Minors are Co. Champs

Shelmaliers are county Minor Football Champions for 2011 following their fantastic win over pre match favorites Fethard in Wexford Park on Sunday last on a score line of 3:10 to 1:8

. Rarely on such an important occasion has a team given such an accomplished and comprehensive display of all that is great about Gaelic Football as our boys did on Sunday last. They fully deserved their healthy 8 point winning margin on a day when the Shels lads were in control all over the field. This gives Manager Aidan O Leary and his Selectors Michael Ryan, Myles Doyle and Clive Lawlor Ryan back to back titles and the three in a row would have been completed except for their narrow 2 point loss to Glynn Barntown in 2009. From the very first minute in this Premier Final, the Black and Amber team were in determined mood and their neat combination of short and quick hand passing as well as very accurate and direct foot passing left the New Ross District team in big trouble. Thanks to Goals from AJ Lehane and Adam Whitmore as well as very accurate point taking from Craig Mc Cabe the Shels led by 7 points at half time. However they had to turn around to face a very stiff breeze as well as a Fethard team whose displays both at Senior Level, where they had 6 minors on the team that lost so narrowly to eventual winners Horeswood by a single point in the Semi Final, and Minor Level, were littered with great come backs from almost impossible positions. However there was to be no recovery this time as the Shels rear guard superbly controlled by leader Paraic O Leary, gave a faultless display of possession football and this combined with some superb passing movements, meant that by the final whistle the ‘Over the Water’ boys had stretched their winning margin to 8 points. The second half goal was scored by Craig Mc Cabe following some great play by Niall Tobin and there were points by AJ Lehane and Paraic O Leary. Overall a superb year for our Minor Football team with the Double of Championship and Jim Byrne Cup being achieved for the second year running. Well done and Congratulations to all involved.

TEAM on SUNDAY:

Shane Birney: Conor Tobin, Simon Donohue, Eoghan Nolan, Neal Rossiter, Paraic O Leary, Eoghan Fitzgerald, AJ Lehane, James Cash, Niall Tobin, Glen Murphy, Jack Murphy, Adam Whitmore, Craig Mc Cabe, Graham Staples:

Subs who all played their part during the Season: Kevin Byrne, Simon Murphy, Sean Byrne, Eoin O Leary, Evan Deveraux, Dean Corrigan and Kevin O Connor: