Butlersbridge 1-12

Ballyhaise 0-14

Butlersbridge are celebrating a first-ever intermediate football championship success after overcoming Ballyhaise by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling final at Kingspan Breffni this afternoon.

The pendulum swung to and fro throughout a tense encounter but Daragh McCarthy’s side produced the goods to go one step further than last year's 12-point defeat to Ballinagh by lifting the Tommy Gilroy Cup.

The O'Reilly brothers, captain Caoimhin and man-of-the-match Fionntán, pulled the strings for the winners with the latter landing 0-6 (five frees), including two crucial injury-time frees to see his side over the line in front.

Ballyhaise, runners-up in 2014 and 2017, led by 0-8 to 0-7 at the end of a free-scoring opening period after Eoin Clarke and Kevin Tierney converted a late flurry of scores to send them to the front for the first time.

The eventual champions raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead with 14 minutes played after David Brady opened the scoring at the other end but were second best for the remainder of the first-half.

A long-range Stephen Smith free on the resumption doubled Ballyhaise's advantage before wing-back Cathal Leddy netted an all-important 34th minute goal which turned the momentum back in favour of McCarthy's men.

Butlersbridge: Michael Sheridan; Andrew McConnell, Colin Dugdale, Diarmuid McCorry; Feargal Flanagan (0-1), Patrick Flynn, Cathal Leddy (1-0); Peter Conaty (0-1, 1f), Ciaran O’Reilly; Kevin McPhilips, Fionntán O’Reilly (0-6, 5f), Killian Leddy (0-1); John Fitzpatrick (0-1), Caoimhín O’Reilly (0-2, 1f), Patrick McPhilips. Subs: Shane O’Rourke for Fitzpatrick (temp, 23 mins, reversed 25), O’Rourke for P McPhilips (47), Shane Leddy for K Leddy (52), Ciaran Greenan for Dugdale (55), Finbar Conaty for P Conaty (58). 

Ballyhaise: Niall Costello; Adam Heaslip, Darren Reilly, Marcus Duffy; Aodhagán Watters, Eoin Clarke (0-2), Aaron Watson; Conor Lyons, Michael Brady; Brían O’Rourke (0-1), Sean McCormack (0-1), Martin Conaty; Kevin Tierney (0-6, 5f), David Brady (0-1), Stephen Smith (0-3, 3f). Subs: Jamie Smith for S Smith, Jarlaith Brady for C Lyons (both 43mins), Colin McKiernan for E Clarke (45), Shane McKiernan for M Brady (51), E Clarke for C McKiernan (55, inj).

Ref: Barry McMenamin (Kill Shamrocks). 

 

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