Curraha claimed the Tailteann Cup for the first time when outscoring JFC rivals Bective in a keen contest in adverse weather conditions at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday afternoon.

Curraha ...... 0-11
Bective ....... 0-7

Bective's hopes of becoming the first side to retain the Tailteann Cup were undone in the final 25 minutes. To the point, the team were tied four times. Then when James McEntee landed a free, Curraha hit the front for the first time, 0-6 to 0-5.

The sides were level four times before Curraha kicked-on in the third quarter to claim the silverware in the junior knockout competition for the first time. The similarity in the playing kits was reflected on the first-half exchanges. Curraha never led in the opening 30 minutes but the scores were tied three times.

Within four minutes of that score the gap was up to three. Though Jody Devine's men finished with seven different scorers (all from play) they couldn't hold onto the silverware.

When Marty Mulhall pointed on 46 minutes, there were just two points between the teams. Curraha closed in on the silverware with a trio of final quarter scores, including two excellent Neil Shortall efforts.

The disallowing of Ciaran O'Hanrahan's 55th minute 'goal' seemed harsh. Curraha were undeterred by the decision and when James McEntee posted his fourth score it was 0-11 to 0-6 in the first minute of stoppage time. Mark O'Rourke then became Bective's seventh scorer, but to no avail.

Holders Bective had four different scorers, all from play, in the first 30 minutes. Brian Cantwell pointed the Navan-parish side in front in the opening minute. Paul Lyness got their second score six minutes in.

In between Conor Moriarty levelled matters for Curraha twice in the opening quarter. A Cormac McConnell point restored Bective's lead at 0-3 to 0-2 in the 13th minute in.

Bective's Ciaran McConnell shadows James McEntee of Curraha during the Tailteann Cup final at Pairc Tailteann.

When Mark O'Brien landed the best point of the half, from about 40 metres, into the old swimming pool end, it was 0-4 to 0-2 to Bective after 21 minutes.

The quality of play lessened in the second quarter, the weather conditions contributing. When James McEntee got off the mark 23 minutes in, it was Curraha's first score from play. Their second following shorly after with Ciaran O'Hanrahan providing the opening for team captain Gavin Coyle.

That concluded the first-half scoring, but Bective had claims for a penalty ignored in stoppage time when one of their number seemed to fall foul of a sliding tackle after Curraha 'keeper Liam Hogan failed to collect.

It was 0-4-each at the break. Having fallen behind to a Ciaran Breslin point within a minute of the restart, Curraha responded well to outscore their JFC rivals by 0-7 to 0-2 from there to the end.

Curraha - Liam Hogan; Andrew Coyle, Conor Joyce, Sean O'Hanrahan (0-1); Simon McDermott, Gavin Coyle (0-1), Seamus Hogan; Neil Shortall (0-2), Phelim Dowling; Danny Battersby, Lockie Keogh, Brian Joyce; Conor Moriarty (0-4,2fs), James McEntee (0-3, 2fs), Ciaran O'Hanrahan. Subs - Niall Murphy for A Coyle (2), David Toner for Dowling (49), Andrew Battersby for D Battersby (50), Ian McManus for Moriarity (60).

Bective - Shane Breslin; Craig Roche, Jack Grant, Jarlath Brennan; Kevin Brennan, Ciaran McConnell, Colin O'Rourke; Ciaran Reilly, Mark O'Brien (0-1); Ciaran Breslin (0-1), Marty Mulhall (0-1), Phillip Treacy; Paul Lyness (0-1), Brian Cantwell (0-1), Cathal McConnell (0-1). Subs - Paul McCabe for Treacy (ht), Darragh Maguire for Brennan (35), Mark O'Rourke (0-1) for McCabe (50), James Davis for Cantwell (56), Colm Barry for Maguire (60).

Referee - Dessie Smyth (St Ultan's).

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