Maguire Transport Minor Football Championship Division Two Final

Magheracloone 2-10 Donaghmoyne 1-10                            7/10/12

Goals by Alan McCahey and Killian Rudden gave Magheracloone a hard-earned win over Donaghmoyne in the MFC Division Two Final at Clontibret last Sunday. Magheracloone had lost to Emyvale after a replay in the league final, but they put that disappointment behind them to make sure they didn’t end the year empty-handed.

Donaghmoyne flew out of the traps, racing into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead, with Darren McElroy scoring the goal. A brace of Killian Rudden points kept Magheracloone in touch, however, and even though Jonathan McCrossan restored Donaghmoyne’s four-point lead, Alan McCahey converted a couple of frees to level it up. McCahey found the net from a penalty to send Magheracloone ahead for the first time and they went on to lead by 1-8 to 1-4 at half-time.

Donaghmoyne hit the first three points of the second half to close the gap to the minimum, with McElroy and Niall Garland to the fore, but another McCahey free settled Magheracloone, who got a boost when a point-attempt from Rudden deceived Donaghmoyne keeper Conor Finnegan and ended up in the net. Finnegan kept his side in contention when he made a good save from Rudden minutes later, while his namesake at midfield converted a ’45, only for McCahey to tap over another free to regain Magheracloone’s five-point advantage. Points from frees by Fergal Keenan and Garland reduced the gap to three, but Magheracloone held on. Their captain James Carolan accepted the cup from County Board Youth Officer Cathal Hand.

Magheracloone: R Merrin; J Carolan (Capt.), D Irwin, D Kindlon; O Conroy, P McArdle, S Finnegan; S McClory, M Metzger (0-1); J Lambe, D Kirk, K Gardiner; C McClory, K Rudden (1-3, 0-1f), A McCahey (1-6, 0-3f).

Subs:  J Coleman for Gardiner, C McClory for Kindlon.

Donaghmoyne: C Finnegan; A Callan, C Martin, G McConnell; D Meegan, S Coleman, R McDonald; S Byrne, C Finnegan; F Keenan (Capt., 0-1f), D McElroy (1-1), T Finnegan; N Keenan, N Garland (0-5, 3f), J McCrossan (0-1).

Subs: M Murnaghan (0-2, 1 ’45) for N Keenan, S Garland for McCrossan, J Finnegan for T Finnegan, D Wilson for D Meegan.

Referee: D Lynch (Killeevan).