Goals vital as energetic Aughavas see off battling Drumreilly in Fresh Today Leitrim JFC A Final

After a tense and  almost claustrophobic first half, Aughavas turned on the style in the second half of Sunday's Fresh Today Leitrim Junior A FC Final to see off a stubborn Drumreilly challenge and claim the Dick Ellis Memorial Cup in Ballinamore's Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin.

An Aughavas goal right after halftime, coupled with a double dismissal that saw both teams lose a player, opened up the game and once Gabriel Keoghan's side got a bit of daylight between themselves and Drumreilly, they stormed home as they outscored their neighbours 2-6 to 0-7.

Having won this title twice in the last ten seasons, Aughavas have grounds for optimism in the years ahead as their young and energetic team looked well equipped for the higher grades and they certainly have the resilience as they came through a stern examination from a tough Drumreilly.

Drumreilly actually led the game midway through the first half and could have been further ahead as they were breaking clear on goal but saw play called back for a third man tackle. It was small moments like that that decided this contest.

Aughavas' energy and running game eventually found room to breath away from the suffocating Drumreilly pressure with Man of the Match Darren Shortt a key figure in the contest, his ability to land points from play under pressure a key feature of the contest while Aughavas never truly gave Drumreilly the sniff of a goal they needed.

NO REFEREE, NO GAME - LEITRIM CLUBS WARNED COMPETITIONS COULD BE PULLED IF NEW REFEREES NOT FOUND

In a game that was far from overly physical or in any way dirty, both teams saw two players dismissed in two incidents at the end of both halves while the new champions ended up with only 12 players on the field when sub Niall McCabe was also black carded.

Yet it is also fair to say that referee Paul Martin had no option but to brandish the four red cards he showed to Aughavas' Adrian Shortt & Cathal McNamara and Drumreilly's Nigel Maguire & Conor Edwards, both for off the ball incidents and those cards may come with a heavy price if Aughavas are down two key players ahead of the Connacht campaign.

After earning promotion to Division 1 next year, 2025 will go down as a very good year for Aughavas and, if they can hold onto their players, they certainly look to have the raw ingredients to do well in the Intermediate grade in the coming years - in Eanna McNamara, they have a talisman but it is far from a one-man show and Aughavas are a team to watch.

With both sides showing early signs of nerves, it was understandable that the first point came from a 3-man rule breach, Joey McBrien converting the free to open Aughavas’ account. A two point free attempt from McBrien went wide before a foul on the charging Archie O’Connor allowed Conor Gaffney open Drumreilly’s account five minutes in.

The Aughavas team who defeated Drumreilly to win the 2025 Fresh Today Junior A FC Final in Ballinamore Picture: Stefan Hoare

Darren Shortt gave a sign of things to come, dodging two defenders to hit a sweet point on six minutes while Gaffney, after missing a two point free attempt, landed a close range free after a foul on Jimmy Holohan. McBrien and Gaffney repeated the act, both landing frees before a strong run from Stephen Meissner put Drumreilly in front after 15 minutes.

Meissner’s strong run saw him bear down on goal, the possibility of a three-pointer opened up for him, but Aughavas drew level when a foul on Adrian Shortt allowed McBrien convert a free. A foul on a charging Eanna McNamara saw Darren Shortt ad a free that Nigel Maguire had to be alert to tap over the crossbar.

Shortt was in fine form, going past two defenders out on the wing to score as Aughavas went two clear after 22 minutes. Drumreilly almost threatened a goal, Aughavas keeper Declan Brooks flapping at Conor Gaffney’s two point attempt, the ball eventually going wide but Gaffney did tap over his fourth free of the game on 25 minutes.

Aughavas finished the half strongly with Darren Shortt and Joey McBrien both adding late free as Aughavas led 0-8 to 0-5 at the halftime break. But that wasn’t the end of the drama as a few clashes off the ball after the whistle sounded provoked some pushing and shoving before order was restored.

However, the sight of referee Paul Martin conferring on the pitch with his linesmen and umpires left fans feeling further action might be forthcoming and when the teams came, the match official showed straight red cards to Drumreilly’s Nigel Maguire and Aughavas’ Adrian Shortt with Drumreilly’s Ronan McCartin also booked.

It was quite a shock for both teams but Drumreilly felt it most as they had to immediately withdraw Darragh McNiff with Mick Holohan donning the sub keeper’s jersey and unfortunately for the long serving Drumreilly man, his first act was to pick the ball out of the net after Cathal McNamara’s run released Pearse Kenny and the wing-back finished expertly to the net just two minutes into the half.

Conor Gaffney responded with a successful free after a foul on Brian Fee but after a Peter Prior wide, Cathal McNamara restored the six point gap with a well taken free. Gaffney came back with another free but when Conor Edwards was booked for taking down a charging Eanna McNamara, Joey McBrien landed a monster two point free.

The Drumreilly team who were defeated by Aughavas in the 2025 Fresh Today Junior A FC Final in Ballinamore Picture: Stefan Hoare

Stephen Meissner made a good block to deny Darren Shortt a point while Drumreilly almost got the goal they craved - a long ball found sub Declan Maxwell, his pass over the top bounced off Jimmy Holohan and trickled wide of the near side post, Gaffney putting a two point free wide.

Aughavas were starting to exploit space, a great move ending with Liam McIntyre involved as Darren Shortt hit another point. Drumreilly wouldn’t give up and a Gaffney free and a lovely Meissner point in the space of 60 seconds got the gap back to six with just over nine minutes left to play.

But Aughavas swiftly shut the door - Darren Shortt played a one-two with sub David Charles, spun and fired to the net from close range, the killer goal immediately followed by a two point McBrien free as Aughavas now led by 11 points.

Drumreilly kept battling, Gaffney hit back with a free but was unlucky with a two point free while a high ball into the area was batted away by keeper Declan Brooks before Peter Prior landed a two pointer from distance. 

Aughavas and Darren Shortt would have the last word, a long ball allowing the corner forward take his tally to 1-6 for the day.

Unfortunately there was a sour ending to the game with both Cathal McNamara (Aughavas) & Conor Edwards (Drumreilly) earning straight red cards after they got involved in an incident off the ball, Aughavas sub Niall McCabe also seeing a black card for his part in the bout of shoving and pushing that followed, some of which carried on after the final whistle sounded to mark Aughavas’ victory.

AUGHAVAS

Scorers: Darren Shortt 1-6, 2f; Joey McBrien 0-8, 8f; Pearse Kenny 1-0; Cathal McNamara 0-1

Team: Declan Brooks, Gary Mitchell, Fiachra Casey, Liam McIntyre, Eanna McNamara, Paul Bohan, Pearse Kenny, Eoin Kenny, Shane O’Brien, James Canning, Conor Canning, Cathal McNamara, Joey McBrien, Adrian Shortt, Darren Shortt. Subs: Niall McCabe for J Canning (43); David Charles for Casey (48) 

DRUMREILLY

Scorers: Conor Gaffney 0-8, 8f; Peter Prior (tp) & Stephen Meissner 0-2 each

Team: Nigel Maguire, Ronan McCartin, Dermot Holohan, Daniel Hueston, Andrew McNiff, Archie O’Connor, Alex Brennan, Stephen Meissner, Peter Prior, Brian Fee, Conor Gaffney, Conor Edwards, Matthew Morris, James Holohan, Darragh McNiff. Subs: Mick Holohan for D McNiff (HT); Declan Maxwell for Morris (38); Damien Mitchell & John McKeon for R McCartin & Fee (49); Jack Houston for O’Connor (52)

Referee: Paul Martin