Ferbane/Belmont win 12th Offaly Minor Title
Ferbane/Belmont 4-16 Edenderry 0-9
Ferbane/Belmont won their 12th Offaly Minor Football title with a surprisingly easy victory over Edenderry in the final at Bord na Móna O’Connor Pk this afternoon. When the sides met in the group stages it was Edenderry who came out on top by two points. But on this occasion from the moment Cian Johnson scored his second goal in the 21st minute to but the West Offaly side 2-4 to 0-3 in front there was only going to be one winner.
The early exchanges were even, with Johnson and Cian Farrell exchanging early points. However, a Johnson goal on 11 minutes gave Ferbane/Belmont a lead they never subsequently lost. A second Johnson goal on 21 minutes widened the gap. While at the other end Cian Farrell saw two goal bound shots go narrowly wide on either side of the posts. Ferbane/Belmont went on to lead by 2-6 to 0-3 at the break.
On the resumption there was only one team in it and F/B were already 2-10 to 0-6 in front by the time Cathal Flynn fired home their 3rd goal on the 44th minute. A fourth goal followed from centre forward Bernard Corcoran in the 53rd minute and F/B were well and truly on their way to a 3rd Minor title in four years as they ran out 19 point winners with their team Captain Cian Johnson helping himself to an impressive 2-7.
Teams and scorers:
Ferbane/Belmont : Jack Cullinan, Aaron Brazil, Conor Butler, Michael Wren, David Nally, Jamie Kelly, Kieran Guinan 0-1, Conor Kenny, Sean Ibbotson 0-1, Michael Egan, Bernard Corcoran 1-3, Harry Balsiger, Cian Johnson 2-7 (0-3f, 0-1 45’), Patrick Clancy 0-3, Sean Flynn Subs: Cathal Flynn 1-1 for M Egan (half-time), Sean P Flynn for Guinan, Saul O’Carroll for Ibbotson (58min), Aaron McCabe for Corcoran (58min), Ross Cahill for Jamie Kelly (58min)
Edenderry: Gary Gorman, Ado Dafe, Eoin Dunne, Briain Nolan, Diarmuid Egan, Jamie Coates, Ruairi Egan, Cathal Farrell, Darren Quinn 0-1, Conor McCarthy, Gary Farrell 0-1, Ciarán Nolan, Ciarán Breen, Cian Farrell 0-6 (0-4f, 0-2 45’), Jack Brady 0-1 Subs: Aaron Mangan for G Farrell (29min), Shane Cummins for D Egan (Half-time), Brian Clarke for C Breen (48min), Peter Butler for J Brady (58min), Bobby Reynolds for Coates (58min)
Ref: Fintan Pierce (Raheen)
