Shercock 1-10
Munterconnacht 1-7

A five-star performance saw Shercock upset 13-man Munterconnacht and claim their first Cavan junior football championship triumph in 32 years this evening at Kingspan Breffni Park.

In a thrilling decider, Jodie Clarke's admirable team were inspired by an outstanding display from team captain John McEnroe, who contributed 0-5 from play from centre-forward in a 'Man of the Match' performance, although the official award would go to Shercock's young number 14 Killian Clarke.

The game itself would be delayed by nine minutes after an early clash between John McCabe and Ciaran Lennon, which saw McCabe having to go off with a nasty facial injury and Lennon also having to be withdrawn via a stretcher with a suspected broken collarbone.

When the match resumed Munterconnacht had edged matters, but it was the winners that landed the first major blow when Stephen Donnery hit the net on the quarter hour mark, before a Darragh Carroll penalty cancelled-out the effort and saw Shercock's lead trimmed down to one by the interval.

In the second-half, Clarke's team raced through the gears and through the points of their brilliant skipper and substitute Ciaran McGinley, along with some resolute defending by Liam Og O'Reilly and 18-year-old Brian Sankey, they secured their first Sean Leddy Cup success since 1979.

The opening exchanges had been even before John McCabe was slipped through for a goal chance and the corner-forward was met by a thunderous challenge from Ciaran Lennon. The challenge - one of the most ferocious seen in Breffni Park this year - upended both players and saw the game halted for the best part of ten minutes as both players were gradually substituted, with the latter having to leave the field of play on a stretcher.

It resulted in a 20 metre free which Darragh Carroll popped over to open the Munchies' account on 12 minutes. Colm Caffrey doubled their lead two minutes later, but James Cole's men would be rocked when a long ball into their square wasn't dealt with and saw Killian Clarke break possession into the path of Stephen Donnery, who palmed the ball to James Baugh's net.

The Meath-border outfit responded in the best possible fashion though when a sizzling run from Carroll saw him impeded by Colin Clerkin in the Shercock square and referee Oliver Reilly gave horizontal arms for a penalty. Carroll drilled his shot low to Colin Courtney's left hand corner which handed Munterconnacht back the initiative.

A rousing score from Stephen Sheridan stretched the advantage, before Shercock came into a profitable spell which saw a Clarke free being backed up by two splendid points from Paddy McPhillips, who was giving his marker a torrid evening. The cheers for McPhillips' brace wouldn't compare to the roar that went up from the Shercock contingent when team captain McEnroe landed a beauty with the outside of his boot to put his side back into the lead.

McCabe's replacement Shane O'Reilly struck a badly needed score on the half-hour mark to help stem the tide for the Blues, but after nine minutes of added time Jodie Clarke's charges got their noses back in front via a fine over from Clarke which clipped in off the upright to leave Shercock leading at the break by 1-5 to 1-4.

John McEnroe raised two white flags early in the resumption to leave the town side picking up where they left off at the start of the second-half, as Munterconnacht became in danger of fading away from the contest.

A Carroll free ended a 14-minute scoring drought for the Munchies and when Brian Cullen split the posts moments later their tails were firmly up.

The superb McEnroe hit back with another score for the leaders, but Munterconnacht's purple patch wasn't over and when they found the nippy Carroll out in front once more, the deadly accurate number 14 brought it back to a one-point game.

The momentum seemed to be with the trailers, but they were caught napping at the back in the 52nd minute when a quickly taken free from Dean O'Reilly found an unmarked Ciaran McGinley inside and the substitute had the simple task of tapping over, which would prove costly.

The impeccable McEnroe extended the advantage approaching injury-time with another bursting run through Munterconnacht's centre, which all but confirmed the title was going to Shercock, before the Blues' misery was compiled with sending offs for Stephen Keogan and Darragh Carroll in the dying minutes.

Shercock: Colin Courtney; Colin Clerkin, Liam Og O'Reilly, Ciaran Lennon; Daniel Clarke, Brian Sankey, Dean O'Reilly; Michael O'Reilly, Sean Magee; Paddy McPhillips (0-2), John McEnroe (0-5), Stephen Donnery (1-0); Damien McIntyre, Killian Clarke (0-2), Ollie Ward. Subs: Shane Clarke for C Lennon (11 mins, inj), Ciaran McGinley (0-1) for O Ward (44 mins), Declan McIntyre for Damien McIntyre (46 mins), Raymond Clarke for P McPhillips (58mins), Shane McPhillips for Donnery (59 mins),

Munterconnacht: James Baugh; Thomas Brady, Peter Cullen, James Hetherton; Owen Healy, Terry McCabe, Tadgh Morrissey; Danny Nolan, Brendan O Se; Stephen Sheridan (0-1), Brian Cullen (0-1), Sean Nolan; Colm Caffery (0-1), Darragh Carroll (1-3, 1 pen, 2f), John McCabe. Subs: Shane O'Reilly (0-1) for J McCabe (6 mins, inj), Brendan Plunkett for J Hetherton (29 mins), Stephen Keogan for B O Se (HT), Padraig O'Dwyer for O Healy (37 mins), Gary Rock for C Caffrey (54 mins),

Ref: Oliver Reilly (Mullahoran) Tweet

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