MFC final: impressive Blues end ten-year wait
September 29, 2014
Newtown Blues minor captain James Carter lifts the Fr Larry Murray Cup.
NEWTOWN BLUES 4-15
GERALDINES 1-5
Newtown Blues ended their long wait for a Minor Championship title when they brushed aside the challenge of the Geraldines in the final at Drogheda on Sunday afternoon.
The Newfoundwell turned in a very impressive display was they dethroned reigning champions, Geraldines, to win the Fr Larry Murray Cup for the first time since 2004.
The Drogheda side went into the game as strong favourites on the back of some impressive wins and they certainly didn't disappoint their supporters as they took the game by the scruff of the neck from the opening whistle.
By half time they had built up a 14-point lead and capped a fine victory with four well-taken goals against a Gers side who battled all the way despite facing an inevitable fate from a long way out.
The standard was set from the opening exchanges and the Blues raced out of the blocks and the opening two scores were goals from Dale Harding.
The Gers got off the mark through Dara Hamill on 16 minutes but the Blues continued to push forward and added a third goal from sub Ross Nally with points from Man of the Match, Ciaran Downey, helping them to lead by 3-6 to 0-1 at half time.
The Gers scored the first point of the second half but the Blues extended their lead with a fourth goal from Nally on 40 minutes.
It was very comfortable for the Blues after that but the Gers, to their credit, kept going until the end and got their reward in the form of a Dara Hamill goal five minutes from time.
However, that score did little to dampen the Blues celebrations as captain James Carter lifted the cup on behalf of his team.
NEWTOWN BLUES: Danny Rothwell; Conor Ayson, John Connolly, Ian Connor; Kevin Carr, James Carter, Conor Farrell; Tom Reilly 0-2, Ciaran Cluskey Kelly 0-1; Jamie Kelly 0-1, Conor Moore 0-1, Ciaran Downey 0-5; Johnny McDonnell, Alan Wilton 0-1, Dale Harding 2-0. Subs: Ross Nally 2-3 for J McDonnell, Fergal Donohoe for I Connor, Jordan Harmon 0-1 for J Kelly, Keelan McKenna for C Ayson, Ronan Levins for C Farrell, Jamie Dyas for C Downey.
GERALDINES: Cian Smith; Harry Cleary, Robbie Lynch 0-1, Andrew Lynch; Conor Boyle, Jack Traynor, Fergal McDonald; Matthew Corcoran, Niall Craven; Anto Lines, Vincent McKee, James O'Connor; Neil Jones 0-1, Dara Hamill 1-2, Paddy Geoghean 0-1. Subs: Patrick Cunningham for A Lynch, Jack Brannigan for H Cleary, Matthew Lines for A Lines, Jason Quinn for J O'Connor, Paddy Shelly for C Boyle.
REFEREE: Gerard Corrigan
