Leaguers claim Junior Championship Shield title

JFC Shield Final

Killeshandra 2-10

Drung 1-8

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

The choice of music by the DJ at HQ at half-time – Brewing Up A Storm by The Stunning – was entirely fitting as Killeshandra Leaguers, backed by a near gale-force wind, shocked pre-match favourites Drung by racing into a 0-10 to 0-1 lead at the interval in this Junior Championship Shield final.

And while Drung dominated the closing stages of the match, the Leaguers, who at one stage in the second half led by 13 points, had done enough and deservedly held on to claim some silverware.

Without a game since exiting the championship in the group stage – unfortunately so, given they had beaten and drawn with championship finalists Belturbet and Knockbride respectively – Drung were out of sorts here but the Leaguers were excellent in compiling that first-half tally and two goals in the third quarter indemnified them against any possible Drung claim on the spoils.

The extremely strong breeze was a huge factor too, with the Bunnoe-based side struggling to win their own kick-outs and, when they did, off-target with their scoring efforts. Killeshandra, led by strapping midfielders Charlie Gannon and captain Ryan Brady, pinned Drung back and kicked a succession of good points; they could, in fact, have been further ahead, registering three wides in the run-in to the break.

Killeshandra got off to a great start when Gannon stroked over a 45 and then added a free off the ground from an identical position to ease his side into a two-point lead.

And as the half wore on, a young Killeshandra side, who have struggled this year in league and championship, grew in confidence, with goalkeeper Damien Higgins coming out to add extra pressure on Drung’s kick-outs and also proving influential.

Higgins kicked a great point from the right wing and, by the eighth minute, the Leaguers were four up when Brady sent in a high sideline ball, Oran Sheridan was fouled and Jude Collins converted.

Drung kicked three wides before Collins knocked over another free. Ryan Brady fielded well in the build-up to the Leaguers’ sixth point, which was well finished by Darragh O’Reilly, and their work-rate was exemplified soon afterwards when Brady produced a spectacular diving block to deny Barry Watters as the centre-forward was bearing down on goal.

The experienced Tomás O’Reilly grabbed a break and instinctively hooked over the bar – and Killeshandra weren’t done yet.

Ryan Brady, in heavy traffic, swung over another quality point off the left and, after two Killeshandra wides, Shane Murphy’s men completed their unanswered run of scoring when Darragh O’Reilly won a kick-out and played a one-two with Cein Sweeney before belting over to make it 0-9 to 0-0 with 28 minutes on the clock.

Drung got off the mark belatedly with a Barry Watters free but Gannon had the final say of the half when he won the kick-out, took a return pass from Sweeney and fired over to leave it 0-10 to 0-1 at half-time.

Drung needed a fast start to the second half but the Leaguers hit the jackpot just 80 seconds after the restart when Oisin Shanley delivered the ball long to Darragh O’Reilly, who turned sharply and rattled the net.

Declan McEntee and his brother Paddy, with a free, cut the gap but the game was effectively put to bed when, after a well-worked pitch-length move, Tomás O’Reilly palmed the ball over the head of the advancing goalkeeper and into the net.

From there on in, Drung piled on the pressure and the scores dried up for the eventual winners, who failed to trouble the umpires in the final 25 minutes including injury time and who had lost Ryan Brady to a black card just before half-time.

Sub Martin O’Reilly pointed after a goalmouth scramble and with Ciaran Galligan now providing a focal point close to goal, Drung dominated.

Galligan pointed off the left and Declan McEntee sent over a 45-metre free before he, too, picked up a black card. With four minutes of normal time remaining, Drung grabbed a lifeline of sorts when Garry Watters smashed a 20-metre free into the top corner of the net and they added another free from Paddy McEntee but it was too little, too late as Killeshandra, despite a nervy finish, held on to claim the win after an eventful match which was well handled by Daire Donohoe.

Drung: Niall Curran, Paul Heuston, John Cassidy, Ronan Brady, Niall Fitzpatrick, Michael McEntee, Kevin McCaul, Declan McEntee (0-3, 2f), Ciaran Galligan (0-1), Emmett O’Reilly, Barry Watters (0-1f), Oisin Brady, Paddy McEntee Garry Watters (0-2f), Cian O’Reilly

Subs: CJ McCabe for N Fitzpatrick, Sean Curran for E O’Reilly (both ht), Martin O’Reilly (0-1) for C O’Reilly (37), Greg Rossiter for O Brady (45), Ben Fitzpatrick for K McCaul (56)

Killeshandra Leaguers: Damien Higgins (0-1), Ryan Bennett, Gerry Clarke, Ryan Dinneny, Eddie Masterson, Michael O’Reilly, Jude Collins (0-2f), Charlie Gannon (0-2, 45, 1f), Ryan Brady (0-1), Oisin Shanley, Darragh O’Reilly (1-2), Owen Nulty, Oran Sheridan, Cein Sweeney, Tomás O’Reilly (1-1)

Subs: James Dinneny for R Dinneny (ht), Bobby Wood for O Sheridan (46), Jason Wood for C Sweeney (54), Aaron Fowler for O Nulty (60)

Ref: Daire Donohoe