Clontibret Put Titles Back to Back

In the end it turned out to be lucky 13 for Clontibret when they eclipsed Castleblayney in the county final on Sunday 21st October to take their 13th senior football championship in total and achieving in the process the distinction of putting titles back-to-back for the first time in over 50 years.

Clontibret first achieved that feat back in 1949/’50 when they won the title in those two years with 1949 being their first ever. Having taken the title again in 1950 they then went on to complete a four in a row by taking the title again 1951 and 1952. There was a short gap until they achieved a two in a row in 1955 and 1956 but their attempts to emulate that feat met with disappointment on a number of occasions in the intervening years up until last Sunday.

All that however was forgotten in the wave of euphoria that swept across the big Clontibret contingent in Clones on Sunday last but one could also not fail to notice the huge relief there was that the double feat had been achieved. It really was a family occasion for Clontibret in that there are a number of sets of brothers and cousins representing the club. The championship itself is sponsored by Gormley uPVC Products, an indigenous Clontibret based company and the chairman of that company, Colm Gormley, is also the chairman of the Clontibret club.

Indeed Gormley’s sponsorship of the senior football championship is building into what could turn out to be a very special relationship. Some years back when his company took on the sponsorship of the minor football championship the first three years of his association with that competition saw Clontibret win three minor titles in a row. Gormley uPVC products took over sponsorship of the Monaghan senior football championship in 2006 and Clontibret have put titles back-to-back, so already there are whispers that they can now emulate their three in a row of minor titles at senior level. All of that however is for another day as Clontibret, when they have completed a certain run of celebrations will be focusing first of all on the Ulster club championship and their date with Crossmaglen Rangers on November 4th. Clontibret were worthy winners in Clones on Sunday last in a game that was peppered with some great passages of play, some great scores, good defending and great tackling, all of which made for a spectacle worthy of county final day.

True there was the odd negative aspect to the game, the odd niggly incident, but these have to be taken in the context of a county final happening between two teams whose chief concern is not to lose as opposed to going out to entertain. Clontibret achieved victory and provided a good degree of entertainment but Castleblayney also contributed to that with a particularly emphatic performance in the first half although over the course of the entire game they were unable to maintain that early momentum.

Physically stronger in a number of areas, particularly around midfield and the heart of their defence, Clontibret made that strength count at vital times while up front they had the pace and power of Vincent Corey allied to the silky skills of Man of the Match Conor McManus. McManus was simply on fire on Sunday last finishing top scorer with a goal and five points, his goal after just two minutes being an exhibition of coolness and clinical finishing at a time when the game really had just got underway.

He went on from there to impose himself very emphatically on the match and his performance saw Castleblayney replace centre half back Stephen McGeough in the second-half. Clontibret were only headed once in the entire contest and that for a brief spell in injury time at the end of the first half when a Ciaran Tavey point from a free put them in front momentarily. Connor McManus equalised to send the sides in level at the break and set the game up for an absorbing second period. In the second-half though Clontibret’s strengths were seen to best effect as they imposed themselves increasingly in the midfield area and from that dominance they fashioned quick bursts of play that saw them establish a three points cushion at the vital three quarter way mark.

Castleblayney by now were struggling as they had lost their earlier fluency but they were still well in the game and but for some sterling defensive work by the Clontibret rearguard and a touch of good fortune on a couple of occasions they could well have pushed the issue a little closer but in truth they never looked like causing the major upset. Whether Clontibret have improved sufficiently from last year to make the ultimate impression on the Ulster stage remains to be seen but they can approach their date with Crossmaglen Rangers next month with a fair degree of confidence after a sound county final performance.


Clontibret 1-10
C’Blayney 0-10
A stronger more experienced Clontibret retained their Monaghan senior football championship title to see the club putting senior titles back to back for the first time in over 50 years when they had three points to spare over Castleblayney at the end of an absorbing if at times less than spectacular final in Clones.

Clontibret were headed only once in the entire contest when Ciaran Tavey briefly gave C’Blayney lead in injury time at the end of the first half but otherwise the champions always held a slight edge although they never led at any stage by more than three points.

Castleblaney’s challenge was at its most meaningful in the first half when they matched the champions in most departments but Clontibret grew in stature in the second half and when the game was there for the taking entering the final quarter the champions were able to increase the tempo to close out the match.

Conor McManus played a starring role for the champions and his goal and five points went a long way to seeing them through and he deservedly picked up the man on the match award at the finish.

Played at a cracking pace for the most part the standard of play did become a little scrappy for a time in the 2nd half as C’Blayney saw their challenge fading.

Clontibret got off to the perfect start with a goal by man of the match Conor McManus after just two minutes, Paraic Duffy running half the length of the Clones pitch to set up the chance. Castleblaney were rattled buy this early setback but they soon settled to the task and were level by the 12th minute thanks mostly to the accuracy of Ciaran Tavey from frees. The second quarter was a close marking low scoring affair with both sides squandering chances and the sides went in level at the break when Conor McManus converted a free five minutes into stoppage time to bring Clontibret level after Ciaran Tavey had but Castleblaney ahead for the only time in the game.

Half time score Clontibret 1-4, C’Blayney 0-7.

Clontibret got off to much the better start to the second-half with two points by Fergal Mone and Conor McManus giving them a lead they never subsequently relinquished although things might have been different had Gary Ward’s attempt at goal not been denied by the bottom of the upright.

Ciaran Tavey who had been so effective, especially from frees, in the first half wasnot now having the same impact and as Clontibret took over increasingly in the midfield area the Castleblayney challenge faded. In Tavey’s absence though Ciaran Hanratty who was policed very closely by Martin Corey throughout, began to make inroads and his three second-half points, two from frees always kept Castleblayney touch. Clontibret were now dominating the midfield exchanges with Conor McManus and Vincent Corey combining well up front and Castleblayney came under periods of sustained pressure. Points by Corey and McManus in the 15th and 17th minutes put the champions three points in front at that stage with the best that Castleblayney could manage thereafter was to bring the margin down to two twice in the final 10 minutes.

Castleblayney’s disappointment was further compounded when they finished the match with 14 players after Martin McElroy picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time. Clontibret now meet Crossmaglen Rangers in the quarter final of the Ulster senior football club championship on November 4th at a Monaghan venue.

Teams and Scorers:
Clontibret Paul McElroy, Martin Corey, Eamonn Ward, Paraic Duffy, Darach Mooney, Dessie Mone, Paul McGuigan, John Paul Mone, Eoin Greenan, Rodney Gorman 0-1, Conor McManus 1-5, Paraic McGuigan, Michael Hughes, Vincent Corey 0-1, Fergal Mone 0-3. Subs: Brendan Og Magennis for Paraic McGuigan, Ronan Murphy for M Hughes, Daithi McKeown for E Greenan, John Golden for R Gorman.
C’Blayney: Padraig McBennett, Patrick Mallon, Cormac Brady, Ciaran Hughes, Francis Moore, Stephen McGeough, Ray McArdle, Ryan Tracey, Gary Ward, Dermot McArdle, Ciaran Tavey 0-6, Martin McElroy, Ciaran Hanratty 0-3, Jason Hughes 0-1, Adrian Irwin. Subs: Kealan Duffy for S McGeough, Jim McHugh for G Ward.

Referee: Jim O’Rourke (Eire Og).