2005 Feis Cup Final (4th of December 2005)
St. Malachys 1-10
The Downs 0-7
St. Malachy’s footballers atoned somewhat for their disappointing semi-final exit in this year’s Westmeath Championship by winning the Feis Cup for the third time in their history with a well merited victory over a fancied home team in The Downs on Sunday afternoon last.
The Downs were hot favourites to add the Feis Cup to their earlier championship and Division 1 League trophies but, on the day, St. Malachys were the hungrier and more purposeful outfit and were full value for their six point winning margin. By all known logic, the county champions would have been expected to have looked the fitter of the two teams, but the winners all round sharpness ultimately won the day for them, thereby maintaining their 100% record in the Feis Cup Finals, having also triumphed in 1979 and 1980.
The home side had wind advantage in the first half but it was St. Malachys who dominated the early exchanges and took the lead in the fifth minute when Alan Mangan rounded off a fine four man move with a point from 15 metres. Within a minute, Joe Clarke and Shane Carey combined to set up the inrushing Ronan Whelan who finished in style to the bottom corner of the net. The same player soon added a great point with the outside of his right boot seconds later. The Downs opened their account courtesy of a fine point by Barry Conroy and staged a mini revival with two points between the 24th and 26th minutes from Brendan Murtagh and Thomas Cleary. A superb free from an awkward angle from Alan Mangan was answered by a point from Barry Conroy for The Downs to leave the interval score reading St. Malachys 1-3, The Downs 0-4.
Sean Whelan was unlucky with a goal chance on the resumption but two minutes later Ronan Whelan and Ollie Kirby combined to set up Shane Careyfor a point. A brave block from Barry Whelan prevented a Luke Folan goal but a James Conroy free kept The Downs ticking over. St. Malachys regained their goal lead when Seanie Whelan popped over an opportunistic point. A two minute spell then yielded probably the best two points of the afternoon with James Conroy’s marvellous effort from the right wing being matched by a similar score from Alan Mangan. Again, leading by a goal, St. Malachys at last put some daylight between themselves and the home team when they fired over four unanswered points. Firstly, great play by Alan Mangan set up Shane Carey for a well taken point, then the Leinster player scored a tremendous point himself before setting up Shane Carey for his third point of the game. Fittingly, Mangan rounded off his side’s scoring when he took a Joe Clarke pass to fist the ball over the bar in the 28th minute, before leaving the field to sustained and well deserved applause from the supporters of the red and blacks.A Brendan Murtagh point on 30 minutes for The Downs proved the final score of the game.
St. Malachys last win in this competition preceded their one and only Flanagan Cup success in 1981 and they will be hoping a similar pattern emerges next year. On this evidence, they are a team with serious potential in all sectors of the pitch. Johnny Tuite was outstanding at corner back, while Tommy Carey was a good defensive pivot. Paddy Corcoran defied the sands of time with a fine midfield performance, while their very lively attack often ran The Down’s defence ragged, with the speed of the Whelan brothers, the opportunism of Shane Carey and the all round class of Alan Mangan always to the fore.
While The Downs will be disappointed to have missed out on the third leg of a rarely-achieved treble they can look back on a fantastic year. On Sunday, very few of their established stars hit top form but Greg Crowley, Brendan Murtagh, the Conroy brothers and Luke Folan were among those that tried hard to the final whistle.
St. Malachy’s. Gary Jackson, Johnny Tuite, Ronan Corcoran, Barry Whelan, Adrian Austin, Tommy Carey(Captain), EamonnOg Clarke, Paddy Corcoran, Ollie Kirby, Joe Clarke, Ronan Whelan(1-1), Eddie O;Neill, Seanie Whelan(0-1), Shane Carey(0-3), Alan Mangan(0-5,0-1f).Subs, Patrick Clarke(for O’Neill), Conor Daly(for B.Whelan), John Gallagher(for R. Corcoran), Kieran Favier(for Austin), Barry Whelan(for Mangan).
The Downs, Ciaran McCormack, Niall Nolan, Sean O’Leary, Stephen Cleary, David O’Reilly, Darren Devine, Greg Crowley, Joe Corroon, Brendan Murtagh(0-2), Darren Price, Tommy Cleary(0-1f), Barry Conroy(0-2), Paul Shanley, James Conroy(0-2,0-1f), Stephen Devine. Subs, Jack Hogan (for D. Devine), Luke Folan (for Shanley), Mark Dalton (for Price), Fergal Fagan (for s. Devine).
Referee: Pat Foxe (Rosemount).