McCready double helps deliver Junior title for London

London 5-12 USGAA 0-17

London were crowned All-Ireland Junior Football Championship winners in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon as they finished with a flourish to see off a battling USGAA by ten points.

Both sides required extra-time in Abbotstown on Friday night to advance to the decider with London ending the reign of New York, who had won the previous three renewals.

Two of those victories came against London but the Exiles were not to be denied on this occasion as they scored goals at regular intervals to secure a deserved victory.

Despite playing against the breeze initially, London wasted little time in establishing control on the scoreboard with Seán Gaynor's third-minute point followed up soon after by Shaun McCready.

Their opponents enjoyed a fair degree of possession in the opening quarter but were unable to create any chances of note as they fell further behind to a fisted effort from Conor Redican.

Named at corner-forward but playing around the middle third, Redican joined the attack to telling effect three minutes later as he powered forward before unleashing a superb finish beyond the helpless Brian Bowler in the USGAA goal

When Terry Gallagher added a point soon after, a rout looked on the cards but USGAA suddenly burst into life towards the end of the first quarter thanks to points by Michael Moylan and Eoin Gormley.

The latter doubled his tally in the 16th minute and after Dylan Murtagh had kicked their fourth point in as many minutes, wing-back Ronan Orford took centre stage.

His first score arrived in the 18th minute and he kicked another two almost identical points within three minutes to remarkably bring the sides level.

Redican and Moylan exchanged frees to maintain the status quo but crucially, London finished the half in the best possible manner as McCready’s speculative shot dropped under the crossbar, giving his team a three-point advantage at the turnaround.

A brace of two-pointed frees from midfielder Noel Maher in the third quarter ensured that London remained on the front foot upon the restart despite Gormley and Moylan continuing to impress at the opposite end.

With just four points between the teams, another goalkeeping lapse saw McCready fist home past Bowler at the start of the final quarter and with that, their win was effectively sealed.

While the likes of Gormley, Murtagh and Michael Kerr were rewarded for their efforts with points into Hill 16, substitute Niall McGivney added a fourth goal for London with another speculative effort that deceived Bowler.

The netminder could be excused in the final minute as Alfie McNulty powered an effort home following an unselfish pass by McCready, putting the finishing touches to a display of economy by the winners.

London: Caolan Doyle (0-01f); Ryan McCready, Jack Power, John Lavelle; Eoin McGivney, Conor Redican (1-02, 1f), Donncha Byrne; Conor Redmond, Noel Maher (0-04, 2 tpf); Terry Gallagher (0-01), Luke Morohan, Matthew Joyce; Shaun McCready (2-02), Alfie McNulty (1-01), Seán Gaynor (0-01).

Subs: Jamie Murphy for Byrne (26), Matthew Tierney for Gallagher (half-time), Seán Hickey for Gaynor (43), Chris Morris for Redmond (48), Niall McGivney (1-00) for Joyce (57).

USGAA: : Brian Bowler; Seán Gavin, Owen Sheehan, Conor Coyle; Owen Ward, Jack Lynch, Ronan Orford (0-03); Eoin Morrissey, Mark Dunphy; Charlie Sheehan, Brian McDaid, Dylan Murtagh (0-02, 1f); Declan Kelly (0-01), Eoin Gormley (0-05, 1f), Michael Moylan (0-4, 3f).

Subs: Martin Murphy for Sheehan (21), Michael Kerr (0-02f) for Dunphy (41), Richard Lenke for Moylan (45), Tristan Kelly for Ward (49), Stephan Ward for Kelly (53).

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