Orchard Farm 1-6 Omagh Hospitals
Omagh Hospitals moved to the top of Division Two with a 6-1 win over Orchard Farm.
Hospitals had scored eleven goals in their two previous games, and they continued their scoring streak against Farm, racing into a 3-0 lead at halftime with goals from Matthew Browne, Oisin Millar and Matthew Mallon.
Brian McDermott pulled a goal back for the home side just after halftime, but Hospitals scored three more in the second half to run out comfortable winners.
Orchard Farm manager Shane O’Donnell had been happy with his team’s recent form, and he was hoping they could build on draws in each of their last two fixtures, but he felt their chances of continuing the run were hit by a series of injuries.
“We had two good results in our last two games, but before kick-off, I had a couple pull out with injuries, and then 40 minutes into the game I had already made three substitutions for three groin injuries,” he said.
“I had to change it to three at the back and five in the middle at halftime. We had to do something. Then we were on top and Brian scored.
"Towards the end, Tiernan Elliott could hardly move and Stewart Armstrong as well, but I couldn’t take them off because I had already made three changes before halftime.
"We played alright bar the injuries, but Omagh are a good team and they will give a lot of teams trouble.
"I am crippled with injuries at the minute, and I am glad we have a week off. It might help us get some of the boys back.”
Matthew Browne opened the scoring for Hospitals with a header from a corner in the thirteenth minute, and Miller and Mallon both slotted past Michael McGrath before halftime.
Brian McDermott scored his seventh league goal of the season when he blasted into the top corner of the net from Tiarnan Elliott’s cross at the start of the second half, but Ethan Campbell restored Hospitals' three-goal cushion with a hot that squirmed underneath Michael McGrath, and an own goal from Andrew Elliott gave them their fifth.
Substitute Niall McCarney completed the victory to take Hospitals to the top of a tightly packed division two table where three points separate the top five teams.
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