Clinical Castlegregory clinch crown

THEY may not have replicated the sparkling football that carried them to the All-Ireland final stage, but Castlegregory’s heart and persistence made them worthy junior champions in Croke Park yesterday.

For long stretches their football season looked set for an abrupt ending, but the West Kerry team grimly stayed in contention and produced the flashes of flowing play that enabled them to get their ultimate reward.

As the action inched towards full-time, Castlegregory looked in trouble as they trailed 0-11 to 0-9 and Shane Hennessy, the man bestowed with the man-of-the-match award afterwards, sized up a free on the right wing. Hennessy’s kick floated goalwards where corner-forward Colm O’Mahony rose amongst a crowd to flick the ball on and it somehow crept into the far corner of the net.