Slaughtmanus win first Junior Championship with win over Doire Trasna

Slaughtmanus won their first Junior Championship in their long history when they defeated Doire Trasna by eight points at Celtic Park.

St Mary’s dominated proceedings for large swathes of the contest, with Connor McGee top scoring with nine points. Barry Lyons and Killene Thornton bagged goals for the winners. Conor O’Donnell hit seven points for the defeated Pearses.

The 2025 Junior Championship has been one for the ages. Once we’d dispensed of the early group stages with its inherent lack of jeopardy, we’ve witness umpteen cracking games and feisty contests. And no shortage of great football. The lack of any real outstanding favourite, and any number of contenders with proper ambitions of lifting the Joe Brolly Cup, has added further intrigue and trepidation to this season’s third tier championship.

Slaughtmanus, if anybody, has perhaps carried the favourite’s mantle. Having played their league football in the more rarefied Division Two air, James McQuillan’s side arrived at Celtic Park better prepared than most.

A flawless round robin record brought them to knock out football where they were tested by first Drum in the quarter-finals and Glack in the semis. It was two tough tests that St Mary’s dug deep to win and progress to the final.

The Pearses, despite an early set back against city rivals Sean Dolan’s, timed their run to finals day to perfection. Collie MacEoin’s men

proved too good for Doire Colmcille in another city derby, before producing their very best to overcome Moneymore in an extra-time semi-final few will forget.

The 2017 winners opened the afternoon’s scoring amidst relentless lashing rain. Conor O’Donnell, their teenage sensation at centre-half back, played a lovely ‘one two’ with Eoghan Quigg before splitting the sticks.

But after that the rains ceased and Trasna retreated into their shells as opponents Slaughtmanus took a firm grip on proceedings. Barry Lyons’ goal in the 2^nd minute provided his side with the perfect nerve settler, the veteran palming to the net from a high ball in from Connor McGee. McGee nailed three consecutive frees to see St Mary’s stretch their advantage to 1-3 to 0-1 after the first quarter.

With star man Quigg well policed by Cathair Doherty and, at times, a sweeper in front in the form of the excellent Cahir Cooke, the Pearses decided to go for route one when Cormac Kelly palmed home Trasna’s goal courtesy of a long ball into the square from Somhairle McFadden.

A fourth free from ‘dead eye’ McGee and a Caolan Hargan point extended the Slaughtmanus advantage to 1-5 to 1-1.

Eoghan Quigg would wait until the 28^th minute before opening his scorecard with a free and that would be Trasna’s last point of a disappointing first half.

Slaughtmanus, by contrast, finished the half strongly with three unanswered points in stoppage time. McGee notched over point no. five and six before Oran Carton’s white flag left Slaughtmanus 1-8 to 1-2 up at the break.

Slaughtmanus hit five of the first six points after the restart to all but get their hands on the cup. Goalkeeper Gavin McShane hit one mighty two pointer, which Conor O’Donnell replied in kind for Trasna. St Mary’s led 1-14 to 1-4 after the third quarter.

With the coffin all but nailed the Pearses found a pocket of form when the scored four consecutive points with Eoghan Quigg’s brace of frees sandwiching two fine scores from Trasna’s best player Conor O’Donnell.

Young O’Donnell nailed another two pointer late in the game but it only wiped a little blood of the scoreboard. Trasna launched a number of high balls in but each and every one was repelled by a very mean Slaughtmanus defensive unit.

And with the last act of the contest Killene Thornton ran half the length of the pitch before burying the ball in the top right hand corner of the Trasna net.

Slaughtmanus lift their first championship since 1988, and were well worth it.

Doire Trasna: Gerard Doherty, Shane Lyttle, Mark Healy, David Officer, Oran Donnelly, Conor O’Donnell (0-7, 2 tp), Sean Fleming, Cormac Kelly (1-0), Caolan Doyle, Dylan Deery, Colin Murray, Somhairle McFadden, John McKivergan, Eoghan Quigg (0-3, 3f), Tomas McCrossan. Subs: Gavin Bradley for G Doherty (HT), Connell Guile for S Fleming (HT), Tom Casey for D Deery (42), Eoghan Devlin for T McCrossan (57)

Slaughtmanus: Gavin McShane (0-2, 1tp), Conor Lyons, Cathal Deery, Cathair Doherty, Oran Carton (0-1), Cahir Cooke, Jude Mullan, Conaire Molloy, David Quigg, Rian McCormick (0-1), Eoghan Cassidy, Caolan Hargan (0-2), Killene Thornton (1-0), Conor McGee (0-9, 7f), Barry Lyons (1-0). Subs: Mark Kirk for C Lyons (38), Corin McMonagle for C Doherty (49), Shat Crawford for D Quigg (54), Eamon Deery for E Cassidy (57), Gerard McCormick for B Lyons (59)

Referee: Thomas Devlin