There was yet another silverware bonanza for Clontibret O'Neills in 2005, with four major adult trophies winging their way to the mid-county club, including a fantastic reserve treble. And at the time of writing Scotstown await them in the Senior League Division 1 final. Here we reflect on outright success in the reserve championship (O'Duffy Cup), Reserve League Division One (Michael Kellett Cup), Reserve League Division Four (Paddy Kierans Cup) and the inaugural Senior Hurling Shield. Michael Kellett Cup Clontibret captured the reserve league Division 1 crown when eclipsing Castleblayney by 3-12 to 0-5 in Tyholland on Sunday evening 26th June. In this game, a powerful second-half display was enough to overwhelm 'Blayney and bring the Michael Kellett Cup to Clontibret. Clontibret were always the dominant team in a final played in beautiful conditions and, with a sprinkling of players coming through from their successful minor teams of recent years, they had too much pace and skill for a Faughs side that never got going. The first half was controlled by Clontibret and they led by 0-6 to 0-2 at the interval. Even at this stage, 'Blayney were clearly struggling to contain an attack led by Noel Morgan and Rodney Gorman. As the game opened up in the second half, Clontibret pulled away with some nice points before Eoin Greenan burst through from midfield to score the killer goal on 40 minutes. This put Clontibret 1-10 to 0-4 ahead and Conor McManus and Rodney Gorman scored more goals as they pulled away for a very comfortable victory. Castleblayney tried to rally in the closing stages but the Clontibret defence, marshaled by Eamonn Ward, held firm to concede only one more point late in the day. The Michael Kellett Cup was presented to a proud Clontibret captain Brian McSkeane who paid worthy tribute to his team and management and thanked 'Blayney for a good sporting game. Clontibret, 2005 reserve league Division One winners: Michael Thompson; Darrach Mooney, Eamon Ward, Kevin Ward; Padraig Duffy, Brian McSkeane, Aidan Leonard (0-1); Eoin Greenan (1-1), Shane Mulligan; Thomas Greenan, Gregory Leonard (0-4), Marius McGarrell; Noel Morgan (0-3), Niall Malone, Rodney Gorman (1-3). Subs: Conor McManus (1-0), Colin Duffy, Fergal Mone, Fergal McGuigan, Darren Murphy. Shane Magennis and Shane Gorman not used O'Duffy Cup Clontibret completed a fine reserve league and championship double when defeating Castleblayney by 0-11 to 0-8 in the final of the O'Duffy Cup at Aughnamullen. The decider was a tight and tense affair, with nothing in it until Clontibret made a sprint for the winning line in the last ten minutes. The sides were locked on 0-8 apiece with 50 minutes played, but the Faughs had been reduced to fourteen men three minutes into the second half and Clontibret's numerical superiority eventually told. The winners started confidently and had the better of the first quarter. They led by 0-4 to 0-1 after 20 minutes, with all those scores coming from the dependable boot of Noel Morgan. Tommy Greenan and Morgan had further first-half scores but 'Blayney forced their way back into contention and the interval gap was just two points, 0-6 to 0-4. 'Blayney got the opening score of the second period but were rocked when Aidan Ward was red-carded. Still, they leveled in the 37th minute. Four frees were then shared to leave the game delicately poised with only ten minutes remaining. The in-form Morgan and Niall Malone closed out the scoring as Clontibret grinded out a hard-fought victory to complete a satisfactory reserve double. Clontibret, 2005 O'Duffy Cup winners: Mick Thompson; Darrach Mooney, Owen Greenan, Kevin Ward; Brian McSkeane, Eamon Ward, Aidan Lennon; Daithi McKeown, Shane Mulligan; Paraic Duffy, Niall Malone (0-1), Tommy Greenan (0-1); Rodney Gorman, Noel Morgan (0-9), Conor McManus. Sub: Fergal Mone. Paddy Kierans Cup Clontibret deservedly lifted the reserve league Division 4 title with a 1-10 to 0-6 defeat of holders Scotstown in an entertaining Paddy Kierans Cup final in Gavin Duffy Park, Monaghan on Sunday morning September 11. Scotstown were gunning for a record seventh successive Kierans Cup but were no match for a Clontibret side inspired by Darrach Mooney at centre back, captain Shane Mulligan and Tommy Greenan in midfield, as well as Damian Mone, Rodney Gorman and Marius McGarrell in