Goals did the trick for Down champions Mayobridge as they booked their place in the final of the Ulster club championship for the first time in Clones yesterday.
Mayobridge dictated the pace of the game and might well have won by a greater margin but for three excellent saves by Castleblayney goalkeeper Derek Sullivan.
Castleblayney got off to a good start with two points by Declan Loughman and Kieran Tavey separating the sides after 10 minutes but by the end of the first quarter Mayobridge were in control, a point by Glen McMahon getting them off the mark. Mayobridge began to dominate and should have been further ahead at the break than the 1-3 to 0-4 scoreline.
In the second half Mayobridge took up where they had left off. Brendan Coulter crashed home his second goal after five minutes. Things looked bleak for the Monaghan side when Martin Barry and Adrian Barry each added points to put the Down champions seven points in front.
A goal by Kieran Tavey in the 16th minute kick-started a Castleblayney revival and they exerted a period of pressure that saw them reduce the deficit to two points.
Mayobridge struck the vital goal four minutes from the end of normal time, Ronan Sexton with the easiest of finishes after a deft cross by Brendan Coulter to wrap up the result.
MAYOBRIDGE: S Featherstone; D Tighe, B Grant, B Rogers; M Barry (0-1), F Poland, N Sexton; D Rooney, E Woods; G McMahon (0-1), M Walsh (0-2), B Coulter (2-0); M Linden, R Sexton (1-1), A Barry (0-1). Subs: S McMahon for E Woods, R Coulter for G McMahon, K O'Hare for M Linden.
CASTLEBLAYNEY: D Sullivan, C Donnelly, S McGeough, E Brennan, R McArdle, E Murphy, D McArdle, D Duffy, J Hughes (0-1), P Duffy, P O'Connor, A Irwin, A Tavey, D Loughman (0-1), K Tavey (1-4). Subs: R Treacy for D Duffy, M Hanratty for A Tavey.
Referee: M Brady (Cavan).
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