Kildare club SFC final
Moorefield 0-11 Celbridge 0-9
Moorefield won their eighth Kildare Senior title since the turn of the century, despite playing for over two thirds Sunday’s final with 13 men.
The first quarter of the game passed off without much incident, with Moorefield leading 0-3 to 0-1 ,but the game exploded into life in the 16th minute. Man of the match Kevin Murnaghan was fouled while shooting, winning a penalty.
Adam Tyrrell’s effort was saved by Shane McNamara and before he could slot home the rebound, Mick Konstantin made a superb intervention to put the ball out of play for a 45. Before Moorefield could take that 45, captain Daryl Flynn lashed out at former intercounty team mate Fergal Conway and was shown a red card.
David Whyte suffered the same fate two minutes later after clashing with Paddy Brophy.
Despite losing two such influential players, Moorefield scored the last three points and led 0-7 to 0-2 at half time
The second half brought a wonderful rearguard display by Moorefield and although their lead was cut back to two points on two occasions they always possessed a scoring threat on the counter attack, and the frees of Tyrrell and Eanna O’Connor kept the scoreboard ticking over.
There was no grandstand finish and Celbridge looked liked a team out of ideas long before the end. In the end it was a strangely comfortable win for Moorefield, despite their numerical disadvantage.
Celbridge: S McNamara; M Konstantin, M O'Grady, D McEvoy; O Lyons, H McGrillen, K Flynn 0-1; C Brophy, F Conway; J Costello, T Archbold, P Brophy 0-1; K Murphy, D Hughes 0-3 (2f), S Harte 0-3 (2f). Subs: D Corcoran 0-1 for McEvoy, 20; M O'Sullivan for Murphy, 39; K O'Callaghan for Archbold, 50; P Carty for Harte, 52.
Moorefield: T Kinsella; L Callaghan, M Dempsey, L Healy; K Murnaghan 0-1, J Murray, S Healy; D Flynn, A Masterson; D Whyte, E Heavey 0-2, C O'Connor; A Tyrrell 0-4fs, E O'Connor , N Hurley-Lynch. Subs: R Sweeney for Hurley-Lynch, 20; R Houlihan for S Healy, 40; A Mullins for C O'Connor, 48.
Referee: Noel McKenna
Laois club SFC final
Portlaoise 3-13 Ballylinan 0-10
Portlaoise were crowned Laois senior football champions for the 33rd time thanks to a 12-point win over Ballylinan in O’Moore Park.
Having been denied a 10th title in a row by Stradbally in dramatic circumstances last year, there was to be no upset this time around as Portlaoise recovered from a poor start to run out comfortable winners in the end.
Ballylinan, appearing in their first final since 1987 and looking for a first title, played some fine football in the opening half and were 0-5 to 0-2 up at the end of the first quarter. Laois captain Gary Walsh was on fire early on, scoring their first four points in an impressive showing.
But Portlaoise got a foothold in the game when Scott Lawless got in for their first goal and got ahead when man-of-the-match Paul Cahillane finished brilliantly after a fine pass from Brian McCormack, Portlaoise’s long-serving forward who was claiming his 13th Laois SFC medal.
Ballylinan recovered from that double blow with a couple of nice points but Portlaoise were 2-6 to 0-7 up at the break.
Portlaoise pulled clear in the second half with a string of fine points and sub John Kavanagh put the icing on the cake late on with their third goal.
Portlaoise: G Brody; F Flanagan, K Lillis, D Holland; C Dunphy, B Mulligan, Chris Finn; A Kelly (0-1), C McEvoy (0-1); B Carroll (0-1), C Boyle (0-2), G Dillon; B McCormack (0-1), P Cahillane (1-6, 0-4f), S Lawless (1-1). Subs: D Seale for Dunphy (23), B Smyth for Lawless (45), S Smyth for Kelly (55), D Cullen for McEvoy (58), J Kavanagh (1-0) for McCormack (58), P Downey for Mulligan (58).
Ballylinan: A Walsh; C Leonard, D Leonard, K Byrne; A Farrell (0-1), R Ryan, J Redmond; J Farrell, P McEvoy; S Lacey, C Farrell, L Kealy; C Dunne (0-1), G Walsh (0-7, 5f), A McEvoy (0-1). Subs: R Donoher for Kealy (ht), C Behan for D Leonard (35), E Kenna for Redmond (49), J Kealy for Lacey (53), C Fennessy for A McEvoy (57).
Referee: John Flynn (The Rock).
Offaly club SFC final
Rhode 0-12 Clara 0-9
Rhode won a record 28th Senior Football Championship in Offaly on Sunday, moving ahead of Tullamore by one in the roll of honour, with a hard fought win over Clara.
The reigning champions were made fight all the way by a battling Clara in a very dour and disappointing decider. They deserved their three point win in a game that failed to produce a goal, though both sides had decent chances.
Niall McNamee scored eight of Rhode’s 12 points in a defensive game that produced little in the way of open and free flowing football.
