29 November 2009
St Gall's won the Ulster Club Football title for the first time since 2005 with a performance of sheer class as they ran Derry champions The Loup ragged in final at Pairc Esler in Newry.
The Derry champions led by 0-2 point to 0-1 in early stages and were level at 4 points apiece in the twenty-third minute but once St Gall's hit their stride they could not live with the Antrim champions and managed to register just one more point to St Gall’s twelve for the remainder of the game.
Kevin Niblock put St Gall’s in front after just twelve seconds, but after being denied a stonewall penalty when Niblock was dragged down by Loup goalkeeper Shane McGuckin their frustration began to affect their play.
Loup took advantage and Paul McVey and Johnny McBride sent over points from frees to edge their team ahead but man of the match Aodhan Gallagher soon had St Gall’s level with a superbly taken point and CJ McGourty put them back in front with a point from a free after a dangerously high tackle on Mark Kelly.
Paul McVey brought Loup back on terms with another pointed free in the twenty-third minute but that was the beginning of the end for the 2003 champions as St Gall’s began to show their class and in the remaining seven minutes of the first half they tagged on four points through CJ McGourty (2), Sean Burkle and Rory Gallagher to open up an 0-8 to 0-4 half-time lead.
If the Derry champions were to remain in contention then they needed a good start to the second-half, but it was St Gall’s who sprang from the traps and in a spell of brilliance they sealed the win with a barrage of scores from CJ McGourty (2), Anton Healey, Kieran McGourty, Terry O’Neil and Kevin Niblock to pull ten clear.
Manager Lenny Harbinson had the luxury of giving his subs a run-out during the final quarter as the size of the winning margin was the only thing in question.
The Loup scored their only point of the second-half through a Ciaran Devlin free and in truth their luck was out as they hit the woodwork on four occasions during the game, but there was only going to be one winner as St Gall’s avenged the defeat to the same opposition in the 2003 final and in doing so set up an All Ireland semi-final meeting with Corofin of Galway in February.
Several players on the team also completed a notable double having last month won the Ulster Intermediate Hurling title, a remarkable achievement for a remarkable club.
Ronan Gallagher, Paul Veronica, Andrew McClean, Colin Brady (capt), Mark Kelly, Anto Healey, Sean Kelly, Sean Burke, Aodhan Gallagher, Kieran McGourty, Kevin McGourty, Terry O’Neill, CJ McGourty, Rory Gallagher, Kevin Niblock.
Subs: K Stewart for Kieran McGourty (47 mins); S Kennedy for Veronica (53); S Burns (0-1) for O’Neill, D O’Hare for Kevin McGourty, C Gallagher for Niblock.
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