Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Final
Blackhill 1-16 Seán McDermotts 0-11 9/10/16
Blackhill ended their 64-year JFC famine when an excellent second-half performance put a halt to their recent final woes against Seán McDermotts in Drumhowan on Sunday. The Seáns had the better of much of the first half, but a Philip Donnelly goal saw Blackhill go in level at 1-5 to 0-8 and they went on to outscore their opponents by 0-11 to 0-3 after the restart. Both teams had key players sent off in first-half added time, with Blackhill’s Dónal Courtney getting a second yellow card and Pat Kieran of the Seáns receiving a straight red. Man of the Match Michael Geehan hit four second-half points, while his younger brother Tommy was also a bright spark for Blackhill, who had eight scorers as they won this title for the first time since 1952.
Blackhill: M Shevlin; D Courtney, T Courtney, A Courtney; R Courtney, A Kenny, J Daly; C Courtney (0-1), D Daly (0-4f); H Byrne, P Donnelly (1-0), M Geehan (0-4, 2f); T Geehan (0-3), D Woods (Capt., 0-1), C Woods (0-2).
Subs: J Finnegan for Byrne (H-T), G McArdle for T Courtney (57 mins), A Burns (0-1) for D Woods (60 + 1).
Seán McDermotts: M Cleere; M McGuigan (0-1), B McQuaid, E McElvaney; R McGuinness, R McEntee, J McElvaney; J McAleer, N Kearns (0-2f); D McNally, J Treanor, P Kieran (0-1); D McEntee, A O’Driscoll (0-2f), D Larkin (0-4f).
Subs: C McElroy for McGuigan (black card, 36), M Keogh for O’Driscoll (39), M Kieran (0-1) for J McElvaney (44), P Farrell for McGuinness (black card, 54), N Rice for McNally, A Maguire for E McElvaney (both 59).
Referee: S Ward (Inniskeen).
By Majella Boyd Sun 9th Oct