Downeys inspire Lavey to first minor football championship in 35 years

Lavey 0-15 Glen 1-8

Lavey minors completed the set on Saturday, as the footballers claimed the championship title – for the first time in 35 years – adding to the hurling trophy they collected a fortnight before.

The Erin’s Own men , beaten in last year's decider by Bellaghy, dispatched of a Glen team that will look back on their indiscipline as a key factor in defeat, with over half of the victor’s scores coming from frees.

The Watties did show incredible fighting spirit when, after losing Tiarnan Higgins to a back injury that caused a lengthy delay, they came from five down to within a point thanks to a Jody McDermott goal.

With Lavey having passed up two goal chances of their own in the first-half, it looked like that may come back to bite them, but the Downey trio of Callum, Enda and Matthew stepped up to the plate to ease Michael Hassan’s men to the title in the final ten minutes of an end-to-end, tactical and breathless encounter.

Orange and black flooded the pitch at the final whistle with the old cries of ‘ole, ole, ole, ole, Lavey, Lavey’ filling the crisp night air. The sound of some very promising years ahead.

MATCH STATS:

Lavey: Jack Scullion, Niall Rafferty, Shea O’Neill, Segdae Melaugh, Niall Duggan, Ryan Farrell, Ryan McGill, Cormac Collins, Jamie Duggan, Patrick McGurk, James McGurk, Rory McGill, Callum Downey (0-2), Enda Downey (0-4, 1 ’45, 1f), Matthew Downey (0-9, 7f).

Subs: Joseph McGurk for N Rafferty (74), Jake O’Connell for S Melaugh (78).

Glen: Patrick Walls, Adam McGonigle, Seamus McKenna, John Convery, John Glass, Cathair Glass (0-1), Ryan Gallagher, Conleth McGuckin (0-1), Jody McDermott (1-0), Odhran Craig, Ethan Doherty (0-3), Tiernan Higgins, Shea Convery, Marc Dixon (0-3), Dara McGill.

Subs: Joe McKenna for T Higgins (INJ 49), Tiernan Kelly for J Convery (65), John Convery for J Glass (67).

Ref: Mervyn McAleese (Drum).