Dominant Milltown crowned Junior Champions

Milltown 1-17

Roberstown 1-6

Milltown are Tom Cross Transport Junior Football Champions after a dominant win over Robertstown. The eventual winners came good midway through the first half and never looked back as they secured their immediate return to Intermediate football after last year’s relegation.

Milltown’s superb display was aided by Robertstown’s ill-discipline as they finished the game with 12 men on the field following three red cards. The frustration was clearly evident and it seemed almost inevitable that Robertstown would receive at least one red card. And each one passed it went from unsurprising, to disappointing and on to, when finishing with 12.

Milltown started the brighter of the sides, but it would be their opponents who got the first scores of the afternoon as Brion Kennedy set up Dean Bagnall for a score after six minutes. Kennedy has been Robertstown’s outstanding player and scorer this year and their opponents smothering of the tricky corner-forward on the final day was undoubtedly key to their success.
Ben Curran, who was the stand-out player of the opening half of this game, got Milltown level almost immediately.

Milltown went into the lead with a superb 45 from goalkeeper Alan Dignam on 10-minute mark that was quickly answered by DJ Percival at the other end.

The next phase of the game was undoubtedly where Milltown found their rhythm and began to take some of the chances they created. After a litany of wides, Milltown began to find their mark and did so initially through Hugh Hamilton and back to back scores from Ben Curran.

Curran found space on two separate occasions, composed himself and slotted over wonderful scores that stood out even more because of the wides that had gone before.

Robertstown would stem the flow by getting a score of their own through Brion Kennedy and his only of the day, which will be seen as an enormous achievement for Milltown given what he has shown in this year’s JFC.

Leading 0-5 to 0-3, Milltown put together another run of three scores on the spin before half-time. Karl Heuston got the first with a score that perhaps didn’t get the rapturous applause it deserved as the wing-forward somehow slotted the ball between the posts while under tremendous and possibly foul-worthy pressure.

Man of the Match Kevin Byrne was next on the scoresheet before former Sarsfields man Declan McKenna closed out the half for Milltown with a fine point of his own.

Milltown were undoubtedly the better side, especially as the first half had worn on, but Robertstown were certainly in with a squeak if they could nick a goal and Milltown continued to be as wasteful as they had been to that point.

However, just like Monasterevan vs Allenwood the day prior, the leading side would grab a goal just after half-time that was a gut punch to any comeback hopes.

The two scorers just before the break in Byrne and McKenna combined for a slick 1:2 before Byrne cut inside onto his left foot and placed the ball into the very top corner. 1-8 to 0-3 after 31 minutes.
Two minutes later, the game would well and truly be over as Patrick Donohoe further extended his side’s lead with a fine point.

RED CARE
The game’s first red card would follow from the resulting kick out as Joe Kavanagh was dismissed for a second yellow for an off-the- ball incident. Kavanagh had been on the brink all game and an eventual red card looked almost predictable following his booking late into the first half, the bookings were separated by just three in-game minutes.

Three more scores for Milltown would be hit over the coming minutes as they put this game truly out of sight with points from Ronan O’Shea, Kevin Byrne and an exceptional mark from Patrick Donohoe.

As it had been four minutes prior, a Donohoe score was quickly followed by a Robertstown red following a second yellow card for Kevin Dowling. It was in similarly predictable fashion with what was simply put a second bookable offence for the wing-forward.

Robertstown improved from here and had a brief spell on top of their own following the another dismissal.
Substitute John O’Sullivan grabbed a goal following a wild Diarmuid Healy effort at the posts that went a long way from its intended target. The stray ball was collected by Danny Scully, who was excellent upon his introduction for Robertstown, he found O’Sullivan who out-muscled his nearest rivals before finishing past Alan Dignam in the Milltown goal.

Robertstown threatened again moments later in a surge of momentum that may have troubled Milltown in this game had they been facing a 15-man team.

Milltown weathered the brief storm and close out for a comfortable victory in the end. The game would end with a double act that we remarkably saw on three occasions.

Patrick Donohoe got the final point of the game in the 61st minute and just as a point of his Donohoe’s did in the 33rd and 37th minutes of this game, it was followed 60 seconds later by the third and final Robertstown red card.
The parallel was perfectly representative of both sides' performances in this final as Milltown were deservedly crowned Junior Football Champions.

SCORERS
Milltown: Kevin Byrne 1-2, Ben Curran 0-3, Patrick Donohoe 0-3 (0-1 frees, 0-1 Mark), Karl Heuston 0-2, Alan Dignam 0-1 (0-1 45'), Hugh Hamilton 0-1, Declan McKenna 0-1, Ronan O'Shea 0-1, Aaron Jacob 0-1, Conor Sheerin 0-1 (0-1 frees), Calum Murphy 0-1.

Robertstown: John O'Sullivan 1-1, Danny Scully 0-2, Dean Bagnall 0-1, DJ Percival 0-1, Brion Kennedy 0-1 (0-1 frees).

TEAMS
Milltown: Alan Dignam; Jamie Cross, Cian Buckley, Sean Murphy; Aaron Jacob, Colin O'Shea, Shane Daly; Kevin Byrne, Conor Sheerin; Karl Heuston, Hugh Hamilton, Ben Curran; Declan McKenna, Ronan O'Shea, Patrick Donohoe. Subs: Aaron Walker for Hugh Hamilton (51 minutes), Calum Murphy for Declan McKenna (51 minutes), Omar Dunne for Ben Curran (57 minutes), Karl Downey for Shane Daly (57 minutes), Sam O'Hara for Ronan O'Shea (61 minutes).

Robertstown: Richard Price; James Keely, Anthony Moran, Conor Walsh; Dara Cosgrave, Niall Kane, Diarmuid Healy; Shane Ward, Joe Kavanagh; Peter Hogarty, Dean Bagnall, Kevin Dowling; Jason Butler, DJ Percival, Brion Kennedy. Subs: Danny Scully for Jason Butler (Half-time), John O'Sullivan for Dean Bagnall (39 minutes), Conor Moran for Dara Cosgrave (39 minutes), James Carthy for Conor Walsh (60 minutes), David Percival for Diarmuid Healy (60 minutes).

Referee: Ken Doyle

MAIN MAN
Kevin Byrne
There have not been many shorter conversations for MOTM in the press box as there was when this game's full-time whistle went. Byrne was exceptional in and out of possession as he kicked a brilliant 1-2 from midfield, as well as winning possession on several occasions for his side.

TURNING POINT
Milltown's goal just after half-time all but killed this game as Kevin Byrne finished a 1:2 with Declan McKenna with a super finish. But two minutes later, Robertstown's Joe Kavanagh got himself sent off with a second yellow for an off the ball incident to put the first nail in his side's coffin. It would be the first of three Robertstown red cards.

WHAT NOW?
For Milltown, it was a short trip home from Manguard Park as they launched into what I'm sure was extensive celebrations as they bounced straight back into the IFC. For Robertstown, it is about going back to the drawing board for next year's Junior Championship and perhaps ‘pondering how far they could get with 15 men on the field.