YOUNG IRELANDS 1-4

GLYDE RANGERS 0-6

Dundalk Young Irelands completed a memorable league and championship double when they defeated Glyde Rangers by a single point in the Junior Final at Dowdallshill on Sunday afternoon.

A goal from Mark Savage early in the second proved the decisive in a contest that went right down to the wire.

Neither team was able to produce their best form in a game played in difficult conditions, but in the end it was the Dundalk side who did just enough to come out on top and claim their first junior title since 2007.

Following the disappointment of relegation in both league and championship last year, the Irelanders showed great character to bounce back and reclaim their intermediate status.

For Glyde it was another bitterly disappointing occasion as they lost out in the decider for the second successive year.

Despite scoring the first point of the game through Cian O’Donoghue, the Young Irelands found themselves second best in the opening period and they were pegged back by a Trevor O’Brien free.

Scores were hard to come by in the first half but Glyde edged ahead through efforts from Gareth Moran and Brian Duffy.

Despite failing to find their rhythm, the Dundalk side were still very much in the game at the break as a Dean Maguire point cut the gap to just 0-3 to 0-2.

The Tallanstown men were made pay for failing to take advantage of their superiority as the game turned early in the second half.

A foul on Dermot Mone resulted in a penalty for Young Irelands and although goalkeeper David Brennan saved Mark Savage’s effort the full forward fired the rebound to the back of the net.

Trevor O’Brien responded with a point for Glyde but Young Ireland increased the gap to 1-4 to 0-4 with scores from Jordan O’Donoghue and Dermot Mone.

Despite being over 20 minutes to play, they proved to be the last scorers for the Dundalk side but in the end it was enough to claim victory.

Glyde fought to the end but could only manage two pointed frees from O’Brien.

They did have a chance to snatch victory in the closing minutes when a brilliant interception from Peter Nixon denied the Tallanstown men a certain goal, while a last gasp ‘45’ from Ciaran Sheridan that would have sent the game to a replay, drifted just wide.

After the game Young Irelands captain, Cian O Naraigh, accepted the Christy Bellew Cup from Co Board Chairman Des Halpenny.

YOUNG IRELANDS: Fergal Sheekey; Peter McCourt, Ciaran Murray, Stephen Bellew; Cian O Naraigh, Derek Maguire, Peter Nixon; Derek Rogers, Seán McLaughlin; Aidan Sheekey, Dermot Mone 0-1, Dean Maguire 0-1; Cian O’Donoghue 0-1, Mark Savage 1-0, Jordan O’Donoghue 0-1. Subs: Johnny Lynch for A Sheekey, Shadam Azeez for C Murray, Aaron Murray for Dean Maguire.

GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; Conor McCullough, Cein Sheridan, Gerard Farrell; Alan Brennan, Mark O’Brien, Fiachra Sheridan; Brian Duffy 0-2, David Devaney; Niall Sharkey, Ciaran Sheridan, Dion Conlon; Trevor O’Brien 0-3, Gareth Moran 0-1, Aaron Devlin. Subs: Conor Sheridan for A Devlin, Paul Noone for A Brennan, Kevin Moran for D Devaney, Gavin Duffy for D Conlon.

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