Mountmellick Parish Gaels claim U/17 title with final flourish
Mountmellick Parish Gaels players jump for joy at the final whistle Photo: Denis Byrne
MOUNTMELLICK Parish Gaels produced an impressive attacking display to overcome Na Fianna Óg in the Midlands Park Hotel U/17 football final at Laois Hire O’Moore Park, which served as a curtain-raiser to the Senior Football Championship final on Sunday.
In a contest that provided plenty of goals and attacking quality, Mountmellick Parish Gaels eventually pulled clear, with Eoghan Lalor delivering a superb scoring burst in the second half to earn the Player of the Match award.
Na Fianna Óg opened the scoring through a Cathal Harris free before Will McGrath added another point. Mountmellick Parish Gaels responded through Charlie McEvoy, but the game’s first goal soon followed when Shay McEvoy set up Eoghan Lalor, who produced a superb finish to put Mountmellick Parish Gaels in front.
Nathan Lenihan added a free for Mountmellick Parish Gaels, while Fionn Harris replied for Na Fianna Og. Cathal Harris converted another free which was brought forward after the ball was not returned, before McGrath added a further free to keep Na Fianna Óg in touch.
Mountmellick Parish Gaels began to find their rhythm in front of goal and struck for a second major. Charlie McEvoy’s effort dropped to Liam Moran, and a fumble allowed Lenihan to react quickest and tap the ball into the net.
Charlie McEvoy, Lalor and Darragh Delaney added points as Mountmellick Parish Gaels began to establish control. Aaron Mackey replied for Na Fianna Og, but Lenihan then produced a superb score to leave Mountmellick Parish Gaels leading by three points at the interval, 2-6 to 0-6.
Mountmellick Parish Gaels continued where they left off after the restart, with Charlie McEvoy finishing brilliantly under the goalkeeper for their third goal. Tadhg Hughes added a point before Lenihan converted a free to extend their advantage.
Na Fianna Óg needed a response and found one when Cathal Harris set up Mackey for a goal, offering them renewed hope. However, Lalor soon took centre stage, scoring 1-3 in a row in a devastating spell that put Mountmellick firmly in command.
His goal was followed by a converted free and two further points, showcasing his accuracy and composure at a crucial stage of the final. It was a decisive contribution, and one that ultimately secured him the player of the match accolade.
Na Fianna Óg continued to battle, with Orran Langton getting a goal with a soccer-style tap-in before adding a point. However, their challenge suffered a further setback when Mackey received a straight red card for contact to the face of a Mountmellick Parish Gaels player.
Mountmellick Parish Gaels looked to add further gloss to the scoreboard, with Hughes seeing an effort saved by Moran. Charlie McEvoy then produced another moment of quality, using a dummy solo to see himself around Moran before finishing to the net for a fifth and final goal.
It was a fitting finish to an entertaining final, with Mountmellick Parish Gaels combining clinical finishing and sustained attacking pressure to secure the U17 title in front of the crowd gathered for the Senior Football Championship Final.
Mountmellick Parish Gaels: Eoghan Lalor 2-4 (0-1 free), Charlie McEvoy 2-2, Nathan Lenihan 1-3 (0-2fs), Darragh Delaney and Tadhg Hughes 0-1 each.
Na Fianna Óg: Aaron Mackey and Orran Langton 1-1 each, Cathal Harris and Will McGrath 0-2 (fs) each, Fionn Harris 0-1.
James Smith; Evan Standish, Conor Heffernan, Alex Connolly; Dean Comerford, JJ Reddin, Dylan Smith; Billy Byrne, Eoghan Lalor; Darragh Delaney, Frankie Delaney, Shay McEvoy; Nathan Lenihan, Tadhg Hughes, Charlie McEvoy.
Subs: Oisín Feighery for Reddin (56m), Ronan Wall for F Delaney (58m), Sean Conroy for D Delaney (60m), Cathal Gorman for C McEvoy (60m), Eamon Scott for Lenihan (60m).
Liam Moran; Henry Julian, William Cassidy; Daniel McDonald, Orran Langton, Gordon Fennell; Senan Mulqueen, Will McGrath; Finn Kelleher, Eoghan Harris, Cormac Fenlon; Fionn Harris, Aaron Mackey, Cathal Harris.
Subs: Thomas Foy for Kelleher (55m), Tiarnan O’Donoghue for F Harris (56m), Cillian Hughes for Fenlon (61m), Jim Wall for Cassidy (61m), Cormack Kerrigan for C Harris (62m).
Referee: Ciaran McManus (O'Dempsey's)
