Gaelic Games

Knocknagree claim maiden junior title

Late surge too little to late for Multyfarnham at Croke Park

Michael Mahoney celebrates scoring Knocknagree’s second goal. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Michael Mahoney celebrates scoring Knocknagree’s second goal. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Paul Keane at Croke Park
Sat Feb 03 2018 - 15:51

Knocknagree (Cork) 3-13 Multyfarnham (Westmeath) 3-9

A good start proved much more than just half the battle at Croke Park where Knocknagree claimed the AIB All-Ireland club junior title.

Early goals from Fintan O'Connor and Michael Mahoney surged the Cork outfit nine clear by half-time.

And the Munster champions, located close to the Kerry border, held on for a maiden title despite going down a man and conceding three second-half goals.

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Knocknagree never looked like losing in truth and built on their 2-8 to 0-5 half-time advantage to surge 11 points clear late on.

Goalkeeper Patrick Doyle scored their third goal direct from a 45-metre kick with just two minutes of normal time remaining.

But Multyfarnham, chasing a first All-Ireland club football title for a Westmeath side, refused to throw in the towel.

Captain David Wallace had already pulled back on goal for them in the 45th minute. And substitute Mark Fallon weighed in with two late on as they hit the Munster men with everything they had.

Fallon’s first effort deflected in and he fisted the second just moments later.

Ronan Wallace then got the gap down to four with virtually the last kick of the game but time simply ran out as Knocknagree clung on to become the first Cork team since Canovee in 2008 to blitz the junior grade.

Knocknagree: P Doyle (1-0, 45); G O'Connor, P O'Connor, M Mahoney (1-0); K Daly (0-1, own point), K Buckley, D Cooper; D Moynihan, P Collins (0-1); F O'Connor (1-3), J Dennehy (0-1), E McSweeney (0-2); M Dilworth, A O'Connor (0-2), JF Daly (0-3). Subs: S Daly for P O'Connor (32 mins), A Sheehan for Cooper (41), T Long for Dennehy (54), C White for McSweeney (59), T Cooper for Collins (60), J Carroll for G O'Connor (62).

Multyfarnham: H Reilly; S Moran, J Greene, T McGivney; R Wallace (0-1, 1f), P Heavin, S Rock; B McLoughlin, D Loughrey; C Madden, A McGivney, M Reynolds; I McGovern, M Brady (0-6, 4f), D Wallace (1-0). Subs: M Fallon (2-0) for T McGivney (h/t), A Loughrey for McLoughlin (41), E Feerick (0-1) for Brady (54), G Feerick for Madden (54), D Kelly for Loughrey (66, black card).

Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin).