Wonderful Wolfe Tones march to third SFC title

Dominant Kilberry/Oristown side romp to hugely impressive victory

Wolfe Tones ......................1-1-17 (22)

Donaghmore/Ashbourne... 0-1-10 (12)

They came, they saw, the conquered.

Wolfe Tones marched defiantly into the dragon's den and left with the ultimate prize of the Keegan Cup following their resounding victory over Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the SFC final on Sunday.

Having to play the decider on Donaghmore/Ashbourne's own turf was meant to present difficulties for the Tones, but they looked at home on the manicured sod as they dominated for the majority and romped to the biggest winning margin in a senior final since Navan O'Mahonys had 11 points to spare over Summerhill in 2008.

Itv was a complete performance from Shane McCoy's side as Thomas O'Reilly and Saran O Fionnagain produced displays for the ages and plenty of others played important roles in the overwhelming team display.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne had little or no response to Wolfe Tones dominance. There was a four minute spell in the run-in to half-time when they closed an eight-point deficit back to three, but that was as good as it got for the hosts.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne came into the contest with a mean defence that conceded an average of just 12 points in the championship. They were also fairly handy in front of the posts, but Wolfe Tones made a light of those strengths, scoring 1-19 and conceding just five points from play.

The hosts managed just four points in the second period as the half-time break halted their momentum. Wolfe Tones returned for the second period rejuvenated and added 1-11 to their tally.

O'Reilly and O Fionnagain ran the show for the winners with a spellbinding display that yielded seven points, but it was a complete performance from the Kilberry/Oristown.

The early exchanges were pedestrian and nervous as Wolfe Tones settled into their patterns on Donaghmore/Ashbourne's home pitch and dominated possession.

A burst of pace from Oisin Martin opened the scoring for Wolfe Tones in the fifth minute and a minute later Kevin Fenton replied for Donaghmore/Ashbourne, but that was as good as it got for Timmy O'Regan's side as O'Reilly, O Fionnagain, Martin and Caolan Ward stretched Wolfe Tones lead to 0-5 to 0-1 with points at their ease.

An Andrew Tormey free and a point from Stephen Carton offered brief respite for Donaghmore/Ashbourne, but another scoring burst from the Tones yielded a point from Kyle Moran, a two-point free from Ward after O'Reilly was fouled and superbly worked goal that was finished by Tom Gavigan to make it 1-8 to 0-3.

The goal was made by the outstanding Martin who burst from defence with possession, ran 60 or 70 metres before laying off to O Fionnagain, whose quick pass released Gavigan and he fired to the net, despite Donaghmore/Ashbourne's best efforts to scramble clear.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne did give their supporters something to cheer about in the closing four minutes of the half as Zach Thornton (free), a punched point from Bryan Menton, a Darragh McGovern score and a two-point free from Colgan closed the gap to 0-8 to 1-8 at the break.

They did threaten to maintain that momentum after the resumption as a McGovern point was the meat in a sandwich of scores from Sean Penny and O Fionnagain.

Points from O'Reilly and O Fionnagain stretched that lead to 1-12 to 0-9 by the 39th minute before frees from Thornton and O'Reilly, either side of a response from Ward (free), closed the gap to five points.

However Donaghmore/Ashbourne did have a goal chance in that spell when Thomas McGovern's low centre was missed by everyone and was eventually cleared with Tones scoring on the counter-attack through O'Reilly.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne managed just one point in the final quarter, a '45' from Colgan, as Wolfe Tones ran riot with O Fionnagain, Moran, O'Reilly from a remarkable catch and run, Ward (one '45 and one free) and Penny all on target to complete a memorable day for Wolfe Tones as they raised the Keegan Cup for the third time in their history and for the second time in five years.

Wolfe Tones: Ciarain O Gallachoir; Conor Sheppard, Shane Glynn, Andrew Crawford; Oisin Martin (0-3), Ross Gallagher, Sean Penny (0-1); Adam O'Neill, Eoin Donegan; Caolan Ward (0-6 one two-point free, two frees, one '45'), Thomas O'Reilly (0-3), Saran O Fionnagain (0-4); Tom Gavigan (1-0), Fiachra Ward, Kyle Moran (0-2). Subs: Cian O'Neill for F Ward 14m, Adrian Crawford for Penny 51m, Padraic Diamond for Andrew Crawford 59m, Stephen Sheppard for Moran 60m.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne: Andrew Colgan (0-3 one two-point free, one '45'); Sean Curran, Shane Melia, Evan Quinn; Sean Tyrell, Conor Carton, Kevin Cully; Bryan Menton (0-1), Jamie Browne; Thomas McGovern, Andrew Tormey (0-2 frees), Kevin Fenton (0-1); Darragh McGovern (0-2), Stephen Carton (0-1), Zach Thornton (0-2 frees). Subs: Cillian Hegarty for Cully, Evan Kelly for Thornton both 41m, Michael Deegan for Fenton 45m, Michael O'Sullivan for S Carton 49m.

Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels).