Ballyphehane are Seandun Junior B Football champions after big win over St Vincent's

Ballyphehane 4-17 (4-1-15)

St Vincent’s 0-9 (0-1-7).

Last year’s beaten finalists Ballyphehane went one better than last year as they defeated St Vincent’s to be crowned AOS Security Junior B Football champions before a sizeable attendance at Ballinlough. 

Ballyphehane have also collected their third piece of silverware to add to the Confined Junior B County Championship and the MacSwiney Cup, which were both won this past July. 

Ballyphehane will meet Duhallow champions Kiskeam in the County Championship.

This one-sided game was dictated by the wind as Ballyphehane made the most of the elements in the opening half, as they restricted St Vincent’s to a single score from play. 

St Vincent’s, to their credit, got five scores, including a two-pointer from play in the second half.

Sean Daly got the game’s opening point for St Vincent’s within a minute of the throw-in, before Ballyphehane seized the initiative.

Adam O’Donoghue put Ballyphehane in ahead with a two-pointer in the fourth minute. 

Ballyphehane continued to have St Vincent’s pinned back as Troy O’Sullivan, Craig Murphy, Alex Cummins and Sean Fielding each got points from play. Eric Fleming replied with the game’s first pointed free for St Vincent’s.

Ethon Varian scored a point from play for Ballyphehane. 

Murphy set up Robbie Wyse for Ballyphehane’s first goal entering the second quarter, to give Ballyphehane a lead of 1-7 to 0-2.

Fleming responded with St Vincent’s second pointed free.

Cian O’Brien set up Cummins for Ballyphehane’s second goal in the 19th minute. 

Ballyphehane added four unanswered points, including a free, to lead 2-11 to 0-3 at the break.

Within two minutes of the resumption, Murphy set up Cummins for Ballyphehane’s third goal, following a free. Wyse added a point from play, before Fleming replied with two points, including a free for St Vincent’s.

Aaron West and Brian O’Leary each tagged on points from play for Ballyphehane midway through the second half. 

Murphy also converted his second free.

In the 49th minute, West set up Cummins to complete his hat-trick and stretch Ballyphehane’s lead to 4-15 to 0-5.

Murphy converted two frees for Ballyphehane.

With the game effectively over as a contest, Shane O’Brien got four unanswered points for St Vincent’s, including a two-pointer and a free.

The final whistle was then greeted with jubilant scenes by the Ballyphehane supporters.

Scorers for Ballyphehane: A Cummins 3-1; C Murphy 0-6 (0-4f); R Wyse 1-1; A West 0-3: A O’Donoghue 0-2 (1 2pt); S Fielding 0-2; T O’Sullivan, B O’Leary 0-1 each.

St Vincent’s: E Fleming 0-4 (0-3f); S O’Brien 0-4 (1 2pt, 0-1f); S Daly 0-1.

Ballyphehane: L Towler; T Walsh, J Geasley, D Holland; R Wyse, D Moore, J Thompson; T O’Sullivan, C O’Brien; A West, E Varian, Adam O’Donoghue; C Murphy, A Cummins, S Fielding.

Subs: B O’Leary for Fielding (34), C McCarthy for Walsh (47), D Kiely for Adam O’Donoghue (49), J O’Brien for Wyse, P Mullins for Moore (both 53).

St Vincent’s: P O’Shea; D Butler, C Kent, A Good; K McCarthy, J Jones, C O’Neill; A Crowley, C O’Mahony; S Daly, P O’Sullivan, Aaron O’Donoghue; D Doherty, E Fleming, J O’Mahony.

Subs: A Lee for P O’Sullivan, C Doherty for D Doherty (both h/t), S O’Brien for O’Mahony, J Buckley for K McCarthy (both 34), W O’Donoghue for Fleming (46).

Referee: Peter Finnegan (Douglas).