County Monaghan Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League Final

Ballybay 2-14 Scotstown 1-9

Ballybay retained the SFL title with an eight-point win over Scotstown at Gavan Duffy Park, Monaghan last Sunday. Ballybay led by 2-8 to 0-3 at half-time, helped by goals from Tommy O’Neill and Hugh Malone, as they bid to reverse their dramatic SFC semi-final defeat against the county champions. Despite being reduced to 14 men five minutes into the second half, Scotstown battled back, with Paul Sherlock finding the net, but after a nervy spell, Ballybay steadied the ship to pull away again in the closing stages, ensuring that their captain and top scorer, Paul Finlay, lifted the Owen Ward Cup.

Ballybay: S Gorman; E McKearney, D Wylie, M Hannon (0-2); C Lennon, R Wylie, B Wylie; T O’Neill (1-0), T Kerr (0-1); A Toner (0-1), P Finlay (Capt., 0-6f), S McQuillan (0-1); S McGuinness, C McGuinness (0-1), H Malone (1-1).

Subs: D Ward (0-1) for Toner (inj., 38 mins), P O’Neill for Malone (60 + 2).

Scotstown: R Beggan (0-1, ’45); M Duffy, K McMeel, S Mohan (0-1); D Morgan (Capt.), D McArdle, E Caulfield (0-1); F Caulfield, J Hamill; P Sherlock (1-0), D McCrudden (0-1), R McKenna; S Carey (0-3f), D Hughes, O Heaphey.

Subs: F McPhillips for McMeel (17), M McCarville (0-1) for Heaphey, F Maguire for McCrudden (both 37), K Hughes (0-1) for McKenna (52).

Referee: A Marron (Corduff).