Radlett Road, Watford. 25 October 2020
Ref: Marty McManamon (Glen Rovers)
The Hertfordshire Football finals were held in the resplendent County Grounds at Radlett Road Watford last Sunday.
This game will live long in the memory as a tough physical but fair battle between two excellent teams. Éire Óg Oxford opened the scoring in the second minute with a fine score from thirty yards from Joe Scullion. Piers McGlynn doubled the advantage in the third minute after some magnificent inter play from the Oxford half forwards. Joe Scullion blasted wide in the fourth minute and this was the first of three goal chances that Oxford missed in the nest 5 minutes. Stephen Lavery opened the scoring for St. Dympnas with a free in the 6th minute and repeated the feat in the ninth minute to leave the sides level. Oxford captain Kevin Morrissey regained the lead with a fine point from play in the 14th minute. The Dympnas half-forwards were causing the Oxford backs no end of trouble though with some excellent off the ball running and Colin Forde seen black on the 15th minute for dragging down a marauding Ciaran Gallen. Lavery pointed the resultant free to leave the sides level. A man down, the Oxford kickout was under fierce pressure and Lavery again pointed a free on the 17th minute to give Dympnas the lead for the first time. The Luton men dominated the next 10 minutes but proceeded to kick seven wides before Forde re-joined the fray. This settled the Oxford men and Conor Dillon kicked the equaliser on the stroke of halftime to leave the sides level on four a piece.
The first ten minutes of the second half were cagey, Aaron Jarvis gave St. Dympnas the lead with the first play of the second half and the Oxford men were wasteful, kicking three wides. Captain Morrissey netted for the Oxford men in the 43 minute after a fine ball in from Forde. The two point lead just before the water break seemed to inspire the Oxford men and especially McGlynn who kicked a fine point in the 44th minute. The Oxford keeper Ryan Davies pulled off a magnificent save to prevent a certain goal for St. Dympnas on the 50th minute. Micky Nevin reduced the deficient to two for the Luton men before Liam Reale and McGlynn extended the lead to four with two minutes to the whistle. Oxford must have been half way back up the M40 because full-back Scott Berry pounced in injury time with a poacher’s goal. One point up, deep in injury time, with the ball deep in the Oxford half may have caused a lesser team to panic but this Éire Óg side are teak tough and well-seasoned. Kealan Reid won the resultant kick-out and passed it to Forde in midfield, Reale stormed past. took the ball, and ploughed through the Dympnas defence. One on one with the keeper he passed the ball to Morrissey who deftly placed the ball beyond the Dympnas keepers reach. 2-07 to 1-06 and Éire Óg Oxford have completed an historic three in a row of Championship wins. Hertfordshire board chairman Frank Dillon presented the Jim Foley memorial cup the victorious Captain Kevin Morrissey.
Éire Óg: Ryan Davies, John Corrigan, Barry Egan, Éanna Connaughton, Dan Fahy, Dave Behan, David Walsh, , Colin Forde, Jack McGowan, Conor Dillon, Joe Scullion, Liam Reale, Alex Hanley, Kevin Morrissey, Piers McGlynn.
Subs: Kealan Reid for Dave Behan, Ralph Jones for Liam Reale, Tomás McDonagh for Alex Hanley. Declan Wade, Alan Hayes, Joe Mangan, Shane Barron, Michael Crawley, Laurence Hogan, Callum Chiapponi, Robbie Smyth, Eamon Doherty, Cillian Crosson, Robbie Burns, Kevin Bohan.
Management Team: Tommy Griffin, Sean Quinn, Noel Burke, Stevie Mellon, John Gaughan.
St. Dympnas: Scott Berry, Tommy Casey, Frank Daly, Olly Daly, John Enright, Mark Fee, Shane Fennelly, Ciaran Gallen, Ronan Gallen, Declan Gribben, Aaron Jarvis, Stephen Lavery, Joe Martin, James McKenzie, Micheal McAtavey, Sean McMonagle, Michael Nevin, Martin O’Donnell, Brendan O’Leary, Chris O’Sullivan, James Sheridan, James Younger.
Management Team: Gerry Fee, Luke Kitching.