NEWTOWN BLUES 1-11

NH MAIRTIN 1-10

Newtown Blues retained their Senior Championship crown in dramatic fashion as snatched victory over Nh Mairtin at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday afternoon after overcoming a five-point deficit with ten minutes remaining.

A late goal from Ross Nally followed by points from Ciaran Downey and Conor Branigan in injury-time saw the Blues claim what had appeared to be an unlikely win and leave the Mairtins shell-shocked at the end of an entertaining encounter.

For much of the hour it looked as if they Monasterboice side were on course for their first Joe Ward but they were unable to complete the job and the Blues used all their experience in the closing stages to complete the league and championship double.

The Newfoundwell side were trailing by six points at the break and although they never hit top form they managed to stay in the game in the second period thanks largely to points from Branigan.

With 58 minutes on the clock, the gap was down to three but it looked as if theMairtins would hold out until Ross Nally conjured up an equalising goal to give his
side renewed hope.

Although Sam Mulroy edged the Mairtins back in front, the momentum was very much with the Blues and Downey levelled before Branigan had the final say when he landed the winner with virtually the last kick of the game.

It was the first time the Blues had led since the end of the first quarter as two points from Downey either side of a Mulroy score gave them the advantage in a cagey opening.

At that stage the Jocks realised the game was there for the taking and they kicked the next three points through Bryan McQuillan and Conor Whelan (2) before Colm Judge pulled one back for the Blues to make it 0-4 to 0-3 on 24 minutes.

The Mairtins upped the tempo before the break and a point from JP Rooney was followed by a goal from Paul Berrill and a Mulroy free to send their team into the break leading by 1-6 to 0-3.

The Blues battled to get back into the game in the third quarter as Downey, Robert Carr and Judge were all on target, but Mulroy and Whelan helped keep daylight between the teams as they were 1-9 to 0-7 in front with just ten minutes to play.

Brannigan and Downey then cut the lead to three points but it looked as if the Mairtins, despite losing goalkeeper Craig Lynch to a Black Card, would just hang on when the champions pounced in the dying moments to bring the Joe Ward on the familiar journey back to Newfoundwell.

NEWTOWN BLUES: Dean Martin; Fergal Donohoe, Emmet Carolan, Paul Moore; Kevin Carr, Cormac Reynolds, Johnny Connolly; Stephen Moonan, John Kermode; Andy McDonnell, Conor Moore, Conor Branigan 0-2; Colm Judge 0-2, Ross Nally 1-0, Ciaran Downey 0-6. Subs: Robert Carr 0-1 for C Moore, Hugh McGinn for C Reynolds, Ian Connor for J Connolly, Jamie Kelly for K Carr, Alan Connor for C Judge.

NH MAIRTIN: Craig Lynch; Paul Berrill 1-0, Michael Fanning, Shane Campbell; Thomas Sullivan, Eoghan Callaghan, John Clutterbuck; Conor Morgan, Wayne Campbell;  Stephen Campbell, Bryan McQuillan 0-1, Conor Healy; Conor Whelan 0-3, Sam Mulroy 0-5, Padraig McDonagh. Subs: JP Rooney 0-1 for P McDonagh, Darren Morgan for C Lynch BC, Eoin Wright for B McQuillian.

REFEREE: Jonathan Conlon.

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