Rhode led by four points to no score after nine minutes but Clara dug deep after this and were still in the hunt when trailing by 0-6 to 0-4 at half time.
Clara got it back to level terms, 0-6 each, 10 minutes into the second half but were outscored by six points to three in the closing 20 minutes.
Rhode: K Garry; J Kavanagh, B Darby, J McPadden; S Hannon (0-1), N Darby, D Kavanagh; A McNamee, D Garry; C McNamee, P Sullivan, R McNamee (0-2); P McPadden (0-1), N McNamee (0-8, 5f and 1 '45'), A Sullivan. Subs: C Heavey for D Kavanagh (44m), S Sullivan for D Garry (44m), G McNamee for P McPadden (59m), M Rigney for R McNamee (63m).
Clara: J Deehan; R Slammon, C Stewart, C Doyle; M Mitchell, J Ledwith, L Monaghan; T Deehan (0-3, 2f), R Brady; P Smith (0-2), J O'Hara (0-2), R Mitchell (0-1); L Dignam, G Guilfoyle (0-1), S Brady. Subs: J Fleming for O'Hara (BC, 36m), D Fleming for Smith (52m), D Falsey for M Mitchell (55m), P Deehan for Dignam (58m), A Gavin for Ledwith (63m).
Referee: G Keyes.
Wicklow club SFC final
Rathnew 3-8 Blessington 0-12
Rathnew have reclaimed the Wicklow Senior Football Championship, their three first half goals giving them a cushion against a spirited Blessington side who scored eight unanswered points to reduce a ten point deficit to two by the 55th minute.
Rathnew started the game with two goals inside ten minutes, and when James Stafford scored a third in the 23rd minute their ten point lead looked unassailable. They wouldn’t score for another 33 minutes however, as Blessington produced a wonderful comeback.
Rathnew, who had Leighton Glynn involved in all of their early scores, took their first half chances and it was 3-4 to five points at half time.
Blessington found their range after the break and David Boothman’s point in the 54th minute dragged them within two.
That was as close as they would get, and four late points sealed the county final for Rathnew.
Rathnew: P Dignam; P Merrigan, D Power, J Snell; W Kavanagh, R O'Brien, E Glynn; J Stafford (1-0), T Smith (0-1); E Doyle (2f, 0-3), L Glynn (1-0), G Merrigan (0-1); N Mernagh (0-1), M Doyle (1-1), J Merrigan (1 45, 0-1). Subs: S Byrne for J Merrigan (44), D Jameson for E Glynn (61), C Healy for G Merrigan (61, BC).
Blessington: S Kitt; B Murphy, S Bohan, D Fennessy; C Kenny, P McLoughlin, KJ Rogers; E Keogh (0-2), B Carroll (0-1); M Nugent, A McLoughlin (0-2), M McLoughlin (0-2); P O'Connor (0-2), C Geraghty (1f, 0-2), K Hanlon. Subs: D Boothman (0-1) for M Nugent (27), G Murray for D Fennessy (HT), M O'Connor for M McLoughlin (59), B Finan for B Murphy (63, BC).
Referee: D Peppard
Louth club SFC final
Newtown Blues 2-10 Dundalk Gaels 0-5
Newtown Blues bagged their 21st Louth title with a clinical victory over Dundalk Gaels in Drogheda.
Louth’s most successful club were on top throughout, netting goals before and after the break against a Gaels side largely set up to defend.
Competing in their first final for 25 years, the occasion seemed to get to the Dundalk men as they passed up a number of early chances.
The opening quarter was tight, but the Blues always seemed in control and made a decisive move when Conor Moore netted on 20 minutes.
They led 1-3 to 0-2 at half time and really pressed home their superiority after the break.
Ciaran Downey extended their lead to five before a speculative effort from Ross Nally dropped in over the head of Gaels’ goalkeeper Stephen Faulkner to make it 2-4 to 0-2.
With nothing to lose the Gaels came out of their shell in the final quarter, but the Blues soaked up the pressure quite comfortably and closed it out with some fine scores from Nally and Downey.
Newtown Blues: J Lowney; K Carr (0-1), F Donohoe, E Carolan; P Moore, C Reynolds, S Moonan; A McDonnell, J Kermode; C Branigan, C Judge, R Carr (0-1); C Downey (0-3), R Nally (1-5, four frees), C Moore (1-0). Subs: H McGinn for Branigan (40), R Levins for Judge (BC 53), K Lynch for Kermode (59).
Dundalk Gaels: S Faulkner; D McComish, J Faulkner, P McGinnity; O Murray, J Stewart, D Moloney (0-1); D Crilly (0-1 free), S McCann; E Kenny, S Murray, B Watters; E McArdle (0-2 frees), G McSorley, C Sweeney. Subs: J Clarke (0-1) for McArdle (40), E Boyle for Sweeney (50), S Fee for Kenny (60).
Referee: D Fedigan.
