Monaleen earn Premier minor football final win over Mungret in epic:
By Tom Clancy Limerick Leader Sport
Monaleen earned a two-point over over Mungret in the Premier Minor Football final
Monaleen are Premier Minor Football Champions, after an epic battle with Mungret St Pauls. The Castletroy club earned a 3-8 to 0-15 victory in Doon.
The final, played under the lights at a dry Doon venue, went the way of Monaleen, after re-focussing after they had let a three-goal lead slip against the defending champions.
In what was an end-to-end battle, this contest will be remembered for a three-goal start for the winners, who netted three times inside the opening five minutes.
Short of the injured Cian O’Haodha through injury, his deputy Sheehan stepped in with a fantastic display in the goal, to deny Mungret, who were seeking back-to-back titles. It is a sixth Premier Minor title for Monaleen, who last won the silverware in 2023, when it was U17.
Those early goals from Jamie Crowley, Ben Kiely and Conor Bowles set them on their way.
However, the Mungret side were battle hardened and they fought back to level after two thirds of the game, but couldn’t grab the lead, only to see Monlaeen grab the advantage once again down the home straight.
Crowley pounced on a loose ball inside thirty seconds to blast to the net, before Ben Kiely’s 45, as the game crept into just the third minute and carried all the way to the net.
Bowles added a third, when his dropping effort had enough to find the net after just four-and-a-half minutes. A dream start for Monaleen, who also missed another goal chance in between.
Shaken but not out of the contest, Vinnie Gleeson’s Mungret side fought back. Jack Dervan converted a much needed free, from outside the arc. Despite a Crowley point in reply, Mungret had now taken over.
They would score six of the next seven points to move closer. Killian Begley’s three were vital, and so too Dervan’s 45 after good sweeping by Sheehan in goals.
By half-time, Crowley and Sammy Roche traded points, to leave Monaleen 3-3 to 0-9 ahead.
Dervan went for a goal from the throw-in, only for Sheehan to deny him with a stunning save.
Mungret felt they were working doing plenty right, and Begley’s exquisite two-pointer, despite the pressure, pulled them to within a point. Dervan levelled the contest as the clock moved to 39 minutes.
Jack Moynihan, who had an all-action game, would kick two second half-points with star-man Crowley scoring in between. Eoghan Hogan ensured Mungret were still within touching distance.
However, fresh legs and indeed a new energy helped Monaleen over the line. Ben Kiely showed great composure to land another on 53 minutes, to repel the Mungret onslaught.
Crowley jinked onto his right to put three between the sides in stoppage time. Mungret hunted that goal, but Gleeson and his determined full-backline stood firm. Despite a late point from Thomas Ó Dónail, Mungret couldn’t find a goal.
Donnacha O’Callaghan sounded the whistle to spark a pitch invasion for Monaleen, before captain Rory Heffernan collected the silverware on behalf of his teammates.
SCORERS – MONALEEN: Jamie Crowley 1-4 (1f); Ben Kiely 1-1; Conor Bowles 1-0; Jack Moynihan 0-2; Danny Nash 0-1;
MUNGRET ST PAULS: Killian Begley 0-5 (2f); Jack Dervan 0-4 (1 tpf, 1 ’45); Thomas Ó Dónail 0-4 (3f); Sammy Roche, Eoghan Hogan 0-1 each.
MONALEEN: Cillian Sheehan; Luke McDermott, Darragh Doyle, Louis Ferland; Evan Williams, Rory Heffernan, Rory O’Dwyer; Peter Scully, Conor Bowles; Jack Moynihan, Ben Kiely, Fergal O’Duinn; Jamie Crowley, Danny Nash, Eoin Williams; Subs: Conor Ryan for McDermott (h-t); Óran Ryan for Evan Williams (42 mins); Daragh Lally for O’Duinn (52 mins); Tom Gavin for Nash (61 mins).
MUNGRET ST PAULS: Jamie Curtin, Ruairí Dwane, Amhlaoibh Bohane, Paul Corcoran; Cillian Johnson, Rory Gleeson, Charlie Rushe; Alan Cleary, Sammy Roche; Killian Begley, Jack Dervan, Rory O’Callaghan; Ronan O’Brien, Thomas Ó Dónail, Eoghan Horgan; Subs: Najim Jagna for Cleary (52 mins); George Lloyd for Roche (54 mins); Sean Casey for Dervan (57 mins); Dervan for Ó Dónail (62 mins).
Referee: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Feohanagh-Castlemahon)