Aggies create history and clinch first Junior Football title

Graham Tarmac Antrim Junior Football Championship Final

St Agnes’ 1-14-0-09 Pearses

Kevin Herron reports from Davitt Park

ST AGNES’ clinched the Antrim Junior Football Championship for the first time in the club’s history with a 1-14-0-09 win over Pearses in the decider at Davitt Park on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead 0-8-0-5 at the interval, an early second half goal from David McGaharan gave his side the platform to kick on for victory after the disappointment of losing last year’s decider to St Comgall’s.

The Division Three league winners went into the decider as favourites over a Pearses side who returned to the final for the first time since winning it back in 2022.

After a slow, nervy start it was Aggies hit the front when Caoimhin Floyd squeezed a shot inside the posts after seven minutes and then doubled their lead after Dan Turley popped the ball to Ronan Gilligan to kick a close range point.

Just before the midway point in the half Pearses hit back, a two-man infringement was spotted and Liam Deegan converted the resulting free.

St Agnes’ two-point advantage was restored almost immediately when Patrick Mulgrew offloaded to Cormac McBride to swing over.

The first goal almost arrived after 20-minutes as Turley released Gilligan whose near-post shot was turned behind by Eamonn McKenna in the Pearses goal.

The 45’ was worked out and Dan Turley sent over a two-pointed score that had his side 0-5-0-1 to the good.

Pearses second score arrived courtesy of a second Deegan free and they settled into things with two further scores to cut the deficit to the bare minimum.

Thomas McFarlane combined with Aidan Bannon to clip over and a further Deegan free followed in the aftermath.

St Agnes’ ended the North Belfast side’s momentum when Conall Turley converted his first free of the afternoon and he added a point from play to make it 0-7-0-4.

The sides traded scores in added time with Cormac Gillespie’s score responded to by a Ronan Gilligan point that had his side three ahead at the interval.

The opening goal came two minutes after the restart and was decisive as it came for the Aggies.

Conall Turley laid the ball off to David McGaharan and he powered a low shot into the corner past Eamonn McKenna to make it 1-8-0-5.

A converted Deegan free opened Pearses’ account for the second period, but James Campbell capped a flowing move with a point.

Pearses almost pulled a goal back after Philip Murray’s snapshot crashed off the underside of the bar, but Cormac McBride dropped a high shot over midway through the half and after a scoreless 10-minute lull he fisted over when a goal chance was on.

Substitute Mark Caldwell fisted over a further point and a David McGaharan high shot dropped over to move their side 1-13-0-6 to the good.

Liam Deegan kicked his fifth free of the afternoon and then added a two-pointed effort in added time.

It was the Champions who would have the final say however when Conall Turley’s free concluded the afternoon’s scoring and the celebrations could begin in ernest for the Aggies history makers- who will turn their attention to an Ulster Club campaign in the weeks ahead.

ST AGNES’: C Carroll, P Carroll, C Flannery, K McCormack, R Gilligan (0-2), R Reilly, C Floyd (0-1), D Turley (1×0-2pt), P Mulgrew, C Clarke, C Turley (0-3, 0-2f), J Campbell (0-1), D McGaharan (1-1), S Madden, C McBride (0-3). SUBS: M Caldwell (0-1) for R Reilly (54), M Boyle for P Mulgrew (56), C Gregory for C McBride (57), D Quigley for C Floyd (60), D McLarnon for S Madden (60+3).

PEARSES: E McKenna, D O’Neill, C O’Neill, A McCavana, C Gillespie (0-1), A Bannon (0-1), L Giannetto, T McFarlane, R Bannon, F Grew, P Donaghy, J Smyth, S Moreland, L Deegan (0-5f, 1×0-2ptf), P Murray. SUBS: D Magee for J Smyth (38), S Fitzsimons for L Giannetto (54), P Johnston for A McCavana (57), M McAllister for S Moreland (60+2).
REFEREE: Martin Quinn (Naomh Eanna)