Naomh Bhríde always in charge of MFC 'C' final
Naomh Bhride celebrate after beating Rathangan Photo: Sean Brilly
Ellistown/Nurney combination Naomh Bhríde are the Manguard Plus Minor Football C Champions after a convincing four-point win over Rathangan in Manguard Park on Saturday afternoon, retaining the title won by Ellistown last year.
It was a game that struggled to rise to any great heights, though Naomh Bhríde will point to their own defensive solidity in holding their neighbours to just five scores. The winners were never behind over the course of the hour.
Naomh Bhríde were first off the mark from a close-range Leo Lennox free before Rathangan dangerman and Kildare minor Austin Donegan led a breakaway from midfield and landed the equaliser. He might have gone for goal, but it was early days yet.
His county teammate Harry Donnelly put Naomh Bhríde ahead again before Pauric Carty levelled for Rathangan in the 14th minute.
Naomh Bhríde took something of a grip on proceedings in the second quarter. Lennox added a second close-range free, Evan Donnelly jinked his way through for their fourth score and six minutes from half-time Rory Burke got on the end of Harry Donnelly’s pass to finish off a sweeping move.
Naomh Bhríde defended superbly in that half with Andrew O’Donnell foiling a half-chance of a goal for Luke Mullally when deflecting his shot out for a ’45.
Leading 0-5 to 0-2 at the break, the winners extended that advantage with a free from 40 metres from Harry Donnelly before Pauric Carty pulled one back for Rathangan.
Corner back Alex Leech almost gave Rathangan a lifeline when his flick came back off the post before Naomh Bhríde’s Man-of-the-Match Theo Hanlon scored a fine left-footed effort to make it 0-7 to 0-3 after 42 minutes before Donegan’s much-needed point brought the gap down to three with eleven minutes remaining.
The clever Harry Donnelly drew two close-range fouls that gave Lennox the opportunity to push them 0-9 to 0-4 ahead with five minutes remaining.
Rathangan set up a possible grand-stand finish when Carty drilled a low shot to the net from the edge of the penalty area but it was the winning side who finished strongly in injury time with another Lennox free and a beauty from Hanlon to seal their title.
Daragh Looney; Mikey Farrell, Andrew O’Donnell, Charlie Cullen; TJ O’Loughlin, Paddy Waters, Seamus Noonan; Oisín O’Loughlin, Leo Lennox 0-5 (5fs); Theo Hanlon 0-2, Evan Donnelly (captain) 0-1, Rory Burke 0-1; Seán Murphy, Alex Gleeson, Harry Donnelly 0-2 (1f). SUBS: Conor McBrien for Murphy (temp) 17-21, McBrien for Burke 53.
Seán Moran; Alex Leech, Oisín Kenny, Darragh Sinnott; Oran McDonnell, Paddy Murphy, Darragh Gilligan; Niall Ahern, Diarmuid Conlan; Eoghan McMullen, Austin Donegan 0-2, Luke Mullally; Seán Heffernan, Ruairí Broughan, Pauric Carty 1-2 (1f). SUBS: Aaron Moylan for Heffernan HT, Noah Maher for Sinnott HT, Stephen Walsh for Ahern 42.
Henry Barrett
