Castleblayney 1-20
Truagh 1-10

Reigning champions Castleblayney HC retained their Monaghan senior hurling championship title, but for a fair part of this game they had to weather a strong challenge from a Truagh team that was appearing in the senior hurling final for the first time.

Played in bright if somewhat greasy conditions in Clontibret yesterday afternoon this was a game where Castleblayney were only headed once and that in the opening minutes when Truagh started with a goal by Aidan Coyle. Castleblayney were level by the sixth minute and five minutes later when Mark Treanor scored a trademark goal they began to take a firmer grip on proceedings.

Castleblayney led at half-time by 1-9 to 1-5 and consolidated in the second-half with their more experienced players like Jim McHugh at full back, the Treanor brothers, Peter and Mark in midfield and top marksman Fergal Rafter making the real difference. Rafter racked up ten points in all, six from frees and Mark Treanor hit 1-3 and it was that level of performance that Truagh couldn’t match, but to their credit, they kept going right to the very end, but facing a mammoth task as Castleblayney opened an eleven points lead with six minutes of normal time remaining and saw the game out with some last-ditch defending and a couple of goal line blockages from goalkeeper Paul Murphy to win by ten at the finish.

Teams and Scorers: Castleblayney HC: P Murphy, B Connor,. J McHugh, E Leonard, D Crowe, P Finnegan, C McNally, P Treanor 0-2, M Treanor 1-3, C Merrick, B McGuigan 0-2, F Rafter 0-10 (6f), A Kerr 0-1, H Brennan 0-1, P Malone 0-1. Subs: B Flanagan for C McNally, d Irwin for H Brennan, N Garland for A Kerr, J lavelle for B Connor, C Kerr for C Merrick. 

Truagh: N Slevin, G Mohan, N Flood, E Sheehan 0-2, K McGuirk, D Tobin, S McClave, C Boyle 0-2 (1’65), M Flood 0-1, G Baxter, P McKenna, C Treanor, C McKenna, A Coyle 1-3 (0-1f), C Flood 0-1. Subs: B McQuaid 0-1 for S McClave, C Flynn for G Baxter, D MCCarron for C Boyle, F McKenna for C Treanor, D McAree for M Flood.   

Referee: J O’Rourke (Monaghan Harps HC).

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