Minor Championship Final Grade 4
Derrytresk Fir An Chnoic 4-10
Aghaloo O’Neills 0-06
Derrytresk Fir An Chnoic minor footballers closed out their season in style by claiming a league and championship double over the past week. A championship semi-final victory over Fintona Pearses – forwards Conor Corr and Shea McConnville grabbing the important goals – had their team qualified for the championship final against Aghaloo and having remained unbeaten throughout their 10 game league campaign, the boys from ‘the Hill’ collected their first piece of silverware after a long season when they were presented with the Minor league shield by Adrian Scullion in Clonoe.
With the league title secured the championship final was then played on Monday night as they faced off against Aghaloo in the Moy with the chance of achieving a rare underage double for the club. Aghaloo had been the surprise package in the grade, their efforts had gathered momentum and results and they advanced from their semi-final with a very well deserved victory over pre-competition favourites, Killyman, St Mary’s. Aghaloo used a very well organised defensive system and were very difficult to break down but were also very adept at breaking quickly from their defensive shape when in possession. Pre-final favourites Derrytresk eventually opened the scoring with a long range point after almost 9 minutes of play but Aghaloo responded to fire three unanswered points to establish control of the game. Derrytresk were obviously concerned as they rang the changes with captain, Ultan McKee, just returning from injury, entering the fray at full forward. With McKee winning good possession he and his twin brother Diarmuid fired two points to level the game before a three minute spell turned the game in Derrytresk’s favour. Odhran Hughes and the hard working Conor Corr charged through the defence and the Aghaloo defensive shield was pierced with two quick fire goals to leave a half-time score of 2-3 to 0-5 in Derrytresk’s favour.
With the slight breeze and momentum of those goals in their favour Derrytresk proceeded to dominate the third quarter with Adam Lambert, now at centre back, a constant rock on which Aghaloo attacks perished. McKee at full forward was also instrumental in this period as he kicked three of five Derrytresk points without reply to establish a nine point lead for his team. With Aghaloo now struggling for scores and committing more players forward the Derrytresk defensive effort came in to its own as they forced turnovers or heavily pressured shots and restricted Aghaloo to just the one point in this period. As time ran out and the Aghaloo boys continued to press, gaps began to open up at the back and, as the game ticked to a close, those gaps were exploited with consecutive points from Aidan McCaffrey and goals in the closing moments from Conor Corr, one of the games standout performers, and the hard running of Diarmuid McKee.
So it was that Adrian Scullion, for the second time in three days, presented the trophy to Ultan McKee as he and his Derrytresk team secured a well-deserved double of league and championship success for the Fir An Chnoic.
Derrytresk:
Blaine Campbell, Adam Lambert, Paul McCabe, Eamon Canavan, James Canavan, Eoin McNally, Diarmuid McKee, (1-1), Ciaran Hagan, Conor Corr, (2-0), Aidan McCaffrey, (0-2), Odhran Hughes, (1-1), Fintan Campbell, (0-1), Shea McConnville (0-1)
Subs: Ultan McKee (0-3), Oisin O’Neill, JP McCann
Conall Hagan, Conor Fitzgerald, Cailean O’Donnell, Ronan Scanlon, Ruairi McGeehan
Aghaloo: Conor Moore, John Sherry, Brendan Kelly, Sean Muldoon, Melvin Gibson, Daniel McCrudden, Stewart Douglas,(0-3), Brendan Quinn, (0-1), Connor Ward, Eoin Gildernew, (0-2), Eoghan Gildernew, Liam Muldoon, Jake Sherry, Emmett Taggart
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