Glyde Rangers led from pillar to post to win Christy Bellew Cup

GLYDE RANGERS 1-13

NAOMH FIONNBARRA 1-08

Glyde Rangers finally got over the line to serenely capture the Christy Bellew Cup at Naomh Fionnbarras's expense. They led from pillar to post on Saturday afternoon in Stabannon as they ended  26 years of hurt.

All those years of trying and recent final heartache wiped out in a composed five point winning performance. Rangers thoroughly deserved the win and who would begrudge them?

Four final losses in the previous six seasons meant the emotion of the day was drained out of them and deemed irrelevant. That passion was their downfall in the past and just like that, they used all the clarity to get over the line.

Winning manager Peter Duffy deserves huge credit for the breaking of the glass for the Tallanstown outfit. Regardless of the timing of his appointment mid-season Glyde’s game plan and match ups were correctly made and went a long way to securing silverware.

As well as their own marking jobs going their own way. Conor McCullagh and Jack McKeever kept Finbarrs inside duo scoreless from play; they also held the upper hand the other way too. 

Finbarrs were on the back foot straightaway by blinking first and by moving Jack Regan off the forty for Hugh Osborne to pick up Niall Sharkey. As the final began, Stuart Reynolds' side were slow out of the traps.

Glyde built an early lead and their pattern off sitting and holding was theirs straightaway. Star man Ciaráin Sheridan continued his championship winning tilt by showing brightly early on with two scores.

Sheridan’s mark had Rangers three nil up with Killian Scott enjoying a fine first half too. At the other end the consistent Ciarán Markey eventually settled Finbarrs but there was a sense that even at that early stage Glyde had a firm hand on things.

After missing a free from the same range Hugh Osborne clipped over a ’45 but it still failed to spark his side and his marker Niall Sharkey showed his class with a wonderful point.

Then an opportunity for Glyde to fail presented itself. McKeever drove forward to win a penalty. Fionn McQuillan stepped up again in the same goals as the shootout to deny Alan Kirk. However even that save didn’t disrupt Glyde as they took a healthy 0-8 to 0-3 half time lead.

Sheridan slotted over the first score of the second half as Glyde looked to cruise to victory. Alan Kirk atoned for his miss with a fine score before Tadhg Kellet fired home. The move typified all the previous years of learning.

Brian Duffy was sent right through but didn’t rush an effort or go himself either, he calmly shipped it off to Kellett to land the killer blow.

With Glyde setting the traps, Finbarrs were still flat and unable to revive themselves. Brendan Simms did scramble home a goal but Conor Sheridan used all his experience to thwart another way to lose. Commiserations to celebrations. 

GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; Jack McKeever, Conor McCullagh, Fiachra Sheridan; Tadhg Kellett 1-0, Niall Sharkey 0-1, Gerard Bourton; Dion Conlon, Brian Duffy 0-2 (2f); Killian Scott 0-2, Aaron Devlin, Lee Finnegan; Conor Sheridan; Alan Kirk 0-3 (1f), Ciaráin Sheridan 0-5 (2f, 1m) . SUBS: Oisín Lynch for Devlin (42), Ultan Larney for Finnegan (46), Cein Sheridan for F Sheridan (51), Trevor O’Brien for Kirk (61).

NAOMH FIONNBARRA: Fionn McQuillan; Kalum Regan, Adam Hanratty, Ronan Callaghan; Niall Woods, Hugh McGrane, Chris McGlynn;Josh Crosbie, Brendan Simms 1-0; Hugh Osborne 0-2 (145’), Jack Regan, Conor Osborne 0-2; Cormac Reynolds, Ciarán Markey 0-3 (3f), Jack Butterly. SUBS: Ciarán Murphy for J Regan (35), Máirtín Murphy for H McGrane (42), Andy McCann 0-1 for Callaghan (49).

REF: David Fedigan (Hunterstown Rovers)