Gerry’s Prepared Veg. U-13 Football Championship Division One Final

Scotstown 8-14 Clontibret 6-6

The U-13 FC Division One decider pitted a Scotstown team who had lost their league final to Monaghan Harps against a Clontibret side who had lifted the Division Two league. This was a score-fest, with no less than 14 goals between the teams in a game where Scotstown held off a determined challenge from Clontibret.

Scotstown got up and running when Seán Óg McElwain pointed a ’45 off the ground (worth two points in U-13 football, a feat later repeated by Clontibret’s Nathan Coyle) during an opening five minutes that produced three goals, with Cailean Cawley netting a brace for Clontibret, either side of a Darragh McMeel major at the other end. A string of scores from Seán Óg McElwain turned the game in Scotstown’s favour and although Clontibret got a goal back through Nathan Brennan, the Division Two league winners trailed by 3-7 to 3-4 at half-time.

McElwain completed his hat-trick after the restart as Scotstown pulled away, but Clontibret rallied with quick-fire goals from Brennan and Cawley. Scotstown responded with their own burst of goals from Tommy Mallon and Brian Caulfield and although Darragh Keenan responded, Clontibret couldn’t bridge the gap. Points from Mark McCaffrey and Cathal McElwain, either side of a brilliant solo goal by Max Maguire, saw Scotstown move clear again and they finished with a flourish as Mallon netted late on.

Scotstown: J McKenna; A Larmer, M McCaffrey (0-1); D Connolly, D Foy, C Gallagher; D McMeel (1-0), B Caulfield (1-1, 0-1f); C McPhillips, C McElwain (0-2), S Óg McElwain (Capt., 3-5); M Maguire (1-1), T Mallon (2-4, 0-2 ’45).

Subs: G Rattigan, C McMeel, J Foley, A Gallagher, D McGuirk.

Clontibret: J Sullivan; S Hamill, F Brennan; E Treanor, J Brady, N Brennan (2-0); N Coyle (Capt., 0-3, 0-2 ’45), C Markey; J Brennan (0-1), L Brennan, C Mone; D Keenan (1-1), C Cawley (3-1).

Subs: C Byrne, S McSkeane, S Connolly, A Hall, T O’Connor, F O’Neill, C Gormley, D Boylan, C Brady, C Boylan, A McMahon, M Renaghan, É McElroy.

Referee: N McKenna (Emyvale).