Glanmire 0-13

Douglas 1-9

GLANMIRE won the Seandún Junior B Football League for the first time as they defeated Douglas in a hard-fought decider at Ballinlough.

This game went down to the wire as Glanmire scored five unanswered points in the third quarter to move to within two points of Douglas, while a point from play by Glanmire’s Naoise Marron deep into stoppage time proved to be the match winner.

In a low-scoring opening quarter, Keith Crowe broke the deadlock with a pointed free for Glanmire before Kevin Murphy and Will Jones exchanged points from play.

Paul Barry tagged on a point from play for Douglas entering the second quarter and Jack D’Arcy replied for Glanmire, before Douglas, who were playing with the aid of a strong breeze, took a grip on proceedings. Douglas scored four unanswered points in this period with Shane Tobin scoring two including a free, to give his side an interval lead of 0-7 to 0-3.

Glanmire were exposed at the back in the opening minutes of the second half and Alan Murray pounced for the game’s only goal from the edge of the square in the 32nd minute.

Glanmire seized the initiative as they held Douglas scoreless for the remainder of the third quarter with two points from Pa Henry and one each from Marron, Cillian O Corcora and Cormac Hill.

Murphy tagged on a point from play for Douglas before they found themselves on the back foot, as persistent fouling was proving to be costly in the final quarter. Podge Griffin converted a hat-trick of frees without reply in this phase to tie the scores at 11 points apiece.

Marron put Glanmire in the driving seat with a point from play with time almost up, but deep into stoppage time, Murphy pointed a free to level matters before the tie was settled.

Scorers: Glanmire: P Griffin 0-3f; N Marron 0-3; P Henry 0-2, K Crowe 0-1f; W Jones, J D’Arcy, C O Corcora, C Hill 0-1 each.

Douglas: A Murray 1-0; S Tobin 0-3 (0-1f, 0-1 mark); K Murphy 0-3 (0-1f); P Barry, E Barry, B Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Glanmire: C Kingston; C O Corcora, P Kingston, J D’Arcy; B O’Driscoll, S Crowe, B Kelleher; P Griffin, C Hill; N Marron, W Jones, P Henry; K Crowe, A McCarthy, T Sheehan.

Subs: M Cogan for Jones (35); M Burke for K Crowe (39); TJ Dennehy for Sheehan (46); E Jose for O Corcora (53).

Douglas: M Holland; N Fanning, D McSweeney, C Kilbride; M Lyons, P Tobin, J O’Sullivan; E Cotter, S Hanrahan; P Barry, K Murphy, E Barry; A Murray, S Tobin, B Fitzgerald.

Sub: M McGrath for Hanrahan (46, inj).

Referee: Sean Forde (Lough Rovers).