Hurlers capture Ferbane/Belmont's first U12A County Title
(Lusmagh 15/8/09 - Ferbane/Belmont 2-7 Birr 0-2)
Ferbane/Belmont's U14 Hurlers win club's 3rd 'B' Title
(O'Connor Park 5/9/09 - Ferbane/Belmont 4-7 Seir Kieran 2-9)
FERBANE/Belmont added yet another trophy to their underage collection when they recovered from a disastrous start to edge out Seir Kieran by four points at a well presented O'Connor Park last Saturday morning. This was a fantastic game of hurling. The entertainment value and skills on show were a credit to both sides and Seir Kieran can feel very proud to have been part of a great final. As in most underage games, goals were in abundance and in the end it was the west Offaly side that had the edge and found the onion bag four times. Two of those goals came from the pick of their impressive captain David Kelly in the first half to start the revival. Having falling behind 2-1 to 0-0 after just six minutes, F/B were up against a wall but a super spirited team performance eventually pulled them over the line. Despite still being under 12, Colin Kenny was the out- standing player on show. He did the simple things right and stroked over some super points in both halves. He rose and stroked the ball with great technique and on a day when a lot of players struggled with the pick up, Kenny gave an exhibition and lead from the front. Shane Mooney was busy in the F/B goals but he dealt with everything that was thrown at him. In front of him Barry Egan was as solid as a rock with the quartet of David Kelly, Mark Connaughton, Dean Hogan & Colin Kenny running the show up front. For Seir Kieran, James Carroll had a steady hour at centre back with Cian Hegarty and Patrick Mulrooney having their moments at midfield. Up front it was the combination of Peadar Murray and Sean Dunne that caused the F/B backline plenty of problems all day but in the end it just wasn't enough. Sean Dunne had Seir Kieran off to a dream start with 2-1 inside six minutes, the pick of which washis goal on six minutes when he shrugged off three challengers to send the ball to the net. It didn't take Peadar Mooney long to get in on the act either as he added two successive points before the 12th minute. F/B did respond with two points from Colin Kenny (free) and Dean Hogan but Seir Kieran looked in control until F/B hit them with two sucker punch goals in the 13th and 19th minute with both coming from David Kelly. The pick of the goals was the first one when Colin Kenny and Mark Connaughton did extremely well to set him up. Both sides traded points for the remainder of the half but on 25 minutes F/B had the ball in the net again when Mark Connaughton played a delightful ball in to Dean Hogan and Hogan let fly first time to the net. Seir Kieran went in at the break one point up on a score-line of 3-4 to 2-8 and were on the whole deserving of that having looked that bit sharper with the stick work. We had to wait until the 44th minute for Peadar Mooney (free) to get the first score of the half but that proved to be Seir Kieran's last score of the game as F/B pushed on. They closed off the game with 1-3 in the last 13 minutes. All three points came from Colin Kenny with three well executed frees. Mike Butler sent a rocket to the net on 48 minutes after Dean Hogan sent the ball in his path. It was a real contest from start to finish with some excellent passages of play. F/B had that GOALden touch in the end and added the Under 14'B' crown to the Under 12 'A' title won two weeks ago. Ferbane/Belmont : Shane Mooney, Barry Egan, George Murray, Jack Egan, Merrick Daly, Brian Gilligan, Seán Milner, Mikey Butler, Colin Kenny(0-6, 0-4 frees), Darragh Keenaghan(0-1), Mark Connaughton, Dean Hogan(1-1), David Kelly(2-0), Dylan Flannery, Kevin Nugent, Ronan McEvoy, Oisin Kelly, Jack Clancy, Conor Kenny. Report courtesy of Brian Lowry, Tullamore Tribune September 10th, 2009.
Ferbane/Belmont's U14 Footballers win club's 3rd 'A' Title
(O'Connor Park 19/9/09 - Ferbane/Belmont 4-13 Edenderry 2-5)
Coiste na nOg U-14 'A' Football Final
Ruthless Ferbane/Belmont Tear Edenderry To Shreds In U14 Final
A DOMINANT display from Ferbane/Belmont secured the U-14 A Football title in style in O Connor Park on Saturday last. Ferbane/Belmont were emphatically better on a day where the cutting edge in their full-forward line was the most convincing aspect of their performance. Colin Kenny, Mikie Butler and Dean Hogan were at their devastating best, scoring 3-8 of F/B's tally between them on a day when they were too hot to handle. When these sides met in the group stages of the championship, F/B hammered Edenderry on a scoreline of 5-10 to 1-9 and on Saturday there was a similar difference between the sides. Indeed, in their ten games prior to this final - nine group games and a semi-final - F/B scored an incredible 55 goals and managed 8 goals on four different occasions. This side is clearly something special and the win represents a fantastic year for the underage club, who also collected the U-12 'A' hurling title this term and are preparing for the U-12 'A' football final. F/B quickly moved in front in this game and drove home their authority on the score-board. In a ten minute spell during the first-half, they tightened the noose around Edenderry's neck. Colin Kenny struck a brace of goals and Mikie Butler a couple of points in a period where F/B's conviction and ruthlessness came to the fore. Like a telephone operator, everything went through F/B's Butler. From full-forward, he proved an assassin from placed balls and created space and chances all around him. On either side of him Kenny and Hogan were constant threats and by half-time the trio had accounted for all of F/B's 2-6 which was an accurate indication of the threat they posed. At 2-6 to 0-3 at the interval the match was F/Bs to lose and eight minutes into the second half they added another 1-3 to all but end the game as a contest. Despite conceding a couple of goals in the fourth quarter, F/B ensured that a low yield of scoring chances kept Edenderry at bay and prevented all hope of an unlikely comeback Matthew O'Grady was Edenderry's best defender in a sometimes besieged defence while Aaron McDonnell had his moments in midfield. Ciaran Farrell and Jamie Dolan carried their greatest threat in attack. Brian Gilligan was a rock at the heart of F/B's defence while Sean Milner was a strong presence in centre field. Wing-forwards Mark Connaughton and Ronan McEvoy provided a couple of scores and the aforementioned inside trio were in destructive form. Scores from Mark Connaughton and Butler (free) sent F/B into an early lead, but, by the 9th minute, Jamie Dolan and Aaron McDonnell (free) had Edenderry level. Hogan flighted over a point for F/B a minute later, and they were never behind thereafter. Already, the relentless pace and talent of the F/B full-forward line was in evidence with Hogan, Colin Kenny and in particular Butler causing havoc every time the ball was delivered inside. On 17 minutes, Kenny fisted into the net after Butler's long delivery was fumbled by Cian Brereton and F/B led by 1-3 to 0-2. Adam Mahon kicked a fine score for Edenderry but Butler quickly subdued any anxieties about a comeback with a brace (one free). That was followed by an extremely fortunate goal from Colin Kenny when his point effort dropped in over the head of Brereton and into the net. A late free from Colin Kenny gave F/B a commanding nine point lead at the break, 2-6 to 0-3. Just after half-time and with Edenderry in dire need of affirmative action, F/B ghosted in for a third goal. Darragh Keenaghan and Ross Mangan had traded early scores when Connaughton's strike on goal took a wicked deflection off Edenderry defender Matthew O'Grady and found its way into the net. That left F/B ahead by twelve points with twenty-four minutes remaining. A couple of points from Butler and Sean Milner stretched the lead. Ciaran Farrell managed a goal for Edenderry when he collected and finished Mangan's long ball in, but this was simply filler material before F/B's next star turn. Ronan McEvoy and Colin Kenny (free) added scores before Kenny made the next incision. Connaughton raced through the middle and fed Kenny whose point effort landed just underneath the crossbar for his side's fourth goal. At 4-11 to 1-4 with nine minutes left, an Edenderry comeback was hardly possible but once McDonnell saw his penalty saved by Christian Brazil all hope had evaporated. They did manage a second goal on 55 minutes when Jamie Dolan flicked to the net and moments later O'Grady curled over a free to make the Edenderry score a more respectable one. Late efforts from George Murray and McEvoy put F/B ahead by fourteen before the referee called time on the game to end Edenderry's misery. Report courtesy of Kevin o'Brien, Tullamore Tribune. 24/9/09
