Drumlane 2-12
Killinkere 0-13

A barrage of Ryan Connolly points arrived right on cue as Drumlane tore up the script to claim the junior championship title at Killinkere’s expense in Cootehill.

In the wet and windy conditions at Hugh O’Reilly Park, the victors produced a huge performance down the home stretch that included five points from Connolly and a goal from fellow county man Donal Monahan which swung the pendulum their way.

Killinkere had looked in control close to the halfway stage of this final replay, leading 0-8 to 0-4 with 28 minutes played after some excellent shooting from their marksman Emmett Fitzsimons, but Fergal Brady’s goal right on the eve of half-time breathed new life into the Sons of O’Connell for the start of the second-half.

Drumlane got level and Killinkere widened the margin back to three prior to 'Man of the Match' Connolly landing five-in-a-row (four from frees, including an exceptional sideline) to put his team on the path towards an immediate return to the intermediate ranks.

Fitzsimons’ ninth of the afternoon made it a one-point game with two minutes left in regulation, but as Killinkere hunted for an equaliser to force extra time they got turned over in doing so and that saw Brady carry possession and release Monahan in space to secure Drumlane’s first triumph in this grade since 1999.

Connolly’s first free of the afternoon opened up the winners’ account after three minutes but their east side counterparts were soon in the lead after points from Darren Smith and Fitzsimons flew over at the other end.

Monahan levelled things up with a fine individual score and Connolly and Gary Tubman opened up a two-point gap before Killinkere came into their purple patch.

Fitzsimons (free), Breen Smith, Jason McMahon and Darren Smith all converted the dominant possession spell soundly and the leaders looked like having their foot on the throttle right until the break before Brady robbed Killinkere ‘keeper Sean McGovern and took maximum profit by blasting to the net, leaving it at 0-8 to 1-4 when the teams went in.

Fitzsimons made it a two-point game a minute into the resumption but some superb fielding from Drumlane skipper Kian Monahan released Tubman for his second point in the very next attack and another from wing-back Darragh Brady evened up the tie.

Sharpshooter Fitzsimons stroked over the next three points (all from play) to edge the 8/11 favourites closer to victory until two frees from Connolly and a sublime left-footed effort reminded Killinkere that the Milltown men simply weren’t going away on this occassion.

The Drumlane full-forward nudged his team in front on 48 minutes and they’d never look back from there, with Dane O’Dowd earning a free that allowed Connolly to tap over his fifth on the trot.

Fitzsimons kept the heat on ‘The Sons’ with his ninth but the equaliser wouldn’t come his team’s way thanks to some ruthless defending at the back from the likes of John O’Dowd, Declan Lunney and Sean Smith.

Instead Paddy Bates’s men gambled and poured men forward only to get caught on the break which allowed Monahan to deliver the final dagger and ensure the party was bound for Milltown tonight along with, of course, the coveted Sean Leddy Cup.

Drumlane: Gareth Corrigan; Declan Lunney, John O’Dowd, Sean Smith; Shane Dolan, Donal Monahan (1-1), Darragh Brady (0-1); Dane O’Dowd, Kian Monahan (0-1); Gary Tubman (0-2), Ryan Connolly (0-7, 5f), Ciaran Crowe; Donal O’Reilly, Fergal Brady (1-0), Darragh Dolan. Subs: Phillip King for D O’Reilly, Killian Tubman for D Dolan, Conor Lunney for C Crowe (BC).

Killinkere: Sean McGovern; Mark Farrelly, Daniel Sweeney, Liam McCabe; Gary Denning, Lewis Fay-Cooper, Breen Smith (0-1); Jason McMahon (0-1), Noel McGovern; Darren Smith (0-2, 1f), Ciaran Sexton, Anthony Brady; Damien Sexton, Emmett Fitzsimons (0-9, 4f), Peter McCabe. Subs: Jamie Smith for A Brady, Ciaran Cusack for D Sexton, Paul Kerr for D Smith.

Ref: Brendan Sweeney (Ballymachugh)

Congratulations  @drumlanegaa Cullys Craft Bakery Junior Champions 2018. Kian Monahan lifts the Sean Leddy Cup. Well done also to Ryan Connolly who won Man of the Match. pic.twitter.com/1xbW4oyD1A

— Official Cavan GAA (@CavanCoBoardGaa) October 7, 2018

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