Ballyduff take U-16 title by narrowest of margins after seven-goal thriller

NORTH KERRY U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Ballyduff 4-9 Finuge 3-11

THE final game in the 2019 Coiste-na-nOg calendar was played in Coolard.

It followed after the Tommy Madden Memorial Final and all those who waited on were rewarded with a match, whose outcome was in the balance right to the final whistle. The game was played on a 13-a-side basis and it was Finuge, through Keltyn Molloy who opened the scoring from a free in the third min.

Molloy was to be the only Finuge player to raise a white flag in the opening half, 5 times in all and all from frees. The industrious Eoghan Stack did goal for Finuge in the 26th minute, a score they badly needed as they were in arrears by eight at that point.

The talented Adam Segal had 1-1 to his name and points from Aodhan Curley (2), Kieran O’ Carroll (2), Martin Brosnan Mannix along with a goal by Oisin O’Connor were responsible for Ballyduff’s scores to this point.

Finuge needed half-time to re-organise themselves, but before it arrived, the ever-dangerous Kieran O’Carroll scored a great goal for Ballyduff in injury time to leave the score at the small whistle Ballyduff 3-6 Finuge 1-5.

The interval galvanised Finuge and they were a different team in the second half. Keltyn Molloy pointed a free in the second minute, which was cancelled out by a brilliant point from Anthony Kavanagh in the fourth min. Ballyduff would not score again until the 26th minute and it was all Finuge, helped no doubt by the loss of Adam Segal, Ballyduff, to a red card, in the interim.

Christen Griffin pointed in the sixth minute and Eoghan Stack bagged his second goal in the eight minute. Darren O’Brien kicked three points from play in as many minutes to level matters and when goalkeeper Kieran Mackessy’s ‘45’ deceived all to go straight to the net in the 20th minute, Finuge were three points ahead with 10 minutes to play.

Ballyduff, a man down, had a huge task on their hands at this point but they fought to a man and piled huge pressure on the Finuge defence. Finuge withstood gamely until a technical foul in the small square saw referee Eamon Moran point to the spot and Martin Brosnan Mannix blasted to the net to level things again.

Finuge pointed through Keltyn Molloy and Anthony Kavanagh equalised and we were in injury time now. The whole hearted Martin Brosnan Mannix scored an inspirational point in the 32nd minute and, while Eamon Moran played a further three minutes of injury time, Finuge couldn’t find the score to salvage the game so the final scoreline read Ballyduff 4-9 Finuge 3-11.

It was an excellent game of football, played to a high standard and well refereed by Eamon Moran, Ballydonoghue. Ballyduff captain, Adam Farrell accepted the trophy from Seán Moriarty, NKB, who thanked McElligott Oils, Asdee for their sponsorship, Ballydonoghue for their excellent facility and referee Eamon Moran and his officials.

It brought to a close a very successful year for Coiste-nanOg and thanks to all for their co-operation with the smooth running of our competitions in 2019 and we look forward to doing it all again in 2020.

BALLYDUFF: Adam Farrell, Seán O’Sullivan, Connor Murphy, Darragh Quinlan, Seán O’Connor, David Whyte, Adam Segal (1-1), Martin Brosnan Mannix (1-2), Killian Boyle, Oisin O’Connor (1-0), Aodhan Curley (0-2), Thomas O’Connor, Anthony Kavanagh (0-2), Kieran O’Carroll (1-2), Aaron McCabe Subs: AJ Enright, Diarmuid O’Connor, Aaron Whyte, Dean Allen, Dean Whyte, Cillian Murphy FINUGE: Kieran Mackessy (1-0), Christopher O’Sullivan, Philip Shortland, Thomas O’Sullivan, Aaron Mahoney, Ciaran Commane, Bryan Allen, Christen Griffin (01), Darragh Conway, Eoghan Stack (2-0), Darren O’Brien (0-3), Shaun Shanahan, Dylan Carroll, Keltyn Molloy (0-7), Gavin O’ Sullivan

REF: Eamon Moran (Ballydonoghue)