Mayo U-21 'B' Football Championship Final (Easter Monday 13-April-98)

Charlestown's champagne supernova

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

A personal haul totalling twelve points suggests that Donal Healy's input into this thirteen point victory was ultimately decisive, yet there is a story to be told. The timing of two of Healy's goals - just after the break - and Lahardane subsequent and almost inevitable collapse speaks volumes for where this game was won and lost. One also has to consider the near complete dominance of Mark Gaffney, Frank Conway, and the irrepressible Dermot Higgins down the centre before also focusing on a forward unit which regaled in the quicksilver skills of Ollie Conway, Brendan Towey, and lethal livewire, Ciaran O'Connell.

And then back to Healy, for the story must be told. Three minutes into the second half, with only two points dividing the sides, he took a pass from Ciaran O'Connell on the edge of the square. And, as with Monaghan's Mark Daly on Sunday, there was a case for two touches to be argued by the defence as Healy palmed to an empty net. To be fair, arguements were thin on the ground and the goal stood.

Almost immediately, Cormac Rowland pulled back a point with the first of his three second half points to keep the Lahardane banner flying, yet within a minute Dermot Higgins was again tearing the black and amber defence apart before O'Connell again set up Healy for a much more emphatic finish to the roof of the net. Wing forward, Brendan Towey, pointed off his left within another sixty seconds and all of a sudden, a two point lead had developed into a near insurmountable eight-point snow clad Nephin.

They know all about Nephin in Lahardane and that showed with a character driven response which saw Cormac Rowland, Declan Leonard and the lively Vinnie Cawley tag on scores for the North Mayo side. Yet, Charlestown always seemed to have an answer with further points coming from the boots of Towey, who struck a brilliant free from fifty yards, O'Connell, who turned down a couple of goal opportunities in favour of the sanctity of points, Ollie Conway, a constant thorn in Lahardane sides, and of course, Healy, who added a third point, in the 53rd minute, to the two he scored in the first half.

It was confirmed to the same player that it was indeed to be his day when in the 54th minute, direct from the kick-out, he sent in a speculative effort on goal. Liam Canavan appeared in control of the situation until he lost his footing. He was on his knees as Healy's tally rose to 3-3. Indeed Lahardane were on their knees at this stage. Declan Leonard brought the whole ship down when he flung a fist in the direction of Frank Conway and was duly sent to the sideline.

It really didn't do justice to the efforts of Lahardane, especially during a first half when they attacked with menace on frequent occasions. They had opened the scoring on 53 seconds through Vinnie Cawley and after O'Connell and Healy had given Charlestown a 0-3 to 0-1 lead, they consructed a superb goal in the 15th minute as John Rowland and Anthony McDermott combined to put Declan Leonard in on goal and he finished efficiently off the butt of the left hand post.

There could have been, arguably should have been two further first half goals for Lahardane as John Rowland sent a screamer off Neil O'Connor's crossbar in the fifth minute, and Cormac Rowland struck right and wide from a tenth minute penalty after Declan Leonard was adjudged to have been fouled.

There was another goal in the first half, and it arrived on the stroke of half time after Declan Leonard and a superb Anthony McDermott point had been traded with efforts by Towey, Conway and O'Connell to leave the sides tied at 0-6 to 1-3.

It also came after seven Charlestown wides including three efforts on goal by Conway, O'Connell and the quiet Brian O'Connell which all should have yielded something.

Reward arrived when Mark Gaffney effortlessly won possession at midfield, where Shane Blake was anonymous, and linked with Ollie Conway before feeding the on-rushing Mickey Morley who rattled the net from 18 yards. The cliched "psychological advantage" was secured, and with Healy's early second half cameo, the title was soon secured.

Lahardane: Liam Canavan, Adrian Marley, Mervyn Marley, Declan Sheridan, Anthony McDermott (0-1); John McDonnell, Damien Kelly, Shane Blake, Vinnie Cawley (0-2); John Rowland, Brian Rowland, Declan Leonard (1-3); Cormac Rowland (0-3). Subs.: Stephen Jordan (for Sheridan).