Westport are AIB All-Ireland Club Intermediate football champions for 2017 following their 2-12 to 3-8 final victory over St Colmcille's of Meath in Croke Park today.

Two goals from Oisin McLoughlin laid the foundations for the first ever win in the competition by a Mayo club.

McLoughlin's second green flag in the 51st minute left six points between the sides - 2-12 to 2-6 - but, to their credit, the Meath men kept battling to the end and their perseverance was rewarded with a converted Jack Reynolds penalty.

But, unfortunately from their perspective, time ran out on them and they ended up losing out by the narrowest of margins.

Along with McLoughlin, Shane Scott and Colm Moran were in fine form in front of the posts for the winners and kicked over seven points between them.

Westport's Brian McDermott lifts the silverware.
©INPHO/Tommy Grealy.

Captain Ben Brennan took the scoring honours for the 'Cille's with 1-2 while James Conlan also found the back of the Westport net.

Meath captain Graham Reilly made the scoresheet with 0-3 (2 frees) but the day belonged to 'Footballer of the Year' Lee Keegan and his club-mates.

Despite losing Keegan's inter-county colleague Kevin Keane to injury in the 11th minute, the Brian McDermott captained Westport made all the early running and took a 1-9 to 1-3 lead into the break.

Brennan's goal on the three quarter hour mark left the scoreboard reading Westport 1-11, St Colmcille's 2-5 but McLoughlin pounced for his second three pointer seven minutes later.

Westport - P O'Malley (0-1f); K Dever, K Keane, N McManamon; B McDermott, L Keegan, J Walsh; B O'Malley, S Scott (0-3); F McDonagh (0-3), P Keegan (0-1), L Staunton; C Moran (0-4), P Lambert, O McLoughlin (2-0). Subs: D Horan for K Keane, R Geraghty for L Staunton, A Dunne for P O'Malley (BC).

St Colmcille's - J Browne; A Lynch, C Ward, J McDonnell; E Woods (0-1), I Mullen, J Sweeney; D Sheeran, R McCloskey; C Hilliard (0-1), B Brennan (1-2), D O'Byrne; G Reilly (0-3, 2f), N Ronan, J Conlon (1-0). Subs: J Reynolds (1-0pen) for D O'Byrne, C O'Byrne for J Sweeney, C Kelly (0-1f) for N Ronan, J Kavanagh for J McDonnell, Ronan for C Hilliard.

Referee - N Cullen.

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