Ramor-Munterconnacht 1-9 Belturbet Rory O'Moores 0-8 Ramor-Munterconnacht retained their Division One Under 21 Championship crown last thanks to an unwavering display against Belturbet in the wind and bitter cold last Sunday afternoon at the New Inns in Lavey. In the end it was stern defending and a goal from the champions' centre-back Damien Barkey just before half-time that proved the difference here, as Belturbet were unable to come up with the answers to pierce their opponents' rearguard enough times to ever take the lead in this decider. The amalgamated outfit quickly settled into this game through two early frees from Jack Brady, before Brendan Fitzpatrick halved the deficit for the Rories with a placed ball of his own. Stephen Monaghan and Stephen Sheridan stretched the difference to three, but some sublimely struck points from 17-year-old corner-forward Niall Reilly eventually saw a determined Belturbet side level the game on 0-4 each. Back came Ramor-Munterconnacht though with Barkey belying his defensive duties to register a point before Shane O'Reilly smashed a shot off the crossbar from the following attack and Barkey was on hand to back heel to the net from close range. When Monaghan set up Queally for another score, it was the men in black and amber that took in a 1-6 to 0-4 lead at the break. Belturbet struck for the first two scores of the second-half through frees from Reilly and Fitzpatrick and after the game went through a scoreless ten-minute period, they piled the pressure on the holders via the unusually quite Fitzpatrick landing his third free and Enda Henry obliging Johnny Klushe's pass with an over. However, Ramor-Munterconnacht had more in the tank coming into the home stretch as Monaghan and Sheridan again raised white flags which were enough to ensure a second title in as many years, with Belturbet prevented from response by some superb defending at the finish. Ramor-Munterconnacht - Alan Tracey; Raymond Farrelly, Stefan Connolly, Terry McCabe; Adam O'Connell, Damien Barkey (1-1), Colin Murphy; Stephen Monaghan (0-2, 1f), James McEnroe; Sean Nolan, Stephen Sheridan (0-2, 1f), Jack Brady (0-2, 2f); Shane O'Reilly (0-1), Paul Queally (0-1), Adrian Cole. Sub: Michael O'Reilly. Belturbet - Danny Anscombe; Peter Shannon, Daryl Dolan Padraig Rehill; John Teague McGinley, Mark Teevan, Donal McGee; Johnny Klushe, Damien O'Reilly; Enda Henry (0-1), Conor Vaughan, Breanon O'Reilly; Niall Reilly (0-4, 3f), Brendan Fitzpatrick (0-3, 3f), Martin Millar. Sub: Ryan Kelly. Ref: Gerry Sheridan (Mullahoran) Tweet

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