County Under-21 'B' Championship Football Final (Easter Monday 13-April-98)

Charlestown.............................4-13
Lahardane.................................1-9

Healy hits hat-trick as Charlestown claim title

At half time in Islandeady yesterday (Monday) afternoon few could have predicted that Charlestown would run out such comprehensive winners of the County Under-21 'B' football final.

Just three points seperated the teams, 1-6 to 1-3 in favour of Charlestown, and Lahardane had competed on equal terms for much of that opening period. But within five minutes of the restart the game had turned on its head and two goals from the clinical Donal Healy handed Charlestown an impetus that they never surrendered. Charlestown were worthy winners. Their second half performance was full of effort and thought and their scoretaking was of the highest standard. Lahardane battled away to the end but they could have had no complaints about the outcome, such was the superiority of the winners.

The first half was close with little hint of what was to come. Lahardane started well with a Vinny Cawley point after just 55 seconds but Charlestown were level four minutes later when Kieran O'Connell sent over a fine point from a free kick. Donal Healy made it 0-2 to 0-1 a minute later but Lahardane were presented with a tremendous oppurtunity to take the lead after ten minutes when they were awarded a penalty after Declan Leonard was fouled. Sadly for them however, Cormac Rowland's shot went wide of the post and a great chance was wasted.

Donal Healy sent over a lovely point at the other end but after fourteen minutes Declan Leonard finally found the net from close range to put Lahardane ahead by a point, 1-1 to 0-3. That appeared to give the initiative to Lahardane but Charlestown always looked dangerous on the break and the talented Brendan Towey fired over an equalising point after sixteen minutes.

The effervescent Declan Leonard restored the lead for Lahardane and Anthony McDermott put two between them when he burst through the winners defence for an excellent point. Just before the break Mickey Morley scored Charlestown's first goal when he took a pass from Dermot Higgins and accelerated past the Lahardane cover to fire a superb shot past Liam Canavan in the Lahardane goal.

When Declan Leonard hit the first point of the second half after twenty seconds to reduce the gap to two points, the large contingent of Lahardane supporters could have been forgiven for thinking that their team was in the game with a real shout. But sport has a funny way of knocking people back on their feet and when Donal Healy palmed the ball to the net two minutes later a Lahardane win began to look remote. Cormac Rowland sent over a point from a free for Lahardane but the impetus was with Charlestown and Healy pounced for his second goal after taking a pass on the run from the imperious Dermot Higgins.

Brendan Towey tapped over a lovely point and though Vinny Cawley hinted at a revival for Lahardane it was nipped in the bud with two excellent points from Kieran O'Connell. Towey added another before Cormac Rowland pointed for Lahardane. Kieran O'Connell pointed again for Charlestown and with six minutes to go Donal Healy completed his hat-trick of goals when his speculative shot from thirty yards evaded Liam Canavan. Game over. Declan Leonard pointed for Lahardane but that was his last act as he was sent off for his part in an incident with Frank Conway. It was a shame that that was Leonard's last act as he had worked hard all day for his team.

The cup then went to East Mayo and deservedly so. Frank Conway, Dermot Higgins, Enda Casey, Mark Gaffney, Mickey Morley, Brendan Towey, Kieran O'Connell and the hat-trick hero, Donal Healy, impressed greatly for Charlestown who were a class apart once they got into their stride.

Lahardane, on the other hand, will want to forget this as quickly as possible. Anthony McDermott, Damian Kelly Vinny Cawley, John Rowland, Declan Leonard and Cormac Rowland were their best performers.

Lahardane: Liam Canavan, Adrian Marley, Mervyn Marley, Declan Sheridan, Anthony McDermott (0-1); John McDonnell, Damian Kelly, Shane Blake, Vinny Cawley (0-2); John Rowland, Brian Rowland, Declan Leonard (1-3); Cormac Rowland (0-3).