Jenkinstown Gaels claimed U-19C Coolrite Championship honours with a two point win over Bective/Dunsany in the Final played at Dunganny on Saturday afternoon 25th November.

Jenkinstown Gaels 2-8 Bective/Dunsany 1-9

Although cold, conditions couldn’t have been better in Dunganny considering it’s the last weekend of November as the large crowd in attendance were treated to an entertaining game of football.

Having lost out to the same opposition in the group stages by the same margin, Jenkinstown Gaels gained revenge of some sorts when overcoming Bective/Dunsany by the same two point margin they had earlier lost out in the first game of the group.

Liam Jennings opened the scoring with a pointed free after sixty seconds, however Bective/Dunsany’s first score raised a green flag when a defensive lapse by Jenkinstown Gaels allowed Bective/Dunsany full forward David Donnelly find the back of Colin Byrne’s net leaving it 1-0 to 0-1 with five minutes gone.

Bective/Dunsany added a point in the eight minute, but forty five seconds later Leon Giblin struck for Jenkinstown Gaels first goal to draw the sides level for the first time, 1-1 apiece with nine minutes played.

Little separated the sides for the next twelve minutes or so, with each side responding to the others points, with the sides still level at 1-3 apiece after 21 minutes. Jenkinstown’s brace coming from two Liam Jennings frees, while Bective/Dunsany’s pair of points came from the lively Ben Sherlock.

Bective/Dunsany tagged on a further two points to give them a two point half time lead, 1-5 to 1-3.

The half time switch of Vinny Walsh to midfield to partner Craig Gilsenan gave Jenkinstown the platform to dominate the middle third for much of the second half and lay the foundations for this hard earned two point victory.

Within ninety seconds of the restart Jenkinstown took the lead when Leon Giblin played a brilliant pass to Max Kennedy in space and the wing half back made no mistake expertly dispatching the ball past the Bective/Dunsany ‘keeper James Donnelly to give his side the lead for the second time, 2-3 to 1-5.

Bective/Dunsany responded with a point in the 37th minute levelling the sides again, but Liam Jennings pointed on the three quarter hour mark to give his side the advantage again, 2-4 to 1-6.

Two Liam Jennigs frees in the 48th and 49th minutes extended Jenkinstown Gaels’ advantage out to three points with the goal separating the sides, 2-6 to 1-6.

A tense final ten minutes for Jenkinstown Gaels supporters ensued as Bective/Dunsany didn’t go down without a fight and whittled the three point lead with three points, Jenkinstown responded with a point from the industrious Barry Walsh sandwiched in between to leave just a point in it as the clock approached the sixty minute mark, 2-7 to 1-9.

The Jenkinstown Gaels defense stood firm to any Bective/Dunsany pressure in the last few minutes and two minutes into additional time Leon Giblin who had been excellent throughout, won his own dispossession to stride forward and split the uprights to give Jenkinstown Gaels a hard earned two point victory, 2-8 to 1-9.

Afterwards joint-captains Vinny Walsh and Colin Byrne accepted the Paddy Cooney Memorial Cup from Francis Flynn of Meath Co. Board to the delight of the Jenkinstown Gaels players and supporters alike.

Best for the winners were David Sheeran, David Regan, Max Kennedy, Charlie McCormack, Barry Walsh, Charlie Mulligan and the outstanding Leon Giblin who turned in a man of the match performance.

Many of the same panel who won this year’s C Championship were runners-up to Rathkenny in last year’s D final, so some bit of amends made for these players this year.

Jenkinstown Gaels team & scorers: Colin Byrne, David Sheeran, Colm McIver, David Regan, Max Kennedy (1-0), Charlie McCormack, Conor Quinn, Barry Walsh (0-1), Craig Gilsenan, Cathal Cunnigham, Vinny Walsh, Luke O’Halloran, Charlie Mulligan, Liam Jennings (0-6, 4f), Leon Giblin (1-1).
Subs used: Cillian Kelly for Quinn, Kyle O’Malley for O’Halloran, Oz Conboy for Cunnigham. 

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