Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Final
Ballybay 1-12 Clontibret 2-5 14/10/12
Ballybay ended their 25-year wait for a county title when they won the Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Final in Clones on Sunday. Despite kicking eight wides, the Pearse Brothers were the better team throughout and were worthy winners, with Colin Malone getting their goal in the 20th minute to leave them five ahead at half-time. Ballybay hit five unanswered points in the first six minutes of the second half to double their lead to ten and even though Vincent Corey punched home two goals in the space of six minutes in the final quarter, there was no way back for Clontibret.
Both teams made just one change from their semi-final wins, with Fergal Smyth replacing Evan Rutledge on the Ballybay line-up and Martin Corey returning for Clontibret in place of Noel Morgan. It was a real team performance from Ballybay, who had impressive displays in every line of the pitch, including Paul Finlay, Ryan, Drew and Brent Wylie, Christopher McGuinness, Fergal McArdle, Tommy O’Neill and Hugh and Colin Malone.
Ballybay almost had the first score within a minute of the throw-in when Paul Finlay and Christopher McGuinness combined to release Shane McQuillan, whose shot came back off the upright, but they fell behind when Brian McCabe lost possession to Dessie Mone, who landed a good point. A slightly nervy-looking Ballybay survived a scare when goalkeeper Seán Gorman just managed to clear a Fergal Mone cross, but a point from Christopher McGuinness settled them down after a Thomas Kerr free came back off the upright into Hugh Malone’s hands.
McGuinness quickly added a well-taken point from play, before Paul Finlay kicked his first of the game from a 30-metre free after a foul on Fergal McArdle. Conor McManus got on the end of a Vincent Corey pass to get one back for Clontibret and although Finlay replied from a 20-metre free following a foul on Shane McQuillan, McManus won and scored a 30-metre free to keep the 2010 champions within one. Ballybay finally got the reward their dominance deserved on 20 minutes, however, when a Mark McArdle pass fell for Colin Malone, who coolly tucked away the opening goal.
Shane McQuillan added a point after bursting onto a Finlay pass and through a couple of Clontibret challenges, before Ballybay wasted a great goal chance in the 29th minute when Hugh Malone’s attempted pass to his brother Colin went over the end-line. Ballybay still led by five points at half-time: 1-5 to 0-3.
Ballybay made a superb start to the second half, reeling off five unanswered points in quick succession. Hugh Malone sent over a fine effort from the right wing, quickly followed by an even better score from an even narrower angle by Colin Malone, who then combined with Tommy O’Neill to set up McGuinness for his third point. Hugh Malone tapped one over after a one-two with Kerr, who then won a 20-metre free which Finlay converted with ease. Clontibret ended 26 minutes without a score when a speculative left-footed effort from Dessie Mone carried all the way over the bar and they then created a goal chance for substitute Rodney Gorman, only for Gorman to turn it around the post for a ’45 which McManus expertly converted.
The O’Neills got a shot in the arm on 48 minutes when a move involving McManus, Gorman and Donal Carragher ended with Vincent Corey beating Gorman and Drew Wylie to a high ball to punch to the net. Finlay calmed any Ballybay nerves when he ended their 16-minute scoreless spell with a 30-metre free after a foul on Brian McCabe, but Clontibret made it a three-point game when Dessie Mone sent the ball across the face of goal and Vincent Corey once again got a fist to it for his second goal. Ballybay got their insurance score two minutes into added time, however, when Ryan Wylie popped up at the end of a counter-attack led by Fergal and Mark McArdle to split the posts.
Paul Finlay, who paid an emotional tribute to his late father Kieran in his acceptance speech, not only became the first Ballybay captain to lift the Mick Duffy Cup since 1987, but he also took the Man-of-the-Match award.
Ballybay: S Gorman; D Wylie, R Wylie (0-1), F Smyth; B McCabe, B Wylie, M McArdle; S McQuillan (0-1), T O’Neill; T Kerr, P Finlay (Capt., 0-4f), F McArdle; H Malone (0-2), C McGuinness (0-3), C Malone (1-1).
Subs: S McGuinness for C Malone (50 mins), C McAviney for McQuillan (57).
Temporary sub: S McGuinness for F McArdle (46-48).
Clontibret: A Morgan; M Corey, C Boyle, C Greenan; D Carragher, D Mooney, C Duffy; P McGuigan, D Mone (0-2); P Boyle, V Corey (2-0), JP Mone (Capt.); F Mone, C McManus (0-3, 1f, 1 ‘45), R McGuigan.
Subs: David Savage for Greenan (inj., 19), E Greenan for F Mone (H-T), N Morgan for P Boyle (51), Declan Savage for Morgan (inj., 57).
Referee: G McCarron (Emyvale).
By michael Mon 15th Oct
