkett Park in Pomeroy last night for Omagh St Enda's.
Omagh were already beaten as McSorley, still heavily bandaged around shrapnel wounds to his legs could only hover close to opponents Ardboe's goal in the hope of a late winning score.
Pictures of the Omagh player were flashed around the world as he limped on a pair of crutches to lay a bouquet of flowers in memory of those who died in the Omagh bomb.
Omagh St Enda's had been due to play Donaghmore in the semi-final of the O'Neill cup on the Sunday after the Omagh blast, but the match was postponed and only played 10 days ago when Omagh secured their place in yesterday's Tyrone Senior county final.
Other Omagh players included Paddy Quinn, a fireman who helped rescue many of the injured from the rubble of the blast.
Gareth McGirr, an Omagh doctor who treated many of the injured on the day of the blast, was also on the Omagh squad but in the second half of the match he was sent off the pitch after a foul on an Ardboe player.
It was a match that seasoned commentators described as "extremely dirty". Players tumbled like skittles throughout the game, some sliding on the wet grass, others crumbling beneath a tackle a trip or a push from their opponents.
Omagh looked to be on form during the first half of the game and the sending off of Ardboe's Michael Coleman gave them an advantage and they went into half time with a 0.5, 0.1 lead.
But the squad was weakened and seemingly demoralised when key player Ciaran bride was stretchered off with a badly injured ankle.
In the end Ardboe won the O'Neill Cup 0.11 to 0.8.
One of Omagh's team managers Frankie Bradley admitted that the decision to play Niall McSorley was loaded with symbolism but insisted that was where the sentimentality ended.
He said: "We made a keen decision that Niall was going to play for the last 2 minutes no matter what. In the dressing room before the match we hoped to do well but in the end Ardboe outplayed us in the second half of the game. That's football."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0386
Published Date: 14-Sep-98
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