Knockbride get over the line in entertaining JFC final

Junior Football Championship final

Knockbride 0-15

Belturbet 0-11

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

Knockbride finally got their hands on the Sean Leddy Cup with this hard-earned win over a gutsy Belturbet side. The winners were the better side on the evening, with just too much pace and energy for their opponents, but still found it hard to shake off the Rorys, who battled all the way and came out of the game with credit.

The new champions entered this, the first of the main county finals of the season, as 1/3 favourites but didn’t play like it in the opening quarter as the Rorys impressed.

The first half was played at a fast tempo and while nerves were certainly a factor with quite a few handling mistakes – especially on the Knockbride side – it made for an exciting spectacle.

Knockbride opened the scoring four minutes in when Patrick Smith played a short free to Ciaran Smith, took the return and dinked over – but the Rorys, exerting a squeeze on the Knockbride kick-out, would string together four points in succession as they threatened to take control of the contest.

Knockbride lived dangerously as a bounce deceived a defender and Callum McGreevy found himself in on goal but James Lynch saved well at his near post.

After patient build-up play, Donal McDonald sent over the Rorys’ opening score with a good strike. Both sides missed chances – despite an absence of sweepers, defences were on top, with the Belturbet full-back particularly tight at this stage – and it was Belturbet who took the lead when Sean O’Reilly blasted over.

There were elements of panic to Knockbride’s play at this early stage – Micheál Smith, who played very well, went for an unlikely goal with a point on and was denied by Cian Vaughan – and Belturbet sensed it, kicking on with two frees from Callum McGreevy to lead by 0-4 to 0-1 after 18 minutes.

Philip Rogers pulled back an important point for Aidan McCabe’s side after good work from Liam Fay and Matthew Traynor. Lorcan Reilly (free) cut the gap further as Knockbride slowly began to win the collisions they had been losing earlier.

Man of the Match Reilly registered again on 23 minutes, playing a one-two with Kyle McCabe and clipping over the equaliser. Back came the Rorys, however, with one of the best scores of the match from Colm Dennehy but there was a sense that Knockbride had weathered the early storm and while Belturbet were always in contention, they wouldn’t lead again after a Roy Donohoe free which bounced on the crossbar on the way over.

Enda Henry was continuing to cause Knockbride problems but as the match wore on, Aidan McCabe’s charges were gaining that foothold in midfield and cutting off the supply. Belturbet kicked a sixth wide, this time from a free, and were almost caught out when they were turned over with Vaughan a long way from home, Micheál Smith eventually settling for a point to leave it 0-6 to 0-5 at the midway point.

Belturbet drew first blood in the second half, Henry gathering 35 metres out and taking on the defence before pointing, but Knockbride then hit two in a row.

Lorcan Reilly converted a free after Micheál Smith was fouled; Knockbride pinched the resulting kick-out and Paddy Rogers and Traynor did well before Ciaran Smith applied the finish.

Belturbet responded well with an excellent long-range Shane Fitzpatrick point but it felt like they were tiring a little in the passages of play which immediately followed. Reilly was tackled late and knocked over the resulting free and then, after a Micheál Smith 45 dropped short, Reilly worked possession to Traynor, who pointed with the left.

Knockbride could have put it to bed when they found themselves in a three-on-two but Ciaran Smith opted to go for goal and his effort was stopped. From the resulting 45, however, the corner-forward made amends when he gathered it short and drilled over to make it 0-11 to 0-7 entering the final quarter.

By now, Niall McCabe – last year’s captain – was in the fray for Knockbride and making a big impact. He laid off for Reilly, who struck the post, and Belturbet responded with a sweeping counter-attack which was finished well by Dennehy.

McCabe then landed a sublime point, selling a dummy and splitting the posts, to restore the four-point margin – but, again, Belturbet summoned up a response.

A superb strike from 40 metres from play by McGreevy was followed by a second for Fitzpatrick after good work from Sean Óg Lawlor and Henry as the gap was reduced to two with 10 minutes on the clock.

Belturbet had their second wind now and were pressing hard but Knockbride held them off with an important point from Reilly, again after smart play from Micheál Smith.

The sub’s bench was proving influential for Knockbride, with Ben Mulvey pulling off a big catch on his introduction. That led to Reilly driving on to the ball and belting over another and although Henry pulled one back with a free, Reilly had the final say when he capitalised on clever play from McCabe, beat a defender and drilled over the insurance point.

The final whistle sounded soon afterwards and saw jubiliant scenes as Knockbride celebrated a long-awaited success after what was an excellent final. Asked some big questions by Belturbet, they had all the answers and their energy and skills at both end of the pitch were impressive.

Next up will be a crack at the Ulster Championship for Knockbride while Belturbet, who put up a great showing, will hope to regroup and win this championship next year; history shows that almost half of the junior winners have previously been beaten in the final, including Knockbride who lost last year to Arva.

Belturbet: Cian Vaughan, John Cahill, Liam Mulligan, Killian Murray, Donal McDonald (0-1), Shane Fitzpatrick (0-2), Stuart Dunne, Cormac Donohoe, Fionán O’Reilly, Colm Dennehy (0-2), Luke Mulvanny, Sean O’Reilly (0-1), Callum McGreevy (0-3, 2f), Enda Henry (0-2, 1f), Brían Wallace

Subs: Fionán Donohoe for B Wallace (26), Kevin McConnell for L Mulvanny (temp, 41, reversed 56), Sean Óg Lawlor for S O’Reilly (45), Peter Shannon for K Murray (55), Damien O’Reilly for D McDonald (59), Mark Lawlor for L Mulvanny (60)

Knockbride: James Lynch, DJ Cassidy, Mark Magee, Daniel McGuinness, Micheál Smith (0-1), Philip Nulty, Roy Donohoe (0-1f), Kyle McCabe, Patrick Rogers, Patrick Smith (0-1), Liam Fay, Philip Rogers (0-1), Ciaran Smith (0-2), Lorcan Reilly (0-7, 3f), Matthew Traynor (0-1)

Subs: Niall McCabe (0-1) for P Smith (38), Declan Nulty for R Donohoe (45), Ben Mulvey for C Smith (55), Micheál Clarke for D McGuinness (60)

Ref: Derek Argue