Ballybay 1-12 Clontibret 2-5:BALLYBAY WERE crowned champions of Monaghan after a lapse of 25 years when they proved too strong for Clontibret in an exciting final in front of a crowd of just over 3,600 in Clones yesterday.

Ballybay were only headed once and that after three minutes when Clontibret opened the scoring with a point by Dessie Mone.

Ballybay took the lead for the first time in the eighth minute with a point by Christopher McGuinness and they went on to lead at half-time by 1-5 to 0-3, Colin Malone with the goal in the 19th minute.

Ballybay effectively laid the foundations for this victory with a scintillating start to the second-half that saw them hit five points without reply in the opening six minutes to open a 10-point lead.

Ultimately though it was a cushion they needed as Clontibret mounted a strong final quarter that was kick started with a goal by Vincent Corey in the 18th minute.

A second goal by Corey on the hour brought the margin down to three but Ballybay held on for a deserved win.

BALLYBAY: S Gorman, F Smyth, D Wylie, R Wylie (0-1), M McArdle, B McCabe, B Wylie, S McQuillan (0-1), T O’Neill, T Kerr, P Finlay (0-4, all frees), F McArdle, H Malone (0-2), C McGuinness (0-3), C Malone (1-1). Subs: S McGuinness for C Malone, C McAviney for S McQuillan.

CLONTIBRET: A Morgan, C Duffy, C Greenan, D Carragher, D Mooney, C Boyle, M Corey, P McGuigan, JP Mone, D Mone (0-2), V Corey (2-0), P Boyle, R McGuigan, F Mone, C McManus (0-3, one free, one 45). Subs: David Savage for C Greenan, E Greenan for F Mone, R Gorman for R McGuigan, N Morgan for P Boyle, Declan Savage for A Morgan.