It would be an understatement to say it has been a disappointing 7 days for the Plunketts. Nevertheless no real damage has been done to any cause or ambitions of success for the coming year. The under 14’s have been out of contention for a long time so at this stage they can only fulfil fixtures and concentrate on developing for the future. Winning at this level is not the priority. So head up lads, plenty of football ahead for these young boys.
The minors may have lost in the championship to a well drilled Kildress team but it is the manner of defeat that may be more frustrating for the lads. They did not perform anywhere near their potential and the form they have been showing all year just seemed to desert them. The Sun was shining on Gortacladdy but that was as bright as the evening got.
Kildress had their homework done and were in the faces of their opponents from the throw in, they defended in numbers and any time Pomeroy threatened on a dangerous counter attack they were thwarted by unsavoury tackles that rarely were punished. Numerous frees were awarded but the referee on the night was reluctant to brandish any cards. The game struggled to get out of third gear and as a result petered out to a very disappointing ending on a score line of 2-9 to 1-8. This is the first competitive defeat for the minors this year so they have to remain positive and go full blooded for the league. They are top of the table and have the ability to push any team all the way to a division one league title. A championship run would have been great but winning or competing in the latter stages of the league shows consistency and hard work throughout a long season and will stand to a team in the future helping to cement unity.
On Sunday the run of defeats doubled up. Both the reserves and seniors travelled to Strabane in a confident mood, and why not after two convincing wins in the first week. Numbers have been good at training and everyone had been putting in the work on the field.
The reserves were involved in a fast moving and exciting game that could have went either way. Only down by 5 at half time Pomeroy had the wind at their backs in the second half. They dominated possession but could not convert the chances that had been created. Emmett Campbell scored a screamer of a goal with a few minutes left to leave a very tight finish but we just couldn’t get the ball over the bar at important stages losing out on a score line of 0-14 to 1-09. I don’t think this will be the last you will hear of this reserve team, they have a quality blend of youth and experience and I wouldn’t be shocked if they went the rest of the year unbeaten. There are senior teams in division two who could struggle against their speed and energy.
Unfortunately things were not to get any better in the senior match. It is hard to know what to make of the match on Sunday. I have been reflecting on it since back and forward and for some strange reason I don’t feel as disappointed as I should. For the last couple of years we have won our first few games and then went on a run of defeats that have ultimately cost us promotion, I have a feeling that getting a defeat out of the way early on could be in a peculiar kind of way a positive. Knowing the players they won’t like the taste of defeat and will dig in deep at training over the next while and now go on a run of wins. Possibly I’m looking at this through black and amber tinted glasses and may be being overly optimistic but time will tell. The match itself was played at a fast pace from the beginning, Strabane had set up differently from what we have been use to over the last few years. They had a very defensive ( Donegal like) system and then counter attacked with speed. So much so that two of their best attacking players and two of the best in the division were lined out in the half back line. As it proved this is a very difficult system to play against.
All credit however must go to the Plunketts in the first twenty minutes who were patient and only trailed by a single point despite playing against the breeze. Hugh Pat McGeary ( the human energiser bunny) was defending well and spreading the ball smartly across the field trying to probe away forward. Hugh McNamee scored a nice free and was playing well on possession in this period also then suddenly from nowhere Strabane got a goal. It was a funny goal that just seem to catch the full back line of guard, John McCourt whom had made a brilliant catch in the first minute seem to lose flight of the ball and it somehow managed to fall to a Strabane man who couldn’t miss from two yards. This spurred them on and they scored a few more points just before half time to leave us trailing by 8. To be fair though our response directly from the goal was impressive, we charged up the field and got a point and nearly got another one from the resulting kick out.
Another positive when preparing for the next game. Pomeroy had more possession in the second half and at times made it count reducing the deficit to 3 on two occasions, however just like the reserves we couldn’t convert the crucial chances that came at this stage that may have swung the game in our favour. Other days these would go over. In fairness Strabane created a few chances themselves which had they off lost the match they would be looking back on wondering what if. Pomeroy stepped it up in the second half but fell short on a score line of 1-13 to 1-8. It is a result not to dwell on or to let the heads drop as it is a long season and this Strabane team will take points of most teams who have to make the long journey north.
