Captain Duffy rescues ‘Blayney

Danske Bank Corn Colmcille FinalOur Lady’s Castleblaney 3-11 St Joseph’s Donaghmore 3-9
From Kevin Kelly in Emyvale
Three minutes into injury time and trailing by two points, Our Lady’s Castleblaney captain Tommie Duffy proved to be the match winner when he crashed the ball to the roof of the net to break St Joseph’s Donaghmore’s hearts.
It was an outstanding Danske Bank Corn Colmcille final at Oliver Plunkett Park in Emyvale between two superb teams who demonstrated all that is good about Gaelic football.
The quality of football was of the highest order and in the end it was a pity that there had to be a loser. Donaghmore hit the front for the first time going into the final quarter and when they moved two clear they looked as though they had done enough until Duffy’s late strike.
On the day Castleblaney were well served by Tiernan Buckley, Tom Carey, Charlie McQuillan, Darragh McMahon, Max McGinity and Duffy while for St Joseph’s James Rafferty, Joey Clarke, Connor O’Neill, Joseph Corrigan, John McKenna and Noah Grimes were to the fore.
Castleblaney were out of the blocks quickly and after Duffy had opened the scoring with 15 seconds gone McGinity and Tadgh Hegarty both tagged on points by the 5th minute.
The superb Grimes then opened Donaghmore’s account but in the next attack McMahon cancelled that out at the other end of the field. In the 13th minute a strong run from Duffy finished with him setting up Hegarty for a goal and a 1-4 to 0-1 advantage.
Three minutes later though St Joeseph’s were back in the game when a flowing move involving Clarke, Corrigan and Connor O’Neill ended with Eoghan O’Neill finding the back of the net.
The winners’ next scored proved to be a goal as well with midfielder McQuillan finding the roof of the net but that also proved to be their last of the opening half.
60 seconds later a great ball from Eoghan O’Neill found Grimes who side stepped keeper Jamie Casey to score a goal and that was followed by a Grimes brace as well as one from McKenna to leave it 2-4 each at the break.
A brilliant Duffy point opened the second half scoring and after Grimes and McGinity had exchanged scores from frees an effort from play from McKenna left it all square again.
In the 45th minute St Joseph’s took the lead for the first time in the game when Leo Hughes found Grimes and he did the rest with a clinical finish to the left hand corner of the net.
Castleblaney were stunned but within five minutes they were back on level terms after McMahon weighed in with two points either side of one from McGinity.
Two Grimes frees edged Donaghmore in front before a placed ball from Duffy kept Castleblaney in touch as we went into injury time. Corrigan then fisted Donaghmore two clear but then came that winning goal from Duffy with McGinity adding a point from a free to ensure victory.
Our Lady’s Castleblaney: J Casey, L Connolly, C McCooey, L Brennan, T Buckley, T Carey, M Ennis, C McQuillan (1-0), M Duffy, C Burns, D McMahon (0-3, 1F)), T Hegarty (1-1), T Duffy (1-3, 1F), M McGinity (0-4, 3F), D Lennon.
Sub: A Gleeson for Lennon
St Joseph’s Donaghmore: L Quinn, D Quinn, J Rafferty, M McNally, T Burns, J Clarke, J Kelly, J McKenna (0-2), C O’Neill, L Hughes, J Corrigan (0-1), E O’Neill (1-0), D Donaghy, N Grimes (2-6, 4F), J McCarthy.
Subs: S Coleman for Burns, C Cunningham for McCarthy, J McNally for D Quinn, M Coyle for Donaghy
Referee: E Mallon, Armagh

Picture also from Kevin Kelly