St. Croan’s take flight back to intermediate football at first time of asking
St. Croan's captain Ger Connaughton lifts the cup to confirm his team as Junior A football champions following their victory against Ballinameen in Saturday's final at Strokestown. Picture: Brian Carroll
St. Croan’s have justified their favouritism to win the King and Moffatt Junior A Football Championship with a routine 1-13 to 0-7 victory against Ballinameen at Strokestown.
A superb performance from Eoin Collins was aided by the contributions of Ryan Hanley, Ross Timothy, Alan Conroy and Aiden Brogan as Vinnie Egan’s men returned to intermediate level just a year after suffering a shock relegation to the Junior A championship.
The template for success was set inside the opening three minutes. Peter Keane gave Ballinameen an early lead but Croan’s won Mike Holland’s subsequent kickout, kept the ball against a strong breeze for nearly three minutes before Cathal Connelly split the posts with aplomb.
Further scores from Brogan and Conroy followed, and when the ball broke into Connelly’s path after an effort from Collins was parried by Ballinameen goalkeeper, David Dwyer, the net rippled and Croan’s were on their way after only 12 minutes.
A two-pointer from Adam Dwyer gave Ballinameen some hope, but that was cancelled out immediately by a monstrous 50-metre free into the teeth of the wind by Richie Thompson.
The winners were 1-7 to 0-5 ahead at the break, and while Ballinameen never gave up, there was never any sense that Derek Connellan’s men could find a way back into the game.
The excellent Collins added a two-pointer for Croan’s, and although Thomas McGrath and Gordan Casey grabbed Ballinameen’s sole two scores of the half in the final quarter, a late flurry of scores from substitute Keith Muldoon, Brogan and Connelly sealed a comfortable nine-point win for Croan’s.
St. Croan’s scorers: Cathal Connelly (1-2), Aiden Brogan (0-3), Richie Thompson (0-2, one 0-2 free), Eoin Collins (0-2, one 0-2), Alan Conroy (0-2), Ross Timothy (0-1), Keith Muldoon (0-1).
Ballinameen scorers: Dessie Carlos (0-2, one free, one ’45), Adam Dwyer (0-2, one 0-2), Peter Keane (0-1), Thomas McGrath (0-1), Gordan Casey (0-1).
