Hugh O'Neills clinch Yorkshire Senior championship (27/09/15)

On a crisp and sunny Yorkshire afternoon St Benedicts Harps and Hugh O Neills took to the field to compete for the Yorkshire senior football championship.  In a tense and nervy affair it was the twice All-Britain champions who came out on top on a low scoreline of 0-10 to 0-09.

O Neills started the brightest with a Gary Kennedy point in the first minute. Benedicts quickly hit back back to equalise.
Nerves of both teams were clearly on show
with some poor passing and shooting.

The burly Brian Lane put O Neils back in front with an excellent point from play before Benedicts soon responded with 2 quicks scores from their dangerous full forward Paul Curran.

Tom Duffy hit a 45' and a point from play to restore O Neills lead before Rory Scullion had an excellent opportunity to raise the green flag for Benedicts. Scullion was through on goal but was met with the full force of a Tom Condon shoulder to keep his side goal free.

The teams went into the break with Benedicts leading 0-7 to 0-6 following a string of missed goal opportunities from O Neills.

    As the second half got under way oneills started the brighter and scored two points with out reply from Steve Travers and Duffy.  Nerves continued to play a big part in the game as the free flowing football of both teams was never on show.

 

    As the second half ebbed and flowed to a finish both sides traded scores to leave it 9 points a piece. O Neils midfield pairing of Eoin Murray and Jarlath O Hara were well on top of their Benedicts counterparts of Ryan Donnelly and Mark Gibljn. Murray had an excellent chance to get a winner for O Neils in the dying minutes but couldn't hit the target after a lung bursting run.

 

    The game looked to be going to a replay before James Mone broke out of the Hugh O Neils defence, he played the ball to Murray who in turn passed to the brilliant Donegal native Gary Kennedy who ran at the Benedicts defence and slotted the ball over the bar to huge roars from the O Neils crowd with one minute to go.

St Benedicts had their chances to force an equaliser but O Neils held out for the win.

There was Jubilant scenes at the final whistle for the North Leeds men who's captain and former Ballina Stephenites player Tom Duffy lifted the ''Connaught cup'' for his club for the first time since 2002.

Hugh O Neils who are sponsored by Mone brother now go on to play the Scottish champions Dunedin Connollys 2 weeks time in Leeds.

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