Clontibret was the venue last Saturday morning for the finals day of the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Boys’ football leagues. The weather gods shone brightly on the mid-Monaghan venue, with supporters and players alike, enjoying a dry, bright and mild morning.

All seven divisions were up for decision on the day with two pitches in use throughout the morning. The action began on Pitch 1 with the Division 2 final contested by Lisdoonan NS and Latton NS. Lisdoonan – newcomers to this division – continued on from their great form throughout the league stages to win the game and clinch the Northern Standard Cup.

On Pitch 2, the Division 5 final between Drumgossat NS and Latnamard NS kicked off the action and this game proved to be a tight and tense affair. Drumgossat got off to a great start and some excellent point taking saw them go into the lead midway through the second half. However an excellent comeback from Latnamard saw them close the gap and they finished strongly with two goals in the closing stages to ensure victory.

The next game down for decision was the meeting of Aughnafarcon NS and Edenmore NS in the Division 6 final. On the day, the size and skill of the boys from Aughnafarcon proved too much for Edenmore and the South Monaghan school ran out convincing winners. The Division 7 final also proved to be a one-sided affair with Annalitten NS coming up against a very strong team from Scotshouse NS. The lads from Annalitten battled hard throughout but to no avail as Scotshouse NS won their Division for the second year in a row.

Another team who managed to retain their title were Inniskeen NS, who came up against Annyalla NS in the Division 3 final. A great first quarter performance from Inniskeen saw them lead by one point going into the second quarter. Assisted by a strong wind they increased the gap to eight points and looked in complete control of the game. To their credit though, Annyalla never gave up and with five minutes remaining in the final quarter trailed by just a point. Inniskeen stood firm though and a goal in the last minute of the game proved to be the decisive score.

Division 4 pitted two schools with strong recent records against each other.  Mullaghrafferty NS and Threemilehouse NS emerged from a very competitive division to contest the final. The two teams were very evenly matched but a strong finish from Mullaghrafferty saw them edge the victory to become Division 4 champions.

The final game down for decision was the Division 1 final between Monaghan BNS and Castleblayney BNS. In what was a very open and free flowing game, a strong start from Monaghan laid the foundations for a convincing win. Despite the best efforts of the Castleblayney lads, Monaghan’s strength in midfield and scoring ability ensured that the Frank McGinn Cup returned to Monaghan for the second year in a row.

Overall a very enjoyable morning of football was had by all. Congratulations go out to all of the teams involved for making the final of their division, and to the winners on the day. Cumann na mBunscol Muineachán would like to thank the referees for the day – Jason McAndrew and Seán Ward, Clontibret GAA club for the use of their facilities and Allianz for their continued sponsorship of Cumann na mBunscol nationally. Thanks also to all of the teachers around our county who promote our Gaelic Games in a positive and encouraging atmosphere. Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh siad!

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