Dominant Dunshaughlin back in the big time
They were strong favourites at the start of the championship to go all the way and claim the Mattie McDonnell Cup.
They were still favourites, hot favourites, before today's IFC final at Pairc Tailteann and they weren't overburdened by the weight of expectation either.
Instead Dunshaughlin lead from start to finish to claim the title and the famous trophy. They were deserving winners, no doubt, and now they can look forward to a return to the senior ranks after just a year in the intermediate.
They were by some distance the better team today a reality reflected in the lob-sided scoreline at the final whistle, 0-17 to 0-7. Luke Mitchell was Dunshughlin's main marksman with nine points, four frees, two marks while Duleek/Bellewstown's top score-getter was Jamie Crosby with a relatively meagre two points, both from frees.
Richie Kealy's team led 0-10 to 0-3 at the interval and never seriously looked troubled in the second-half by a Duleek/Bellewstown side that worked and battled and worked some more but were unable to make the kind of inroads into the Dunshaughlin defence they needed to garner the scores that might have ignited their afternoon.
Duleek/Bellewstown could especially have done with a goal or two but the prospects of that aspiration becoming a reality was always remote.
Dunshauhghlin's much-vaunted attack was pointed to during the championship as one of the chief reasons why - in the opinion of many observers of the local game - they were nailed on certainties to win the coveted trophy and a return to the top flight.
In today's showdown that attack once more was one of the reasons why they won the game with their chief marksman Luke Mitchell capping a fine afternoon's work with nine points, four frees, two marks. All but one of the starting six forwards got on the scoresheet with John McDonagh and Ruairi Kinsella helping themselves to two points apiece with Mathew Costello and Aaron Muphy also slotting over while Fergus Toolan vacated the bench and fired over the last score of the game.
With the strong breeze behind them in the opening half Dunshaughlin utilised their physicality superiority to get a foothold and build a very solid platform for ultimate success. They led 0-6 to 0-1 on 16 minutes, 0-8 to 0-1 after 20 minutes and by the interval they had that seven point cushion.
Duleek/Bellewstown did create a clear-cut goal chance when Alan Bowden got in behind the Dunshaughlin defence. He was one-on-one with Dunshaughlin 'keeper Adam McDermott but Bowden shot wide.
Joe Sheridan's Duleek/Bellewstown needed a big second-half but they couldn't build any sustained momentum and time and again they were the victims of turnovers.
Instead Dunshaughlin were able to steadily add to their account without producing much scintillating football with the game less and less enthralling as it went on.
Yet Dunshaughlin still did enough to win, more than enough - and return to the top flight.
SCORERS
Dunshaughlin - Luke Mitchell 0-9 four frees, two marks; Ruairi Kinsella 0-2; John McDonagh 0-2; Ciaran McCarrick 0-1; Mathew Costello 0-1; Aaron Murphy 0-1; Fergus Toolan 0-1.
Duleek/Bellewstown - Jamie Crosby 0-2 frees; John Flood 0-1 free; Sam O'Leary 0-1; Ciaran Flyann 0-1; Alan Bowden 0-1; John McDonnell 0-1.
TEAMS
Dunshaughlin - Adam McDermott; Oisin Foley, Alastar Doyle, Niall Byrne; Ciaran McCarrick, Niall Murphy, Adam Kealy; Ben Duggan, Conor Gray; John McDonagh, Mathew Costello, Mathew Moyles; Aaron Murphy, Ruairi Kinsella, Luke Mitchell. Subs - Conor Duke for Murphy 41 mins, David Fildes for Kealy 43m, Daniel Quinn for Doyle 52m, Fursey Blake for Duggan 58m, Fergus Toolan for Mitchell 62m.
Duleek/Bellewstown - Ryan Lynch; Sam O'Leary, Kevin McCann, Oisin Miland; Cian Ryan, Robin Clarke, Cianan Byrne; Elliott Lenehan, Shane Crosby; Jamie Flaherty, John Flood, Jamie Crosby; Ciaran Flynn, Alan Bowden, Tom Bowden. Subs - John McDonnell for Lenehan half-time, James McWeeney for Flynn 37m, Padraig Howard for Crosby 46m, Darren Heeney for Howard 52m, Mark Collins for Flood 61m.
Referee - Kieran Olwell (Moynalty).