under-12s win threettitles, league, E Down and All County championships

St John’s win County Down under-12 Championship
St John’s 2-10 v 2-06 Newry Bosco                           Sat 8^th Oct

St John’s under-12s became the first team from the club to be crowned as County Champions when they overcame Newry Bosco on Saturday. This win is another landmark on the forward march of this club and completes yet another remarkable year for the club and the juvenile section in particular with all age groups progressing and impressing.

The South Down champions started the brighter and Kevin Morgan got the opening score for the South Down B champions. Impressive midfield John Carnegie added a second point from a free shortly afterwards. They continued to press but found the St John’s defence resolute. St John’s weathered the initial storm and having gone two points down in the opening five minutes held their opponents scoreless for the rest of the half.

With ten minutes elapsed St John’s started to get some attacking moves together and it was no surprise when Chris McKay pointed after feeding the ball through to Philip Brennan and running on for the return. The same player added a second point when Martin Keenan and Hugh Flanagan combined to work the ball into the danger area. He put St John’s ahead on twenty minutes when he pointed a 20m free. Philip Brennan added to the tally when he finished off after good work by Joe Milligan and Darren Burns.

Bosco then rallied for a few minutes but were held scoreless thanks to the good work of the backline. Ryan Gordon was impassable and was ably assisted by Jamie Artt while in the other corner Neil Magorrian was winning balls that he had no right to get near. The halfback line and midfield did their share of defending too and were instrumental in working the ball forward. The last score of the half, a point from Joshua Wells, also went to St John’s to give them a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage at the break, and looking to be in control.

St John’s opened the scoring in the second half too when Hugh Flanagan pointed after receiving a pass from Chris McKay. Hugh is often the one who wins possession and delivers it to other to finish off but this time he got his name on the score sheet too. Bosco replied with a pointed free from John Carnegie, but that was cancelled out by a score for Ciara Kelly, who had battled well for possession all day. Chris McKay pointed a free to stretch St John’s’ lead to 0-8 to 0-3.

However, the Bosco team had overcome several difficulties to become South Down champions and were determined to make a game of it. They showed their battling qualities and started to take the game to St John’s. They knocked over a free and called net minder Chris Feenan into action a couple of times. Generally the St John’s defence held up well under this pressure but eventually Bosco’s Kevin Morgan forced his way through. The referee adjudged that he was brought down by the advancing goalkeeper. Although Chris Feenan dived to his left to block the resultant penalty he was powerless as John Carnegie followed up to hit the rebound into the net.

That score left Bosco one point behind at the half-way mark in the second period. The game was end to end now as both sides sought further scores. Both sides traded wides before Philip Brennan pointed to increase St John’s margin to two again with five minutes remaining. Bosco were undeterred and battled on to get the two pointed needed to bring the sides level with just three minutes left on the clock.

But St John’s were not going to be denied, they pushed upfield again and Philip Brennan found himself through one-on-one with the Bosco goalkeeper John McAleenan. John McAleenan saved brilliantly but the ball fell to Joshua Wells. He was tumbled to the ground and the referee had no hesitation in awarding his second penalty of the day. Chris McKay made no mistake sending his shot to the left of keeper, and beyond his reach.

Surely that would be the winners as the clock ticked into injury time. Remarkably the scoring wasn’t over yet. St John’s proved the maxim that attack is the best form of defence and continued to dive for further scores. In quick succession Philip Brennan netted and Chris McKay rattled the bar before Darren Burns pointed.  The final say went to Bosco who netted after two minutes of injury time. St John’s won the kick-out and were advancing when the referee called for the ball. At 2-10 to 2-06 it was the first county title for the up and coming St John’s. The team and supporters were delighted when Willie Gribben presented the shield to captain Darren Burns. Commiserations to Newry Bosco – they really put it up to St John’s, especially in the second half – and South Down can be proud of their champions too.

St John’s: Chris Feenan; Neil Magorrian, Ryan Gordon, Jamie Artt; Kevin Keenan, Darren Burns (0-1), Michael Keenan; Joe Milligan, Martin Keenan; Hugh Flanagan (0-1), Chris McKay (1-4, 1-2f), Conor Gilmore; Ciara Kelly (0-1), Joshua Wells (0-1), Philip Brennan (1-2). Subs: John Girvin for Conor Gilmore, Darren Morgan, Rory Doyle, Patrick Keenan, James Walsh, Patrick Flynn, Adam Brennan, Conor Savage.

Newry Bosco: John McAleenan; Fergal Lavery, Aidan Rooney, Conor Boyle; Aaron Beattie, Keith Moan, Conal Gallager; Ryan Collins, John Carnegie; Robert McGreevy, Ryan McKeown, Damien McKeown; Kevin Morgan, Sean Boyle, Tiernan McKeown. Subs Tiernan Jackson, John McKevitt, Conor Sheils, Rory Sheils, Rory O’Laughlin, Lee Ruddy, Jonathan O’Hare, Ryan Byrne, Rory McLaughlin, Calvin White.