Ardboe Minors Win Championship Title

Monday 25.08.2025

Championship Football

Ardboe 2-17  0-16 Carrickmore

First half goals from Ciaran McKeown and Ruairi O’Neill and the accuracy of Darragh Devlin ensured Ardboe would be crowned 2025 Tyrone Minor Championship winners.  A large crowd gathered at Pearse Park, Galbally for a final expected to go to the wire, with Carrickmore providing the opposition

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Darragh Devlin kicked the first of his eleven points in the opening minute.  Michael McCallan had to settle for a point in the 3rd minute after he was denied by Shea McConville.  Ardboe were on top around the middle and stretched the lead through Devlin and Ciaran McKeown. Conor McPhilips did well to stop a Ruairi O’Neill effort. Padraig Donaghy halved the deficit before Davin McKeown burst through but dragged his shot narrowly wide

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Ardboe continued to dominate, and their first goal arrived in the 17th minute, Jack Muldoon released Ciaran McKeown who drilled past McPhillips.  Shea Munroe emerged as the man who dragged Carrickmore back into the contest. He fisted his first score, before kicking a second sandwiched between a brace of Devlin points.  Vincent Gormley and a lovely score off the outside of the boot from Phelim McCrory left four between them. Darcy Mallon scored for Ardboe but this was cancelled by McCallan’s second point of the afternoon.  A booming two pointer from Munroe left two between them with time almost up but a Darragh Devlin free edged the lead back to three, in the one minute of additional time Ruairi O’Neill took the opportunity to drive forward and coolly finished to the net to significantly change the respective team talks.

Jamie Concannon opened the scoring on the resumption.  The sides shared the next six points before Concannon’s second on 42 minutes left eight between them.  Carrickmore pushed for a goal, but McConville denied Ryan Donaghy, Munroe converting the resulting 45.  Carrickmore did have the ball in the net when the recently introduced Brayden McNally’s shot came off the post, but Shea Munroe was in the square before the rebound, so the goal was ruled out.

A two-point free from Devlin and a fisted point from the same player extended the lead, heroic defending from Davin McKeown and a third fine save from McConville once again stopping McNally’s effort. A free kick and a two-point free from Vincent Gormley came all too late for the young Carmen side.

Ardboe maintaining a seven point advantage at the final whistle to claim a deserved title.