Kiltimagh crowned Connacht junior champions
Kiltimagh’s Jordan Henry, Jack Mahon and Mikey Flatley celebrate at the final whistle of the AIB Connacht Club JFC final at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, this afternoon. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Kiltimagh eased to their second ever Connacht club junior football championship title after an eight-point win over Aughavas this afternoon in Carrick-on-Shannon.
The Leitrim champions were erratic with their shooting early doors, and Kiltimagh punished them with unerring accuracy with six points without reply, including a fabulous two-pointer by midfielder Paul Kelly and a sweetly struck ’45 by goalkeeper Jamie McNicholas.
Even at this stage, it was all too easy for Kiltimagh, but the Leitrim side would give their supporters something to cheer about when Adrian Shortt converted their first score with a two-point free on 19 minutes.
They would score only one more point in the half however, also coming from a Shortt free, as further points by Conor Mallee, Paul Kelly, Fionan Burke and Thomas Keegan saw the Blues lead 0-11 to 0-3 at half-time.
Darren Shortt and Thomas Keegan traded frees early in the second half, and Keegan followed it up with a point from play to extend the gap to nine three minutes into the second half. Oisin Mulderrig almost found net on the rebound from Liam Smyth’s initial shot, but an Aughavas defender cleared away.
Joey McBrien fired over a magnificent two-pointer from play, but Aughavas would score only two points in the final quarter. They looked to find the goal to set up a grandstand finish, but Jamie McNicholas was untroubled and points from Eoghan Lavin, Oisin Mulderrig and Fionan Burke ensured the east Mayo side won their first provincial title since 2009.
