Roscrea win first ever county football title as they defeat Ardfinnan in U15B county final

County Under 15B Football Final

Roscrea 4-10 

Ardfinnan 3-8

John O’Shea at Pairc Coicam Dundrum

Roscrea won their first ever Football County title when they defeated Ardfinnan at Pairc Coicam Dundrum on Thursday evening in a seven goal feast of good honest entertaining football. 

Heretofore Inane Rovers were the football side of Roscrea. In the end Ardfinnan will rue the missed chances throughout this game as only five points separated the sides at the full time whistle.

This was a game of honest endeavour, with both teams attacking from end to end, no sweepers, no packed defences. Roscrea played more as a team, even though there were some individual performances, especially their top scorer Owen Hough. Ardfinnan, on the other hand, played more individually and ultimately paid the price.

The game took seven minutes to register the opening score as both defences were on top, before Roscrea captain, Liam Dunphy, kicked over at the dressing room end. Owen Hough doubled that advantage, two minutes later. 

The opening goal came on ten minutes when midfielder Jack Hayes cut through the Ardfinnan defence before putting Owen Hough through and the full forward made no mistake when blasting to the net. Hough again pointed to give the North boys a six point advantage with twelve minutes on the clock.

Ardfinnan, who had kicked a few wides early on, eventually opened their account when James Murphy cut in from the Station Road side and registered a green flag from a narrow angle.  

The same player quickly followed with a point from a placed ball, before Jack Walsh restored Roscrea’s three point advantage around the seventeenth minute. This was to be their last score of the first half as Ardfinnan hit four unanswered points in a row. 

James Murphy kicked over a placed ball, Paul Cummins got his opening score of the game, before Jack Darmody tied the game, four minutes before the interval. Paul Cummins got his second of the evening just before the break to leave the half time score, Ardfinnan 1-5, Roscrea 1-4.

Ardfinnan got the perfect start to the second half when James Murphy kicked his second goal after four minutes to give the South boys a four point advantage. However this was to be their last score until the game entered injury time, as Roscrea took a firm hold on the game. 

Michael Dooley converted a free before Ardfinnan keeper Oran Bourke saved well at the expense of a 45. Points from Jack Walsh and Calum Mitchel had reduced the deficit to the minimum by the tenth minute, as Roscrea played a lovely attacking game.

The game was won and lost in a five minute period coming up to the sixteenth minute, when Roscrea kicked 3-1 without reply. Jack Walsh goaled on eleven minutes, Michael Dooley followed up with goal number three, two minutes later and Owen Hough got in for his second on the three quarter hour mark. He quickly followed up with a point as they ripped the Ardfinnan defence to shreds. Two further points followed from Michael Dooley and Liam Dunphy to lead by double scores at the thirty minute mark, 4-10 to 2-5.

Almost eight minutes of injury time was played and Ardfinnan came alive in this period, kicking 1-3, the goal coming from Cillian Carrigan. Paul Cummins kicked the last score of the game to close out a hugely entertaining game. 

Scorers: Roscrea: Owen Hough (2-3), Jack Walsh (1-2), Michael Dooley (1-2, 0-2f), Liam Dunphy (0-2, 0-1f), Calum Mitchell (0-1).

Ardfinnan: James Murphy (2-3, 0-2f), Paul Cummins (0-4), Cillian Carrigan (1-0), Jack Darmody (0-1).

Roscrea: Aaron Tooher; Marko Pasalic, Jack Byrne, Jayden Loughnane; Harry O’Donoghue, Aaron O’Donoghue, Jack Ryan; Jack Hayes, Calum Mitchell; Jack Walsh, Liam Dunphy, Billy Kennedy; Michael Dooley, Owen Hough, Luke Murphy.

Ardfinnan: Oran Bourke; Rian O’Keeffe, Samuel Hartigan, Sean Moroney; Robert Carrigan, Zak Doyle, Fake O’Connor; Aidan Gorey, Sean Cotter; David Cunningham, Paul Cummins, James Murphy; Cillian Carrigan, Oisin Jordan, Jack Darmody. 

Subs used: Shane Bourke for Jake O’Connor (HT), Danny O’Dwyer for Rian O’Keeffe (HT), Carl Hennessy for Oisin Jordan (38), Cillian O’Dwyer for Danny O’Dwyer (65, inj).

Referee: Donnacha Horan (Eire Og Annacarty)