Down
ACFL Division
3: Ardglass 1-08
Dundrum 1-13
East Down U-16 B Football Championship Final: Teconnaught 1-09 St Josephs (Ballykinlar/Dundrum) 3-08
Championship Finals
don't come much
better than this.
For sixty minutes
Teconnaught and
St Josephs battled
like warriors
for the right
to be be crowned
winners. In the
end though it
was the underdogs
of St Josephs
who clinched the
gold much to the
delight of the
huge travelling
support from Ballykinlar
and Dundrum.
Beforehand many
people regarded
Teconnaught as
favourites for
this title. They
were an A section
League team while
St Josephs had
just recently
been crowned champions
of the B section.
However, as everybody
knows League form
doesn't come in
to play in a Championship
scenario and in
the end it was
the amalgamated
side who marched
on to victory.
With both sides
in fighting form
the start to the
1st half was very
fast and full
of energy. Teconnaught
had themselves
the perfect start
when they goaled
after a few minutes.
This provided
a huge shock to
St Joseph's system.
Yet they had the
character to bounce
back immediately.
The accurate Brendan
Cunningham was
on hand to point
a free.
Teconnaught soon
increased their
advantage to three
points but the
game was back
on level terms
soon after as
St Joseph's midfielder
Anthony Mageean
scored a very
fortuitous goal.
His long range
free glided in
on the Teconnaught
goalmouth from
fifty yards out
and after a bounce
it evaded the
Teconnaught goalkeeper
and went in to
the net.
Buoyed by the
three pointer
the Saints upped
their game as
Sean O'Rourke
converted and
Brendan Cunningham
sent over a close
range free.
Trailing by two
points Teconnaught
soon began to
find their range
once again. Their
direct hard running
style was beginning
to cause the St
Joseph's backline
serious problems
and two scores
on the trot levelled
the game.
With halftime
approaching the
quest for ascendancy
was reaching new
heights as a Brendan
Cunningham free
once more put
the Saints in
the lead. Yet
it was Teconnaught
who finished the
stronger and another
two scores in
quick succession
give Robbie Green's
young terriers
a one point lead
going in at halftime.
With only thirty
minutes of football
remaining both
teams geared themselves
up for an intense
finale.Teconnaught
drew first blood
once more as they
increased their
lead to two points.
However, the game
was turning out
to be a real ding
dong of a battle
and in a matter
of seconds St
Joseph's found
themselves in
the lead once
more. Star attacker
and team captain
Sean O'Rourke
went on a mazy
solo run and in
the process evaded
three Teconnaught
defenders before
finding the net
with a low drive.
Shortly after
the goal the Saints
let their guard
slip and Teconnaught
got in for an
equaliser. However,
this would be
the last time
in the game that
the sides would
be level.
Midway through
the half as the
game was entering
it's last quarter,
St Joseph's main
man in the middle
Anthony Mageean
had himself his
second goal of
the night. After
some fine work
between Aodhan
Killen and Mark
Grant, Mageean
latched on to
the latter's pass
before shooting
from twenty five
yards out. The
power of the midfield
maestro's shot
was too much for
the Teconnaught
keeper as the
ball smashed the
back of his net.
Teconnaught were
shellshocked but
they did muster
up the courage
to grab a point
back. However,
the Saints were
on a roll as Brendan
Cunningham scored
the best point
of the day. After
fielding a high
ball around the
40', Cunningham
sent over a high
loopy shot from
distance that
sailed over the
Teconnaught bar.
Trailing by three
points and with
time running out
the Annacloy side
began chasing
for goals. An
upright denied
them on one occasion
before they managed
to grab a point
to reduce the
deficit to two.
Yet the fighting
spirit of the
Saints came to
the fore as the
excellent Mark
Grant once more
put a major between
the entitities.
Then in a frantic
finish Brendan
Cunningham pointed
his fourth free
of the night to
extend the soon
to be champions
lead to four.
It was then left
to Sean O'Rourke
to round off the
scoring as he
once more cut
through the Teconnaught
defence before
launching another
great effort over
the bar.
The final exchanges
were very tense
and at times dramatic
but the U-16 footballers
from the villages
of Ballykinlar
and Dundrum held
strong and at
referee Mickey
Curran's final
whistle they were
declared winners
by five points.
The League and
Championship double
had been completed.
It's very hard
to single out
individuals as
St Joseph's worked
well as a team
throughout the
game. However,
Eamon King was
as safe as houses
in goal especially
in the 2nd half.
On the whole the
defence found
the Teconnaught
forward tricky
enough to handle
but Raymond Melville,
Conor Miskelly,
Paddy Curry and
Philip Mageean
must be singled
out for their
tremedous work
ethic. In midfield
Anthony Mageean
was once again
superb with his
partner Conal
McKee getting
through a lot
of work. In forwards
it was the magic
of Brendan Cunningham
that lit up the
Final and along
with Sean O'Rourke
and Marc Grant,
Teconnaught were
always going to
have their hands
full.
The losers had
many strong performers
especially in
the 1st half.
In the defence
it was Sean Larkin
and Niall Fitzsimons
who showed the
most in trying
to curb the St
Josephs forward
unit. In midfield
the 6ft plus giant
frame of Matthew
Brannigan was
immense in the
1st half but in
the second period
he was well shackled.
Others to impress
in a very physically
strong attack
were Michael Monan,
Michael Heath
and the excellent
Daniel Morgan.
All in all this
was a superb Final.
It had everything
with superb end
to end non stop
action. Like any
sporting event
in life there
had to be a winner.
St Josephs took
on that mantle
this time around
and who knows
what lies ahead
for this extremely
talented bunch
of footballers.
St Josephs: E.King,
D.Brennan, K.Carville,
R.Melville, P.Curry,
C.Miskelly, P.Mageean,
A.Mageean (2-00),
C.McKee, M.Grant
(0-01), S.O'Rourke
(1-02), C.Rooney,
S.Murray, B.Cunningham
(0-05, 4F), S.Mason.
Subs: R.Kavanagh,
C.Mageean, A.Killen,
C.Mason, R.Smith
