Doire Trasna defeat Ogra Colmcille to cruise into Junior Championship quarter-finals

Doire Trasna 3-16, Ogra Colmcille 2-04

There was only limited learnings for Doire Trasna boss James McQuillan as his team eased through to the Junior Championship quarter finals thanks to a comfortable victory over a brave Ogra Colmcille side on Friday night.

Caelan O'Connell and Michael Philson were the dual catalysts for a Pearses victory that was never really in any doubt but that still proved a useful run out. Consistency is the Holy Grail for a Trasna panel not short on talent, especially with Colin Murray and Eoghan Quigg beginning to find their range in this championship. On top form, that duo will hurt any side but they still had to play second fiddle in Ballerin to the performances of O'Connell and Philson who were simply superb.

The dye was cast only 30 seconds in when Quigg's astute pass picked out Philson's piercing run from deep, the half-forward showing all the poise in the world to sidestep Ogra keeper Ciaran McDonald and roll into an empty net.

One goal in one minute then became three in 15 as O'Connell took centre stage, first breaking through to produce a beautiful right footed finish beyond McDonald and then taking another Quigg pass on another deep run to once again apply to coup de gras in some style. O'Connell's two goals in four minutes (11th & 15th) made it 3-01 to 0-01 and from there the outcome was never really in doubt although Ogra more than played their part in the contest.

Full forward Cormac Murphy was a real handful at times and substitute Stephen Devlin's superb dink finish for their second goal was a joy to watch but the wide open spaces of Ballerin suited pace and Trasna had plenty of it, notably in Philson and O'Connell who never stopped running. Ally that to the clever movement of Quigg and Murray, and with Caolan Doyle now providing a focal point at 14, and Pearses looked well equipped for the last eight.

The fact Ogra are back playing championship football is a success in itself for the south Derry men who can bank the progress made this season and build on it but this match was about the Waterside men.

WATCH: Derry City's Michael Duffy hits a wonder goal against BohemiansThose three early goals all but made the game safe but prior to that Ogra were causing plenty of trouble with a game-plan to sit deep and leave Murphy isolated inside with plenty of space in front of him. Young full-back Davy Officer did well on Murphy but McQuillan won't have ben happy with the ease with which Ogra got ball into their full forward at times. Leave that open space in front of a more potent inside line in the last eight and Trasna may pay a heavier price than they did here.

Indeed Ogra thought they should have had a goal of their own only six minutes in with the score at 1-0 to 0-1 when Murphy's hand pass sailed over Gavin Bradley's head, rebounded off a post and ended up in the net. Ogra felt it had come off the Trasna keeper before crossing the line but their appeals went unrewarded.

They didn't have long to wait for a goal of their own though when Murphy got out into the space again on 14 minutes before turning and feeding Tiernan Mackle whose shot squeezed under Bradley for 2-01 to 1-01. The goal proved a bookmark between O'Connell's brace but it would be as good as it got for the south Derry men.

By half-time the Pearses had established a 3-06 to 1-02 advantage and the trend continued in the second half, Ogra's cause not helped by Barrie Kelly's needless red card in the 41st minute after the forward picked up a second yellow card for dissent seconds after an initial booking.

From there it was about game management for Trasna who cruised to the finish line with only Devlin's lovely goal, which arrived five minutes from time and again exposed that space in front of the Trasna backline, punctuating the one way traffic.

Job done and while stiffer challenges await the Top of the Hill men, if they can keep the quartet of O'Connell, Philson, Murray and Quigg motoring at this sort of pace, they will be a match for any team.

Doire Trasna scorers: Caolan O'Connell (2-04), Michael Philson (1-03), Eoghan Quigg (0-4), Colin Murray (0-4, 1f), Tom Casey (0-1, 1'45')

Ogra Colmcille scorers: Tiernan Mackle (1-0), Stephen Devlin (1-0), Cormac Murphy (0-3, 1f), Luke Donaghy (0-1).

Doire Trasna: Gavin Bradley, David Officer, Mark Healy, Ethan Kelly, Sean Fleming, Ciaran McGowan, Shane Lyttle, Pol Brown, Tom Casey, Michael Philson, Damien McGee, Caelan O'Connell, Colin Murray, Caolan Doyle, Eoghan Quigg. (Subs) Sean McNaught for E Kelly, 44mins; Dylan Deery for T Casey, 48mins; Damien Starrett for E Quigg, 50mins; Niall Doherty for S Lyttle, 52mins; Eoghan Devlin for C O'Connell, 54mins; Darren Coyle for M Philson, 55mins.

Ogra Colmcille: Ciaran McDonald, Niall Bradley, Mark Collins, Derek Walsh, Ryan Taylor, Niall Martin, Declan Campbell, Chris McKillion, Luke Donaghy, Daniel O'Neill, Emmett McKillion, Barrie Kelly, Mark Bell, Tiernan Mackle, Cormac Murphy. (Subs) Stephen Devlin for D Walsh, 35mins; Christopher Mullan for S O'Neill, 45mins;

Referee: Dan Mullan