Dromahair edge Minor shootout to claim Westlink Coaches U17 FC Division 2 title

If this year’s Westlink Coaches U17 Championships are an indication of the health of Leitrim underage football, then the county is in a good place after St Patrick’s Dromahair held off a strong challenge from St Joseph’s to win Sunday’s Division 2 title in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

Following on the superb fare in the division 1 decider a week before, the battle of the saints last Sunday saw Dromahair eventually prevail, their four goals, two in each half, just about enough to quell the spirit of a resilient St Joseph’s who absorbed some heavy blows in a thoroughly entertaining decider and kept pushing right until the final whistle.

Two goals from man of the match Ronan Byrne and one each from Jake Kavanagh and Colm McLoughlin saw Dromahair start their double County Final day with a thrilling victory but they had to work incredibly hard for it as the Aughavas and Carrigallen combination kept battling back from setbacks that would have sunk a lesser team.

Man of the match Ronan Byrne had an eventful day, scoring 2-2, including a delicate second goal as his touch diverted a pass into the square over the defence and into the net. Byrne, however, didn’t get to finish out the game as he picked up a second yellow card just after Dromahair had lost Colm McLoughlin to injury, leaving them with a nervous few moments before they secured a deserved title.

There has been nothing much between these sides in the championship and the game certainly lived up to it’s billing, two high scoring sides going at it non-stop. In the end, Dromahair’s greater spread of threats, from the McLoughlin twins through Ryan Kelly, Ronan Byrne, Matthew Speers and Jake Kavanagh, gave them the edge against a St Joseph’s side who relied too heavily on Conor McCabe and Darragh McBrien for scores.

St Joseph’s had the better of the early exchanges, even if that didn’t show on the scoreboard as Darragh McBrien put a two point free wide and then was off target with a two pointer from play. They did open the scoring on three minutes, Conor McCabe scoring a fine point from a tight angle.

But then the game got turned upside down - Dromahair forced a turnover and Colm McLoughlin took off a long run. It appeared the danger was past for Joseph’s when the ball fell from McLoughlin’s grasp but he controlled the ball soccer style, taking it past a defender before lashing home a shot to the far corner.

Barley a minute later, a long ball to the corner found Ronan Byrne, he rounded his man and bore down on goal, his first effort saved on the line by Aled Coyne but Byrne managed to force the rebound cross the line.

Ryan Kelly quickly added two points, the first set up by a long run from Daniel McLoughlin and the second from a free. The game then entered a lull after a heavy collision between Joseph’s Robert Gorby and Conor McCabe, McCabe leaving the game for a spell before coming back on later.

Daniel McLoughlin added a point as Dromahair threatened to run away with it but despite seeing a McBrien hit the post and fall wide, St Joseph’s hauled themselves back into it when the elusive Cian Reilly was taken down for a penalty, Darragh McBrien’s precision spot kick finding the net.

With McCabe coming back on, the momentum was with St Joseph’s as Cian Reilly gathered a lovely crossfield pass to point and Darragh McBrien landed a wonderful snap shot two pointer, cutting the gap back to a point.

Then Conor McCabe good loose, good work from Reilly releasing him for a first point before the kickout was turned over and the full-forward tied the scores on 24 minutes. That didn’t last long as Colm McLoughlin hit a Dromahair but a good move with a goal possibly on ended with Cian Reilly firing over.

Colm McLoughlin put a free wide, Darragh McBrien charged through the Dromahair defence but saw his shot blocked by Cillian McMorrow before a strong run from Colm McLoughlin ended with a neat Thomas Meehan point, both teams missing late two point attempts as Dromahair led 2-5 to 1-7 at the break.

Dromahair came out firing in the second half, Ryan Kelly profiting after a blocked shot fell his way before Ronan Byrne saw his goal effort tipped over the crossbar by Joey McManus, Dromahair three clear after 90 seconds.

St Joseph’s came back with a huge two pointer from Conor McCabe but they then had three wides in quick succession before they took the lead when an off-the-ball foul allowed Darragh McBrien edge his team in front with a successful two pointer on 37 minutes.

The lead didn’t last long as Matthew Speers walloped his own two point free over the Joseph’s crossbar but we were back level at 40 minutes when McCabe gathered a quick free and points.

Dromahair missed two chances to retake the lead before a Speers free put them back in front and, 15 minutes into the second half, Ronan Byrne did incredibly well to beat keeper and defenders to a palmed ball across the goalmouth, his delicate touch lifting it over the defence before almost casually falling into the net.

Byrne added a point two minutes later to stretch Dromahair’s lead to five points, McBrien replying from a free but when Shea Torsney played the ball over the top, Jake Kavanagh sped through to bury the ball past a helpless McManus, the same player adding a point five minutes later.

That seemed to be that but when Conor McCabe blasted the ball almost through Dromahair’s last line of defence and into the net, the gap was back to six points and with Colm McLoughlin forced off through injury and Ronan Byrne receiving a second yellow card, Dromahair suddenly looked shaky.

Conor McCabe added a point two minutes into added time but Dromahair secured the title when Daniel McLoughlin’s great pass released Jake Kavanagh for the insurance point.

ST PATRICK’S DROMAHAIR

Scorers: Ronan Byrne 2-2; Jake Kavanagh 1-2; Colm McLoughlin 1-1; Matthew Speers (tpf) & Ryan Kelly (f) 0-3 each; Daniel McLoughlin 0-2; Thomas Meehan 0-1

Team: Zach Rufini, Karl Casey, Cillian McMorrow, Diego Bouillard Lopez, Ryan Kelly, Daniel McLoughlin, Shea Torsney, Matthew Speers, Colm McLoughlin, Jake Kavanagh, Ronan Kearns, Cody Leyden, Thomas Meehan, Ronan Byrne, Adam McGoldrick. Subs: Patrick Sweeney for Casey (HT); James Maxwell for Kearns (40); Greg Lyons for Bouillard Lopez (52); Bouillard Lopez for C McLoughlin (57)

ST JOSEPH’S

Scorers: Conor McCabe 1-7, tp; Darragh McBrien 1-5, pen, tpf, tp; Cian Reilly 0-2

Team: Joey McManus, Aled Coyne, Sam Kearney, Glenn Mitchell, Jason Gallogly, Aaron Gallogly, Jack Kilgannon, Cian Reilly, Darragh McBrien, Jamie Kilgannon, Robert Gorby, Brendan Maguire, Alan McLoughlin, Conor McCabe, Adam Lunney. Subs: Graeme Lynch for McCabe (con 16); McCabe for Lynch (20); Samuelis Navickas for Lunney (45); Owen Mollahan for McLoughlin (49)

Referee: Mark McCloskey