McCready produces the goods as London regain All-Ireland JFC title

London's Seán Hickey and Shaun McCready celebrate after the game. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon

All-Ireland JFC final: London 5-12 USGAA 0-17 

Shaun McCready netted twice at Croke Park as London finally regained the All-Ireland JFC title, coming good after narrow final defeats in 2024 and 2025.

McCready's second goal, and London's third, arrived in the 47th minute and put Paul Coggins' side eight points clear at that stage.

And two late goals, from substitutes Niall McGivney and Alifie McNulty, applied the gloss to a big win as London captured their seventh junior title.

It's their first win at the grade since 1986 and their previous six titles came before the competition was reconstituted in 2022, mainly catering for overseas units.

London had pushed hard for titles in the last two years but lost to New York in back-to-back finals.

They put a big push on to get over the line in 2026 and after retaining the All-Ireland Britain title, beating Warwickshire in that final last month, they overcame old rivals New York in the All-Ireland semi-final on Friday evening.

With both sides requiring extra time to win their semi-finals in Abbotstown on Friday, it was a question of which team would cope better with the fatigue for the final.

London appeared to do the better job of it, hitting the ground running and putting 1-4 on the board before USGAA had even got off the mark.

Redican, from the Tara club, sniped 1-1 of that tally, fisting a point before being played in for an 11th minute goal by Eoin McGivney.

But as the London kick-out malfunctioned - they lost five in a row at one stage - a USGAA side drawing players from Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston were provided with a platform to haul themselves right back into the contest.

They responded with seven points in a row, three from wing-back Ronan Orford, to tie the game up by the 21st minute, 1-4 to 0-7.

Crucially, USGAA never actually took the lead and when McCready scored his first goal, just seconds before half time, lobbing the goalkeeper with what appeared a point attempt, London 2-5 to 0-8.

London captain Noel Maher, fresh from raising an orange flag in Friday evening's semi-final, boomed over two huge two-pointers in the third quarter.

Brian Kennedy's USGAA briefly got it going again with three points in a row, from Declan Kelly, Michael Moylan and sub Michael Kerr.

And later on they scored four points in a row, but the damage had been done at that stage, McCready's second goal, and London's third, coming in the 47th minute.

McCready redirected a long delivery to the net to leave London 3-12 to 0-13 up at that stage.

McGivney made it goal number four for London in the 59th minute, his shot ghosting beyond a group of players to the net and McNulty was fed by McCready for the fifth at the death.

London scorers: Shaun McCready 2-2, Conor Redican 1-2 (0-1f), Alfie McNulty 1-1, Noel Maher 0-4 (2 tpf), Niall McGivney 1-0, Seán Gaynor 0-1, Terry Gallagher 0-1, Caolan Doyle 0-1 (0-1f).

USGAA scorers: Eoin Gormley 0-5 (0-1f), Michael Moylan 0-4 (0-3f), Ronan Orford 0-3, Dylan Murtagh 0-2 (0-1f), Michael Kerr 0-2 (0-2f), Declan Kelly 0-1.

London: Caolán Doyle; John Lavelle, Jack Power, Ryan McCready; Eoin McGivney, Conor Redican, Donncha Byrne; Conor Redmond, Noel Maher; Terry Gallagher, Luke Morahan, Matthew Joyce; Seán Gaynor, Shaun McCready, Alfie McNulty.

Subs: Jamie Murphy for Byrne 26, Seán Hickey for Gaynor 43, Christopher Morris for Redmond 48, Niall McGivney for Joyce 57.

USGAA: Brian Bowler; Seán Gavin, Owen Sheehan, Conor Coyle; Owen Ward, Jack Lynch, Ronan Orford; Eoin Morrissey, Mark Dunphy; Charlie Sheehan, Brian McDaid, Dyaln Murtagh; Declan Kelly, Eoin Gormley, Michael Moylan.

Subs: Martin Murphy for Sheehan 21, Michael Kerr for Dunphy 41, Richard Lenke for Moylan 45, Tristan Kelly for Ward 48, Stephen Ward for Kelly 53.

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).