Ferbane/Belmont's U12 Footballers Retain 'A' Championship
(O'Connor Park 26/9/09 - Ferbane/Belmont 4-8 Na Fianna 2-3)
Ferbane/Belmont power to another title. (Alan Walsh, Offaly Express - 30/09/2009
FERBANE/Belmont produced an awesome second half performance to overturn a resolute Na Fianna in an enjoyable U-12 'A' football showdown at O'Connor Park last Saturday. Rank outsiders, Killeigh parish side Na Fianna, appearing in their first 'A' final, led 2-2 to 0-4 after 28 minutes and by 2-3 to 1-5 after 31 minutes. However, with towering mid-fielder Colin Kenny, classy forward Oisin Kelly and hat-trick hero Brian McEvoy pulling the strings, impressive Ferbane/Belmont stepped up through the gears and stylishly kicked added 3-3 without reply before the shrill of Martin Carty's final whistle. 2009 has been a memorable year for F/B to-date and their trophy cabinet is bulging proudly as it includes the U-12 'A' & U-14 'A' football championship cups and the U.-12 'A' and U-14 'B' hurling championship trophies. The West Offaly outfit is duly reaping the rewards of their excellent underage development and coaching structure and they remain in contention for honours at U-16 level. Na Fianna, who suffered a heavy 2-6 to 5- 13 mauling at the hands of F/B in the round robin series, will rue the fact that they kicked eight wides, but they can hold their heads high as they put the favourites to the pin of the collar for two thirds of the game. A week earlier many of the same players helped Na Fianna capture the U-12 'B' hurling title with a win over Shinrone in the final. F/B led 0-3 to 0-1 after 13 minutes. Colin Kenny, Roisin Egan and Oisin Kelly kicked nice points and the Na Fianna reply came courtesy of a delightfully struck Colm McDermott '45. Earlier Kelly fired a shot into the sidenetting and Na Fianna keeper James Boland was by the far the busier of the keepers and he was called upon to make some important stops. Na Fianna took the issue to F/B and Jack O'Brien converted a free before he rattled the net in the 20th minute after an excellent sweeping move. F/B's Colin Kenny was denied a goal in the closing moments of the half at the interval it was Na Fianna who led 1-2 to 0-3. F/B started the second half well as Oisin Kelly grabbed a point. Colin Kenny became more influential at mid-field and he even managed to deny Jack O'Brien a point when he caught a free over cross bar height. Kevin Kinahan's 28th minute goal gave Na Fianna a four-point cushion, 2-2 to 0-4, fuelling the prospect of a shock. F/B weren't entertaining that notion though and they quickly levelled proceedings. Jack Darcy kicked a point and Brian McEvoy got in for a goal. Na Fianna regained the lead, 2-3 to 1-5, when Stephen Dwane pointed a free and in the 33rd minute F/B captain Anthony Seery produced a fine piece of skilful defending to bravely block down a goalward Kinahan strike. Dwane's point turned out to be Na Fianna's last score. Powerful F/B were ruthless at the opposite end, adding 3-3 to their tally before the final whistle. Brian McEvoy netted two of the goals, with Oisin Kelly helping himself to 1-1 and Colin Kenny kicked two points, one from a free.
FERBANE/BELMONT: Barry Rohan; Anthony Seery (capt.), Conor Mannion; Elle McEvoy, Kyle Higgins, Ronan McGuire; Ryan Heavin, Colin Kenny; Jack Darcy, Roisin Egan, Brian McEvoy; Jack Ciancy, Oisin Kelly. Subs.: Cian Johnson for J Ciancy (31 mins), Michael O'Shea for ] Darcy (42 mins), Ronan Butler for E McEvoy (43 mins), Ronan Hynes for R McGuire (47 mins), Ronan Devery for C Mannion (47 mins), Peter Flanagan for R Egan (49 mins).
NA FIANNA: James Boland; Ray Daly, Clint Horan; Colm Corcoran, David Buckley, Adam Kelly; Colm McDermott, Thomas Younge; Stephen Dwane, Dylan Hyland (capt.), Conor McNally; Kevin Kinahan, Jack O'Brien. Subs.: John Tobin for C McNally (38 mins), Kevin Leen for K Kinahan (43 mins).
REFEREE: Martin Carty, Walsh Island.