Super Valu Reserve B Football Championship Final
Newtownbutler 1-10 – Derrygonnelly 0-11

Newtownbuter Juniors were crowned Championship winners on Sunday, as they came out on top against a gutsy and determined Derrygonnelly Harps. Many in the county believed Newtownbutler would win substantially, having secured their place in the final with assured and confident performances against the likes of Ederny, Donagh and Irvinestown. This game would prove to be a more stern test than anticipated.

Newtownbutler made an encouraging start to proceedings, with corner forwards Ryan O’Keefe and Conor Beggan seeing a lot of early ball by taking advantage of the vast Brewster Park pitch. With a healthy balance of young and old, and a team which boasted names of many senior footballers, Newtownbutler opened up a 4 point lead thanks to scores from Beggan and a cheeky effort from James Melarkey.

The midfielder won a free kick on the 21 yard line, and although it looked as though he would knock it over the bar, he turned sharply and made an effort on goal, only for the Derrygonnelly goalkeeper to make a smart save down to his right and loop the ball over for a point.

However, a series of wides and a catalogue of errors gave Derrygonnelly the opporunity to claw their way back into the contest. It looked as though some Newtownbutler heads were dropping as the Derrygonnelly veterens put over successive scores to narrow the gap and leave a mouth-watering scoreline going into the second half. This saw the experienced Newtownbutler players raise their game in what was to be a very physical and scrappy half.

The talismanic Micky McDaid put in a magnificent performance; making, and taking, some huge hits in front of the entuhsiastic travelling fans. Their appreciation of his efforts evident by the raptourous applause he received at the final whistle. Paul Fitzpatrick at centre half back also put in a commanding performance, along with Shane Leonard and Paul Heustan.

Sean Monaghan was arguably one of the contenders for man-of-the-match. He provided a constant threat down the wing with his ball carrying skills and energetic running, tracking back when the team was in danger, yet still having the determination to make a trademark darting run with the ball and confidently knocking it over the bar. The turning point in the game came when Ryan O’Keefe was found in the area by Luke Weaver.

The tenacious forward turned to make an effort on goal, being upended in the process. A penalty was awarded to Newtownbutler and Glenn Monahan stepped up from corner back to take the spot-kick. After a tense and anxious wait, Monahan expertly smashed the ball into the top left hand corner to lift the teams spirits and raise the voices of the spectators. The goal proved vital, and Newtown went on to win the game much to the delight of the players who all put in a gritty and hard fought performance.

Photos by Ronan Murphy email at murf_90@yahoo.com