All County Minor Football Championship Final - Kickhams Vs Gort Na Mona
Thursday, October 1, 2009
All County Minor Championship Final
30 September 2009
Kickhams Creggan 2-14
Gort Na Mona 1-05
Creggan completed the defence of their Minor Championship Trophy which they won in 2008 under the floodlights of Casement Park last night against Belfast side Gort Na Mona.
In slick and slippery conditions it took both sides some time to come to terms with the game wich resulted in a fairly scrappy opening half. GNM were first to register the first two points on the newly erected digital scoreboard and had control of the game in the opening exhanges.
The twin full forward line of Conor McCann & Hugh McNulty began to find their feet, and with better ball going in to them, it was Conor who popped over Creggan's first two scores to level the game.
Indeed, Creggan should have taken the game by the scruff of the neck, but for some wayward shooting straight in front of the goals from Danian McLarnon & Aidan McKeown when the net should have been left bulging. It was not long though before the green flag was raised, as Conor McCann secured the ball out wide and eluded his marker to race directly at the goals. He unselfishly transferred the ball to big Hugh who duly roofed the ball to the net.
As befitting County Finalists however, Gort Na Mona replied over the remainder of the half by picking off 3 unanswered points to once agin draw themselves level, but on the stroke of half time Hugh McNulty fired over a routine free to send the reigning champions in at the break one point to the good.
By their own high standards, this side had probably served up their worst display of 30 minutes football in two years in that opening period and at half time J.A. & the 2 Seans gave them hell in the changing rooms.
With the 'advice' still ringing in their ears, Creggan went about their business direct from the throw-in with Conor McCann slotting over the bar. This set the tone for the remainder of the second half as Creggan took control of midfield and serviced the full forward line with some superb ball in. With talented forwards occupying the 10 to 15 jerseys it was food and drink for them as they repeatedly found the space to work the shots to covert to scores.
GNM were restricted to one score in the second 30 minutes of play when they found the net after an uncharacteristic fumble from net minder Murtagh McKeague. Creggan on the other hand recorded points from the boots of Hugh, Conor, Damian, Aidan and substitute Oran McCann who didn't look out of place making an appearance in his first Minor Final. The highlight of the second half was a great individual goal from Conor McCann who rifled to the roof of the net after a strong surging run at the Gort's defence.
In the final 5 minutes of the game, Creggan made a raft of substitutions to give as many players as possible a run out, with Conal McLarnon, Gerard McLarnon, Mark Russell and the injured fingered Brian Joseph Mckeown getting some game time.
All that was left to do was for skipper Ferghal McGrenaghan to hoist aloft the cup to begin the celebrations.
A massive congratulations to all the players, the management team of John Anthony Quinn, Sean McAuley & Sean McCann, physio Bridie Totten and of course not forgetting the men in the boardrooms who fought our club's corner tooth and nail to get the team re-instated in to the Championship after they were unfairly thrown out after after the first round....THANKS...YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Kickhams Team: Murtagh McKeague, Niall Darragh, Ricky Johnston, Patrick McLarnon, Shane McLarnon, Martin Johnston, Ferghal McGrenaghan (Capt.), Aidan McKeown (0-02), Patrick McAuley, Matthew Nelson, Conor McCann (1-04), David McGuckin, Tiarnan McLarnon, Hugh McNulty (1-06), Damian McLarnon (0-01)
Subs: Oran McCann, Gerard McLarnon, Conal McLarnon, Mark Russell, Fergal McCann, Fintan Burke, Ryan Nelson, Brian Joseph McKeown.
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