Clonard too strong for Ratoath men

Clonard's journey in from the cold gathered pace at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday when they won the Junior B FC title with a thoroughly deserved victory over Ratoath's second team. This was an overdue victory for the club that shares a border with Offaly, Kildare and Westmeath and hasn't exactly enjoyed too many visits to the winners' enclosure. Managed by Meath's 1991 goal hero against Dublin, Kevin Foley (pictured), Clonard played some very stylish football in difficult conditions and were always on the front foot as they established a 1-5 to 0-4 interval advantage. They made the best possible start when full-forward Bernard Reilly found the net in the third minute after David Rowley's ball into the corner made the opening. Kenneth Darby provided the centre and Reilly finished. Two pointed Rowley frees eased Clonard further ahead before Eamonn Wallace split the posts from play with a fine effort for Ratoath at the end of the opening quarter. Clonard played the better football for the remainder of the half and added points from Reilly, Adam Flanagan and Rowley while Ratoath closed the gap through Graham Gordon (two frees) and Mick Brazil to trail by four points at the break. Scrappy would be the most accurate description of the third-quarter. Wides, five in total, misdirected passes and lots of frees were interrupted by a brace of Darby points and one from substitute Darren McNevin as Clonard stretched that advantage to seven points, 1-8 to 0-4. Ratoath eventually got off the mark 17 minutes into the second-half when Wallace scored a fine point from play, but Rowley replied at the other end from a free. Dara O'Brien for Ratoath and McNevin traded points soon after, but Clonard remained in the ascendancy and began to play with a lot of self-belief. Rowley and Wallace exchanged points, but it was all fairly academic and while Rowley and Joey Darby completed the tally for Clonard, the biggest cheer ahead of the final whistle was reserved for the introduction of club stalwart Niall Walsh in injury-time. Clonard captain Alan Farrell received the Larry Kearns Memorial Cup for the Junior B FC which commemorates the late Larry Kearns who was a member of the 1972 Senschalstown Keegan Cup-winning team and later became involved with the Slane club. Sunday's victory was Clonard's first in the Junior B since it was introduced in its current format in 1972. SCORERS Clonard - D Rowley 0-6 five frees, B Reilly 1-1, K Darby 0-2, D McNevin 0-2, J Darby 0-1, A Flanagan 0-1. Ratoath - E Wallace 0-3 one free, G Gordon 0-2 frees, D O'Brien 0-1, M Brazil 0-1. THE TEAMS Clonard - Paul Sheridan; Conor Foley, Alan Farrell, Cyril Treacy; Gerard Foley, Jason Dowdall, Jason Moore; Adam Flanagan, Ian Campbell; Paul Boland, David Rowley, Joey Darby; Adrian Boland, Bernard Reilly, Kenneth Darby. Subs - Darren McNevin for Boland 40 mins, Ray Brennan for Darby 54m, Niall Walsh for Campbell 59m. Ratoath - Richard Donnelly; Richard Crehan, Turlough O'Neill, Glen Reilly; Brian Power, Gavin Quigley, Sean Killian; Mick Brazil, Mark Daly; Andrew Flinter, Sean Ryan, Eamonn Wallace; Conor Rooney, Dara O'Brien, Graham Gordon. Stephen Creagh for Killian 34 mins, Colm Kelly for Gordon 42m, Fiachre Gaughan for Rooney 56m, Darren Whyte for Reilly 58m. REFEREE - Tom Lorton (Simonstown Gaels).