Ballyduff Lower 1-11
Shamrocks 0-10
Thomas Keane For the second year in a row the County Junior Football Championship has found a home in the eastern half of the county after Ballyduff Lower proved too strong for Shamrocks on Saturday evening last at Fraher Field.The defeat for the Western Champions means that they have returned home empty handed from the final in the last two years.The Western champions proved the better of the two sides in the opening half and they turned around holding a 0-7 to 0-4 lead at the break and looked like they were going to make up for the disappointment of losing out to Mount Sion twelve months ago.
Ballyduff Lower came out a much different side in the second half. With the wind at their backs they upped their work rate and two minutes after the restart they kicked the only goal of the game when a long ball went in over the heads of the Shamrocks full back line where Emmet Power was waiting, and he made no mistake in slipping it to the net.Two minutes Declan Cheasty unleashed a pile driver at the Shamrock’s goal, but his effort went over the crossbar. Emmet Power pointed from a free and Ritchie Murphy tipped over a good Ronan Dunphy effort to extend the Ballyduff lead.
Jack Harrington pointed on 41 minutes which put his side 1-8 to 0-7 in front. Billy Hynes kicked Shamrocks first score on 43 minutes from a free only for Eoin Cummins at the other end to cancel it out with a good effort from play. Points from Eddie Hynes and Shane Roche followed as Shamrocks closed to within two of Ballyduff Lower with 13 minutes remaining. Jack Lyons kicked a late brace of points as Ballyduff Lower advance to contest the Munster Junior Club Championship and against Limerick side Croom at a Limerick venue on November 16th.
County Junior Football Final
