"The townies are back!"

We secured a return to senior football by winning an exciting McElvaney Recycling Intermediate Football Championship Final against Cremartin in Clones last Saturday. Despite the game being bookended by Cremartin goals, a strong performance for the vast majority of the match saw our lads claim a fourth straight win. We kicked ten points from play in the first half to change ends level at 0-10 to 1-7. We had eight players on the scoresheet by then, namely Nicholas Scott, Stephen Driver, Neil McAdam, Michael and Conor Galligan, Conor McCrystal, Gary White and Éimhín Morahan. It remained tight throughout the third quarter, but with the influential Dónal Hahessy adding his name to the list of scorers after coming off the bench and Neil flicking home our only goal, we finally put some daylight between the teams. There was still more drama as Cremartin found the net again to jangle some nerves, but Gary converted a free deep into added time to seal a deserved 1-16 to 2-10 win. Congratulations to Paddy, Ryan, Steven and backroom team who put in a great effort to support a panel of players who showed great character in a most difficult campaign to win our first IFC title since 2009 and a place in the top flight for 2021.

Captain Aodhán Óg McAnespie and Kevin Loughran anchored a defence that also featured Conn O’Hanlon, Thomas Croarkin, Nicholas Scott, Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh and keeper Dylan McAree, while Stephen Driver and Neil McAdam fared well in midfield, with Conor Galligan continuing his strong form at centre-forward. Michael Galligan and Shane McMahon got through a lot of work from the wing-forward positions, with Gary White, Éimhín Morahan and Man-of-the-Match Conor McCrystal always posing a threat in the inside line. We were able to call on experience in Dónal Hahessy and Shane Smyth as well as youth in Dean Doherty and Lochlainn Power to contribute to a controlled second-half effort.

While the ongoing restrictions made it impossible to accommodate everyone who would have loved to have been there, it was great to see the joy the win brought to those present at a sun-soaked St. Tiarnach’s Park and to all who welcomed the team back into town. Thanks to all the club supporters for observing the guidelines and for all the well wishes from close to home and further afield.

Team and scorers: Dylan McAree; Conn O’Hanlon, Kevin Loughran, Thomas Croarkin; Nicholas Scott (0-1), Aodhán Óg McAnespie (Capt.), Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh; Stephen Driver (0-1), Neil McAdam (1-2); Michael Galligan (0-1), Conor Galligan (0-2), Shane McMahon; Conor McCrystal (0-3), Gary White (0-3, 2f), Éimhín Morahan (0-2, 1f).

Subs: Dónal Hahessy (0-1) for McMahon (41 mins), Dean Doherty for Croarkin (48), Lochlainn Power for M Galligan (52), Shane Smyth for Morahan (57).

Our scorers across the campaign were: Dean Fanning 0-14 (10f); Éimhín Morahan 2-8 (0-5f); Neil McAdam (0-3f), Gary White (0-5f) 1-9 each; Conor McCrystal 1-6 (0-1f); Conor Galligan, Dónal Hahessy (6f) 0-7 each; Michael Galligan 0-6 (3f); Shane Smyth 1-1; Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh 1-0; Shane McMahon (2f), Kevin Loughran, Stephen Driver 0-3 each; Aodhán Óg McAnespie 0-2; Nicholas Scott, Conn O’Hanlon, Lochlainn Power, John Mulligan, Dean Doherty 0-1 each.

Brief highlights of the game are available at: https://www.facebook.com/monaghangaa/videos/vb.158148337577266/2781770488774999/?type=3&theater

Photos can be viewed at https://www.monaghangaa.ie/gallery/ or on our social media.