Glen Maghera retained their Derry SFC title with an eight point victory over Slaughtneil at Celtic Park, 1-12 to 0-7.
In a fairly tepid and defensive contest, Malachy O’Rourke’s side led from start to finish against a disappointing Slaughtneil challenge. Cathal Mulholland scored the game’s only goal, with Conleth McGuckian, Jack Doherty, Ethan Doherty and man of the match Michael Warnock all bagging a brace of points each.
The first half was one to forget, at least for the neutrals. Slaughtneil immediately pulled their whole team into their own half when they lost the throw-in. Glen mirrored their opponents’ defensive approach once Slaughtneil won possession soon after. Indeed, the biggest roar of the opening 10 minutes was for a player overcarrying the ball.
Slaughtneil trailed 0-7 to 0-2 at the break, but only briefly looked like staging a revival.
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Glen raced to a 0-10 to 0-3 lead early in the second half and looked home and hosed. Slaughtneil threatened briefly. Points from Christopher Bradley, Shane McGuigan and Keelan Feeney reduced their arrears to four points, but when Cathal Mulholland poked a goal home in the 53rd minute in was game, set and match to Malachy O’Rourke’s team.
Elsewhere, Crossmaglen Rangers put the disappointments they suffered in the last two Armagh SFC finals firmly behind them on Sunday before soaring to a handsome win over first-time finalists Granemore, 1-19 to 0-10.
This time round, the authority, composure and indeed class which have been the hallmarks of successive Rangers teams down through the years surfaced in abundance as Granemore wavered before collapsing.
Rangers, powered by Rian O’Neill at midfield and spurred by dynamic wing-back Aaron Kernan, took control from the outset and by half-time they already one hand on the trophy when they led by 1-9 to 0-4.
A mini-revival that brought their opponents a brace of points at the start of the second-half proved to be nothing more than a false dawn as Rangers fired a five-point volley, launched by man of the match Cian McConville, to take total command.
Jason O’Neill and Marty Carr had done their best to keep Granemore in contention but such was the Rangers’ pace and power that their team was overrun.
Kerins O’Rahillys captured the Kerry Senior Club final with a single point victory, 0-15 to 0-14, over a gallant Templenoe side in a keenly contested game that will now see the Tralee club represent Kerry in Munster for the first time in 13 years, as the SFC final will feature two divisional teams.
Kerins O’Rahillys raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after six minutes. Killian Spillane started finding his range in bringing the gap back to a point by the end of the first quarter but Barry John Keane had it back out to an 0-8 to 0-4 advantage after 19 minutes.
Cormac Coffey had flown back from the Middle East for the game and he made a powerful run in the 27th minute to make the score 0-10 to 0-7. Templenoe rounded off the first half scoring with two further points from Spillane however to leave just the minimum between them at the break, 0-10 to 0-9.
Jack Savage hit three consecutive frees to put O’Rahillys 0-15 to 0-12 to the good by the 52nd minute but Templenoe were not wilting. The gap was down to just a point when Spillane lined up a free that would have forced extra-time. But his effort hit the junction of post and cross bar and David Moran, who gave a brilliant display in midfield, grabbed the ball and ensured his side held on to win.
The Fermanagh SFC between Enniskillen Gaels and Erne Gaels fell foul of the elements, with a huge downpour around lunchtime forcing the postponement of the decider, due to a waterlogged pitch.
In the Leinster SFC, Portarlington (Laois) advanced at the expense of Castletown (Wexford), on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-10. The tie had looked likely to go with extra-time but Portarlington produced a storming finish at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday afternoon.
As very little separated the sides all through the real drama came in additional time. After Portarlington keeper Scott Osbourne had pointed his side in front, 0-10 to 0-9, it looked as if the Laois champions would survive a torrid test, but Castletown had other ideas, as a Robbie Brooks 35-metre free from the sideline three minutes into additional time brought the sides level, 0-10 each.
But a hard working Portarlington still managed to build an attack of their own straight from the kick out leaving wing forward Rioghan Murphy to kick over a superb lead point.
Castletown, seven days on from their county final victory, pushed forward in the final minute of the five minutes additional time but lost possession in midfield with wing back Paddy O’Sullivan gathering possession to race through the defence to crash a low shot past Darragh Brooks, for the only goal of the game, and a match-clinching one.
Louth champions Ardee St Mary’s also advanced, thanks to a 3-7 to 1-7 win over Longford champions Colmcille, with the scoreline flattering the winners.
After winning their first title in 27 years the week previous, there was always going to be a hangover. Ardee felt those effects in the opening quarter of both halves but had enough to hang on. They relied once more on the brilliance of the double act of county forward Dáire McConnon and impact sub Ronan Carroll.
The in-form county man found the net twice in the first half to push St Mary’s to a double score 2-4 to 1-2 interval lead. Cathal Reilly replying with the goal for the Longford outfit.
Introduced at half time, Carroll’s brilliance off the bench was the difference in the county final replay. Mary’s manager Cathal Murray played that trick again and with Colmcille’s edging the second half with a scoring run of four points, Carroll’s impact was needed. Searching for the leveller, Colmcille’s play was loose and Carroll was sharp. The former county man broke up the field to lay off to Shane Matthews for the decisive third goal while helping himself to the final score of the game.
Elsewhere in the Leinster SFC, Palatine (Carlow) recorded an emphatic win over St Patrick’s (Wicklow), on a scoreline of 2-14 to 0-8.
The Carlow champions put on a show in front of the live television cameras on Saturday night as they surged to a 12-point win, after recovering from a shaky start.
Palatine had stormed into a double scores lead (0-8 to 0-4) on the cusp of half time when they struck for their first goal. Team captain Jason Kane pumped a high ball into the Patrick’s goalmouth and amid the confusion Conor Crowley crashed the ball to the net.
Crowley emerged as a deserved man of the match, with 1-3 behind his name from open play, while he also made a number of scores for colleagues.
The game was put to bed on 46 minutes when a sweeping move saw Thomas Sheehan goal from close range after Andrew Kehoe’s effort came off a post.
