O’Neill’s Sportswear ‘A’ Minor Football Final: Watty Grahams Glen 2-14 Robert Emmet’s Slaughtneil 2-11
Joy quickly turned to quiet satisfaction for Watty Grahams Glen last night as they collected their third minor football title in as many years under Owenbeg's floodlit glow.
'A job only half done' was how captain Stephen O'Hara described the achievement, clearly alluding to months of training ahead as he and his team mates prepare for the now annual trip to West Belfast over the Christmas period.
The management may have changed but the methods remain much the same. Goal blitzes have been the hallmark of Enda Gormley's two winning teams at the previous two St Paul's tournaments. With much of the forward unit returning from last year it was newcomer Jack Doherty who bagged the first goal mid-way through the first half.
Slaughtneil had made a confident start but were rocked by the concession of second goal barely one minute after the first. Following a Stephen O'Hara sideline, Conor Convery latched onto a quick pass and used his experience to squeeze the ball under the advancing Slaughtneil goalkeeper.
Now totally dominant, the champions pressed home their advantage with three unanswered points to lead 2-06 to 0-02 at the break.
That blitzkrieg would have broken many teams; but not Slaughtneil. To their eternal credit, the young Emmet's never dropped their heads, even following the concession of two further points at the start of the second half.
Cormac O'Doherty grabbed the game by the scruff to add a two fine scores; the first a solo effort following a tenacious run and finish. Frank McEldowney then breathed real life back into Slaughtneil's challenge with a brilliant finish to the corner of the net.
Glen looked to have steadied the ship following that score with two fine points of their own pushing their lead to six points with ten minutes remaining. Again, O'Doherty led the charge for the Emmet's reducing the gap to four. Stephen O'Hara's left foot effort added his team's final score with four minutes left to lead by five points.
Slaughtneil pulled one back in the final stages before a cool finish from Shane McGuigan left only three points between the team deep into injury time. However, the resultant kick-out was met by Martin McErlane's final whistle of the evening – an evening on which both clubs deserve tremendous credit for their mature performances.
Congratulations to Watty Graham's Glen; Derry Minor Football Champions 2013 (…and 2012…and 2011).
Goals! Watty Grahams win Derry MFC from Jerome Quinn on Vimeo.
For this and more videos from the O’Neill’s Derry MFC Final, visit: http://www.jeromequinnmedia.com/
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