Truagh Gaels power to famous All-Ireland win at Croker

Truagh Gaels (Monaghan) 2-21

Kiltane (Mayo) 2-13

MONAGHAN’S Truagh Gaels cruised to victory in the All-Ireland AIB Club Intermediate Football Championship final at Croke Park today.

It took them a while to shake off the dogged challenge of Mayo’s Kiltane, but in the end they proved too good. They closed out this high-scoring and exciting game with the last five points to give themselves a comfortable eight-point cushion at the final whistle.

The Mayo main trailed by just one with seven minutes to go, 2-13 to 2-14, but they ran out of steam. The undoubted star of the first half was Truagh corner-forward Daniel McKenna, who picked off an impressive 1-6 from play to help give his side a 2-10 to 2-5 lead at the break.

The Monaghan men got the first two points of the game, but then Kiltane hit back with two quick-fire goals through a Darragh Carey penalty and a Mikey Sweeney screamer. Truagh didn’t panic and they kept hitting accurate diagonal balls into their razor-sharp full-forward line, bypassing Kiltane’s sweeper.

Nearly everything McKenna touched turned into a score. He got his side’s first goal after 13 minutes and Mark Counihan added the second not long after.

Truagh Gaels scorers: Daniel McKenna 1-7, Mark Counihan 1-1, Paudie McKenna 0-4 (0-1f), Adam Treanor 0-4, Chrissy McKenna 0-2 (0-1f), Sean McKenna 0-2, Daniel Finnegan 0-1.

Kiltane scorers: Mikey Sweeney 1-1, Darragh Carey 1-0 (1-0 pen), Jason Healy 0-3 (0-1’45’), Edmund Barrett 0-3 (0-1f), Shane Lindsay, Ultan Corrigan 0-2 each, Tony Gaughan, John Reilly 0-1 each.

TRUAGH GAELS: Ian Treanor; John McCarron, Niall Feely, Niall McQuillan; Barry Cuddy, Rory Treanor, Paudie McKenna; Pauric Treanor, Niall McRory; Adam Treanor, Chrissy McKenna, Eoghan Kelly; Daniel Finnegan, Mark Counihan, Daniel McKenna.

Subs: Niall Coyle for Kelly (49); Keith Sheerin for McRory (49); John Traenor for Rory Treanor (54); Sean McKenna for Finnegan (58), Damien McRory for Adam Treanor (58); Aidan Coyle for Counihan 62 mins.

KILTANE: Michael John Reilly; Darragh Carey, Rory Corrigan, Stephen Sweeney; Patrick Joe Gaughan, Tony Gaughan, Sean Gaughan; John Reilly, Jason Healy; Ultan Corrigan, Sean Carey, Edmund Barrett; Mikey Sweeney, Shane Lindsay, Tommy Conroy.

Subs: Michael Gallagher for D Carey (18).

REFEREE: A Nolan (Wicklow)