AIB All-Ireland Club IFC final: Steelstown Brian Og's (Derry) 3-14 Trim (Meath) 2-5
STEELSTOWN wrote their names into the book of GAA history yesterday with a convincing win over Meath’s Trim at Croke Park.
Goals from Cahir McMonagle (penalty), Ben McCarron and Emmett Deane helped the Brian Óg’s men to the All-Ireland intermediate title – although it wasn’t a game without its challenges as they conceded an early goal to Mikey Cullen and had Eoghan Concannon sent off with just six minutes gone in the second half.
But for Steelstown manager Hugh McGrath, it was a special day for his squad who have just continued to defy the odds – and he believes there is more to come.
“I think relief was the biggest emotion. You can’t help but be proud of the group and proud of the management group, but also proud of the club,” he stated.
“All along they have supported us massively but today just showed what we were about – everyone out, everyone supporting us, everyone facing the same way and pointing in the same direction. At some clubs that doesn’t happen all of the time, but we have managed to get aligned so that everyone is rolling in behind each other.
“That’s what it takes to get to this level. For us it’s something to build on now, but we will enjoy this, I can assure you. It’ll not be too long down the line where we’ll have to think about the year ahead, but we’ll enjoy it. It’s good for us as a club and it’s good for the city, but it’s only good if we build upon it and go further and go bigger and better.”
It was a nightmare start for the Derry and Ulster champions when Mikey Cullen got in behind the defence to find the net after four minutes. Points from Eoghan Bradley, captain Neil Forester, and Ryan Devine levelled matters before, after Aaron Lynch had a free ruled out by Hawkeye, the Trim talisman put the Meath men back in front with a mark.
But as the game approached the 15-minute mark, Steelstown started to take control. Four points from the boot of Cahir McMonagle – three frees and one from play – and a mark from Ben McCarron had them 0-8 to 1-1 to the good.
McCarron and Lynch exchanged frees before another mark from the Derry forward closed out the half and gave Steelstown a 0-10 to 1-2 lead at the break.
A point from Eoghan Bradley got the second half scoring underway, before Steelstown were reduced to 14 men with a straight red card for Eoghan Concannon for a foul on Ciarán O’Rourke, with Lynch adding the free.
The Derry men weren’t to be deterred though, and on 39 minutes McMonagle fed Bradley through the middle and he was hauled down by Alan Douglas for a penalty that McMonagle fired to the top corner.
O’Rourke pointed at the other end, but Steelstown’s clinical, quick attack struck again when McCarron cut in from the right and finished to the net. McCarron added another point before, on 54 minutes, the ball broke fortuitously for Eoin O’Connor to slide home a second Trim goal – 2-12 to 2-4.
Oran McMenamin and Lynch exchanged points before the icing on the cake for Steelstown as McMonagle passed across the face of goal for substitute Emmett Deane to palm home at the back post before McMenamin rounded off the day with his second score.
MATCH STATS
Steelstown: E Heraghty; O Fox, K Lindsay, D Baker; D Gilmore, J McAleer, E Concannon; O McMenamin (0-2), R Devine (0-1); S O’Connor, N Forester (0-1), B McCarron (1-4, 0-2 marks, 0-1 free); M Foley, C McMonagle (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees, 0-1 mark), E Bradley (0-2) Subs M Murray for M Foley (24), G Logue for E Bradley (54), E Deane (1-0) for D Baker (58), R Maguire for C McMonagle (61), M McKinney for J McAleer (64) Red card E Concannon (36)
Trim: P Farrell; G Dwane, L Moran, D Dowling; C Quigley, J Toher, C O’Rourke (0-1); R Bourke, S Fitzgerald; C Caulfield, A Douglas, D Lynch; M Cullen (1-0), A Lynch (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-2 marks), E O’Connor (1-0) Subs B Holden for D Dowling (40), J Murray for D Lynch (41), O McGrath for M Cullen (48), I Birmingham for J Toher (48), D Dowling for G Dwane (BS) (58), C Joyce for S Fitzgerald (59) Yellow card L Moran (30) Black card A Douglas (38)
Referee: B Judge (Sligo)
