All-Ireland glory for Cookstown

AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Final:
Cookstown Fr Rocks (Tyrone) 1-9 Finuge 0-6 (Kerry)

Cookstown Fr Rocks became the first club to win the All-Ireland Intermediate Club title twice, with a six-point victory over Kerry and Munster champions Finuge at Croke Park on Saturday night.

They won the title previously in 2010, and dominated more or less from the outset at HQ to reclaim the trophy.

Cookstown took control of proceedings early on, and points from Owen Mulligan (2), Shea McGarrity and Jason Quinn put them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead. Finuge responded with two John Griffin points either side of a Cookstown effort from Marty Hughes, and that left it 0-5 to 0-3 in favour of the Tyrone side.

Cookstown led by a point at the break but moved three clear when two points from Quinn made it 0-7 to 0-4. Then came the decisive moments which ultimately tilted things irrevocably in the direction of the Ulster champions.

First, Finuge’s Maurice Corridan was sent off, leaving the Kerrymen with an uphill battle, and then James McGahan goaled for Cookstown, putting them five ahead.

Pat Corridan then was dismissed for Finuge, leaving them down to 13 men, and it was effectively game over from there, as points from Mulligan and John Gilmore sealed victory for the Fr Rocks club.