Moneygall/Clonakenny add Football title to 2024 bounty

GAA: Ger Gavin North Tipperary Under 19 'B' Football Final

Moneygall/Clonakenny 1-10

Borrisokane 1-4

Report: James Hayden at Gardiner Park, Borrisokane

Photos: Bridget Delaney

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Shay Gleeson (Moneygall/Clonakenny)

SCORERS - Moneygall/Clonakenny: Tadhg Whyte 0-4 (3 frees); Cillian Tuohy 1-0; Adam O’Brien, Cormac Hoolan 0-2 each; Conor Quinlan, Shay Gleeson 0-1.

Borrisokane: Donal Cleary 1-1 (1-0 pen); Cathal Blake 0-2; Conor Larkin 0-1.

Moneygall/Clonakenny were crowned North Under 19 ‘B’ Football champions following a hard-fought victory over a battling Borrisokane side in bright but chilly conditions at Borrisokane on Sunday afternoon.

In the final club GAA game of the season, decent finishes to both halves provided the foundation for Moneygall/Clonakenny’s victory and despite trailing by just a point at the break they managed to fashion a well-deserved six-point victory with an impressive closing quarter in particular copper-fastening the North title for the combination side.

In a game which ebbed and flowed throughout Borrisokane had the better of the exchanges in the opening fifteen minutes and with a noticeable breeze at their backs they drew first blood thanks to a seventh minute Donal Cleary point following a surging break out of defence.

Moneygall/Clonakenny, playing with just the bare fifteen, had the lion’s share of possession in the opening ten-minutes and should have netted on seven minutes after Shay Gleeson's goal-bound effort cannoned off the crossbar and away to safety, much to the relief of James Morris in the Borrisokane goal.

Moneygall eventually got off the mark two minutes later thanks to a sweet Conor Quinlan effort following impressive approach play from Paddy Carroll and Cormac Hoolan before James Morris was called into action to save from the raiding Shay Gleeson.

Borrisokane, who were without the services of Ryan Donnelly and Mark Slevin, were creating chances on the break but three wides on the bounce hampered their efforts before a sublime left-footed effort from Cathal Blake fired the home side back into the lead on the quarter-hour.

Borris’ continued to create with surging runs from the impressive David Austin, Ciaran Foley, and Conal Larkin before they were deservedly awarded a nineteenth minute penalty after Moneygall/Clonakenny’s full-back Joe Stapleton was adjudged to have fouled Borrisokane’s full-forward Eamonn Raleigh as he made a bee-line towards goal.

Up stepped Donal Cleary for the spot kick and although his effort was struck straight at Brian Tuohy, the ball parried in off the keeper’s left hand to fire Borrisokane into a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.

The goal appeared to spur Moneygall/Clonakenny into action and their response was immediate. Three impressive points on the bounce inside four minutes whittled down Borrisokane’s advantage to just a solitary point with Shay Gleeson, Cormac Hoolan and Tadhg Whyte all picking off sublime points from play to bring Moneygall/Clonakenny right back into contention.

Within minutes of the break, Moneygall/Clonakenny restored parity thanks to a close-range Tadhg Whyte free before Dermot Hogan raided for Borrisokane, but his efforts came to nought after his shot was cleared to safety for a fruitless 45’.

Borris’ did manage to raid once more before the break and they came away with their just rewards after Conal Larkin pointed following a well-worked Borrisokane move to ensure the home side led by the slenderest of margins at the break, 1-3 to 0-5.

The opening exchanges of the second half saw both sides struggle for supremacy before Moneygall/Clonakenny’s Cillian Touhy fired his side into a lead they would never relinquish with a scorching 37th minute strike high into the top right-hand corner of the Borrisokane net following impressive approach play from Shay Gleeson and Tadhg Whyte.

Cormac Hoolan surged up once more from wing-back for his second point of the game on forty minutes to fire his side three clear before Borrisokane hit back with a well-worked Cathal Blake point. Borrisokane battled for all they were worth to bridge the gap further with substitute Darragh O’Brien almost netting in the 50th minute following a scything Conal Larkin run. Eamonn Raleigh also battled hard to breach the Moneygall/Clonakenny defence minutes later, but Joe Stapleton and Cillian Tuohy held fast.

With seven minutes of normal time remaining, Borrisokane’s effort was starting to wane a little before the momentum suddenly swung back in favour of Moneygall/Clonakenny with three unanswered points between the 53rd & 56th minutes effectively putting pay to Borrisokane’s hopes of a north final victory.

The scoring burst saw Tadhg Whyte arrow over a close-range free before Adam O’Brien surged up from centre-back for a fine score, and Whyte was again on hand on 56 minutes to once again fire over a well-taken free and at this stage Borrisokane needed goals.

In the end it wasn’t to be for the home side with a second Adam O’Brien point on the cusp of full-time ensuring a deserved six-point victory for an impressive Moneygall/Clonakenny side who add this success to North Intermediate Hurling and Minor ‘B’ Football won earlier in the year.

Stand out players for the victors were Shay Gleeson, Adam O’Brien, Cormac Hoolan, Tadhg Whyte, and Cillian Tuohy while David Austin, Conor Larkin, Ciaran Foley, and Dermot Hogan caught the eye for Borrisokane.

TEAMS - Moneygall/Clonakenny: Brian Tuohy (7), Sean Maher (7), Joe Stapleton (7), Sam Carey (7); Cillian Tuohy (7), Adam O’Brien (8), Cormac Hoolan (8); Cian Ryan (7), Paddy Carroll (Capt 7); Dylan Sayers (7), Shay Gleeson (8), Sean Stapleton (7); Liam Delaney (7), Tadhg Whyte (8), Conor Quinlan (7).

Borrisokane: James Morris (7); Brendan Foley (7), David Austin (8), Cormac Cleary (7); Darragh Egan (7), Dermot Hogan (7), Ciaran Slevin (7); Josh Chadwick (Capt, 7), Conor Larkin (0-1, 8); William Murphy (7), Ciaran Foley (8), Cathal Blake (0-2, 8), Luke Walsh (7), Eamonn Raleigh (7), Donal Cleary (7).

Subs: Darragh O’Brien (7) for Walsh (39); Luke Walsh for Blake (60+1 inj).

Referee: Ger Fitzpatrick (Roscrea).