The week just past also saw history being made by the Carrickmacross club when they won the senior football league title for the first time ever at the expense of Castleblayney in their replayed final in Emyvale. The after match scenes of celebration left no one in any doubt as to have much this victory meant to Carrickmacross and also how badly it was needed as they are a club that have been starved of success over the years and have had more than their fair share of setbacks in recent times. The victory sees Carrickmacross breaking new ground in that it is the first title at senior level they have taken since they won the senior football championship back in 1919 but even more importantly it will give a new-found confidence to this largely young side. Over the years Carrickmacross have been knocking on the door of a number of occasions but failed to make the breakthrough and questions were asked as to the true character of teams from the south Monaghan capital. It was felt by some that they had chances to win the league title in injury time in the drawn game on Sunday October 23rd but lacked the conviction to kill it off but they answered those critics and more importantly answered those questions in their own minds with a resurgent performance in the final minutes when the title hung in the balance and was there for who wanted it the most. Carrickmacross showed that they have the hunger and the new-found conviction to finish the job and hopes now will be high in the club for the 2008 season. Carrickmacross 0-12 C'Blayney 0-10 History was made on Wednesday evening last when Carrickmacross won the senior football league for the first time ever thereby becoming only the 11th club to win the Owen Ward Cup since that prestigious trophy was first played for back in 1930. In the drawn game in Drumhowan on Sunday last Carrickmacross had spurned a couple of late chances and the fear was that perhaps they had missed the boat but this time around when the game was there for the taking in those vital closing minutes and the sides deadlocked for the seventh time in the excellently appointed St. Oliver Plunkett Park it was Carrickmacross who showed that they had reserves of courage, commitment and confidence to chisel out match-winning scorers in stoppage time. Ground conditions on the evening were good with the recently installed floodlighting system in making for a very atmospheric occasion despite the wintry chill and the cold was further dispelled by the full-blooded nature of the contest as both sides give it their all. Three players were dismissed in all during this contest, two from Castleblayney and one from Carrickmacross, one from each side on a straight red card, but that was in contrast to the true nature of the contest which was played with championship fervour yet always sportingly. Carrickmacross fielded an unchanged side from the drawn game with Castleblaney making one alteration with Francis Moore coming in for Mark Loughman and Adrian Irwin again deputising for the injured Stephen McGeough. Castleblayney chances were not help with the early loss of Dermot McArdle who aggravated a calf injury and they did miss his leadership and playmaking ability. The sides were level four times during a closely contested first half with Carrickmacross taking a one-point lead into the break although that might well have been more as they were off target on at least six occasions and also failed to convert a couple of clear-cut goal chances. To their credit they did not let that sap at the morale but stuck to the task manfully in the second half, opening a three points lead by the 10th minute but then having to come back from being a point in arrears after 22 minutes as Castleblayney mounted their best period of the match. Carrickmacross leveled with five minutes of normal time remaining and they had to fight back to parity again with three minutes remaining after another Kieran Tavey free had given Castleblayney a late lead. At this stage extra time looked to be on the cards but Carrickmacross rose magnificently to the occasion and dispelled the doubts of many as they struck for match winning and history making scores from Sean Downey with a magnificent point on the half-hour and another Andrew Callan special from a free three minutes into stoppage time to seal a memorable victory. Teams and Scorers: Carrickmacross: Niall McCarthy, John McNally, Gary McEnaney, Owen McNally, Owen Duffy, Mark McNally, Paddy Lonergan, James McGeown, James Conlon, Mark Downey 0-1, Stephen Gollogly 0-1, Sean Downey 0-2 (1f), Andrew Callan 0-7 (6f), David Fox, Seamus Mulholland. Subs: Ronan McMahon 0-1 for P Lonergan, Paul Conlon for D Fox. C'Blayney: Padraig McBennett, Darren Daly, Cormac Brady, Liam McElroy, Stephen Lynch, Ciaran Hughes, Patrick Tavey 0-1, Brian McGuinness, Francis Moore, Adrian Irwin 0-1, Dermot Malone, Ray McArdle, Keith Hill 0-3 (3f), Kieran Tavey 0-5 (4f), Dermot McArdle. Subs: Jason Hughes for D McArdle. Referee: Kevin Murtagh (Toome). Tweet

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