attack. Rodney Gorman proved the scourge of the Scotstown defence and it was his deft touch and finishing prowess that gave the winners a decided edge. His 14th-minute goal enabled Clontibret to establish a firm foothold in the game and they held a seven-point half-time lead, with Scotstown only managing one first-half score. At half time, the O'Neills led by 1-5 to 0-1. Clontibret continued to shade the outfield exchanges upon the resumption but some slack finishing meant the match was never quite pushed beyond Scotstown's reach. Thus, it was down to the defence with substitute Colin Greenan showing well at full back and Darrach Mooney at centre back, to keep Clontibret on track and thwart Scotstown's best efforts. Clontibret still led by eight points entering the final quarter, Aidan Leonard pointing in the 16th minute. Entering the final five minutes of normal time, Clontibret extended their lead to nine points and while their opponents pulled back three late scores they had done enough to secure a deserved victory. Clontibret, 2005 Paddy Kierans Cup winners: Enda Brennan; Kevin Ward, Brian Morgan, Colin Duffy; Fergal McGuigan, Darrach Mooney, Colin Ward; Shane Mulligan, Tommy Greenan (0-1); Damian Mone (0-2), Aidan Leonard (0-1), Darren Murphy; Rodney Gorman (1-3), Marius McGarrell (0-2), Shane Gorman. Subs: Colin Greenan for B Morgan, Kevin Gormley (0-1) for C Ward, Gary McKenna for S Gorman, Kieran Leonard for D Mone, Brendan Cravens for D Murphy. Senior hurling Shield A new aspect of the revamped Monaghan hurling championship this year was the introduction of a Shield, a secondary competition where the losers of the preliminary round game and semi finals were joined by Latton and Truagh. This proved to be a major success with Clontibret taking the inaugural Shield title at the expense of Inniskeen in a game that developed into a very exciting contest in the second half in Gavan Duffy Park. The final was played as the curtain raiser to the senior championship final, making for a very attractive hurling double bill that drew a good crowd to the county town venue. Clontibret had come within three points of booking their place in the senior championship final and so went into the shield decider as slight favourites, especially as Inniskeen were forced to field without three regulars through injury and suspensions. Inniskeen, who only lost to Castleblayney by two points in the preliminary round of the SHC, had won the reserve league in 2004 and 2003 and were keen to add the shield title to that achievement but they were second best as Clontibret finished with a flourish. Clontibret boast a good mix of youth and experience with players like Gareth Sullivan, John Green, Darren Mulligan, Cormac Connolly and Noel Morgan all capable of producing match winning performances. In the final, most of Clontibret's big players were on song, particularly in the fourth quarter, as they stormed to an exciting 1-15 to 2-8 win. A spirited finish saw Clontibret rattle off a goal and six points without reply from the 47th minute to the final whistle for a deserved triumph. The game as a contest only really came to life in the second half but it was when the chips were down that a number of key players delivered for Clontibret - most notably Armagh county player Ned McCann and Monaghan players Arthur Hughes and Noel Morgan. Inniskeen led by 0-6 to 0-3 at the interval, but Clontibret hit six points without reply in a blistering six-minute spell on the resumption to go three in front. The lead was short-lived as the game increased in tempo and Inniskeen found the Clontibret net twice in a minute through Kevin Boylan and Michael Lennon to reclaim the initiative. Entering the final quarter, Inniskeen led by four points but Clontibret rallied with a goal by Darren Mulligan in the 48th minute and a flurry of unanswered points gave them the silverware. Clontibret, 2005 hurling Shield winners: Aidan Morgan; Fintan Brennan, Thomas Greenan, Gary McKenna; Eoin Greenan, Aidan Kerr, Shane Magennis; John McConnell, John Green (0-1); Fergal McGuigan, Darren Mulligan (1-0), Cormac Connolly (0-5); Ned McCann (0-4), Arthur Hughes (0-2), Noel Morgan (0-3). Subs: Greg Duffy for F McGuigan, Brian McArdle for A Kerr, Aidan Kerr for F Brennan, Mick O'Dowd for G McKenna. Tweet

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