fonaCAB Ulster Minor Football Tournament at St Paul’s
Enniskillen Gael 1-6 Ballinascreen 0-6
Enniskillen Gaels won their first fonaCAB Ulster Minor Football title since 1988 when they beat Derry champions Ballinascreen in a hard fought contest at St Paul’s on New Year’s Day. Leading by 1-2 to 0-3 at the break Enniskillen came under a lot of pressure from the Derry champions in the second half, but they were always able to keep them at arms-length to deservedly seal the win.
With heavy rain falling in the hour before the throw-in conditions underfoot were understandably not conducive to good football and and the scores proved hared to come by . Ballinascreen did create a few chances and they should have been ahead but for some wayward finishing. They got in front through an Emmet Dougan free in the fifth minute but after missing a couple more very scoreable efforts full forward Noel Rafferty took over and he doubled the Derry boys’ lead on twelve minutes. However they were to manage just one more point for the remainder of the half as the Gaels began to claw their way back.
Impressive corner-forward Conor ‘Curly’ Love opened his team’s account on 13 minutes and though ‘Screen came back with a great point from Martin Bradley it was to be their last score of the opening half. A pointed free by Gael’s John Reihill cut the gap back to a point before a brilliant move involving team captain Eoin Beacom and Reihill set Love clear and the corner forward blasted the ball to the back of the Ballinascreen net to help his side to a 1-3 interval lead.
Top left – Team captain Eoin Beacom lifts goal scorer Conor Love on his shoulders after the game. Bottom left – Beacom lifts the trophy. Right – Beacom receives the Man of the Match award.
Ballinascreen cut the gap back to a point early in the new half but they squandered a few opportunities to draw level and Ronan Quinn increased the Enniskillen lead to two with a point from play. Points from Ronan Beattie and Callum Jones pulled the winners four clear and it appeared they at last had a bit of breathing space. However there was still a lot of fight left in Ballinascreen and they got themselves back into the game when Rafferty popped over points in the 53rd and 54th minutes to reduce their arrears to just two. A fantastic point on the turn from top scorer Love gave Enniskillen Gaels a bit of breathing space as the gap was out to three but they had to endure some very nervous minutes as ‘Screen battle for the match saving goal.
They came close in the final seconds but when his side needed someone to stand up and be counted, team captain and man of the match Eoin Beacom was there to clear the danger and seal his side’s victory.
BALLINASCREEN: Eyan Scullion, Aaron McCoy, Ciaran Doyle, Ryan Doyle, Aaron Bradley, Caoilite McAlinden, Conal Logan, Martin Bradley (0-1), Chris Logan, Eunan McBride, Ronan McKenna, Cathal Donnelly, Emmett Dougan (0-1), Noel Rafferty (0-4, 3f’s), Reece McSorley
SUBS: Daire Kelly for Chris Logan (49), Mark Farrelly for Reece McSorley (49) ENNISKILLEN GAELS: Cian Newman, Odhran Agnew, Patrick Cassidy, Jack O’Hare, Gavin Greene, Jonathan Cassidy, Ronan Quinn (0-1), Eoin Beacom, Brandon Horan, Callum Jones (0-1, 1f), Matthew McAleer, John Reihill (0-1, 1f), Conor Love (1-2), Ronan Beattie (0-1), Matthew Dixon
SUBS: Josh Hogan for Gavin Greene (49), Killian Corrigan for Josh Reihill (inj)
REF: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)
A GIFF of Conor Love’s great goal