Lancashire Senior League Final 2015

Oisin's 2-14 John Mitchel's 2-11

It may not quite have had the intensity of a full blooded championship battle but Oisin's League final victory over John Mitchel's was still significant with regards of laying down a marker for the real serious business coming up next month.

Mitchel's look a far cry from the side that blazed their way to Croke Park last season while Oisin's look like a team brimming with confidence and self belief as they embark on a mission to end a decade long famine without a championship belt. From the outset of this joust the Manchester side were sharper and more composed and although Mitchel's hung on to their coat tails all the way they never really looked like overhauling the winners.

Paul Noone and Niall Donnelly established early control at midfield and built the platform for this success as they and their colleagues moved the ball with speed and precision. Direct diagonal passes in to the excellent two man full forward line of Cathal Murphy and Ciaran O Hagan reaped dividends throughout and O Hagan raised the first white flag from such a pass within a minute of the start. Paddy Mulligan levelled it with a free instantly but before we had reached the five minute mark Murphy had the first two points of his 1-8 tally on the board after combining with O Hagan and then the equally impressive Ciaran Harper. Bt the end of the first quarter the front duo had tagged another point each before Mulligan raced onto Denis O Neill's pass to peg over. 

Mitchel's steadily improved as John McDermott and Mulligan in particular came more into the game and the Kildare man hit his third after Eddie Jackson knocked Craig Owen's pass down into his path. He added two more in quick succession from frees after Jackson and McDermott were fouled while at the other end Murphy hit one of his own.

Five minutes from the break Padraig McGurk went on one of his trademark solo runs to fire over and Craig Owen got in on the act to put the Liverpool side two in front. The final two minutes of the opening half were to prove hugely significant as Murphy knocked over a free after a foul on O Hagan and the two combined excellently again for the latter to bury the ball past Mattie Deeney. Murphy and Mulligan exchanged points from placed balls shortly after the resumption before PJ McGee scored a fine point from wide on the right wing after five minutes. A minute later a Murphy free came back of the post and O Hagan was first to react and send his side four clear.
Mitchel's have built their reputation on many things but one of their main qualities is a refusal to lie down and they roared back again here as Mulligan and McDermott combined to rip open the blue and white defence to put Craig Owen through for a goal. Oisin's however maintained their composure as the struggle intensified and Murphy nailed two fine points entering the final quarter. Mulligan
replied with two of his own before Murphy again and Ciaran Harper with the point of the match from fifty metres out restored the three point margin.

The pivotal moment of the game came with five minutes remaining as Niall Donnelly's searching pass found Conor Morrissey who in turn flicked the ball to his fellow substitute Ciaran Dunne who planted in the bottom right hand corner. Mitchel's rallied again but time was not on their side, Mark Sweeney pointed a free and Eddie Jackson scored an injury time goal but Oisin's had done enough. Although St Brendan's and St Peter's will have plenty to say on the matter there is every chance that these two will clash again in the championship final but on this evidence Oisin's look well equipped to avenge last year's reversal.

Oisin's: Michael Donnelly,Sean Og Monkeith,Damian Fitzpatrick,Fergus O Reilly,Rory McLaughlin,Ryan Seacrest, Paul Noone, Niall Donnelly,Gerard McCaugheyCiaran Harper,PJ McGee(0-1),Cathal Murphy(1-8),Ciaran O Hagan(0-4)

Subs: Conor Morrissey(0-1) for PJ McGee,Ciaran Dunne(1-0) for Rory McLaughlin, Chris O Connor for PJ McGee

John Mithel's: Mattie Deeney,Niall McShane,Alan Brown,David McTeggart,Martin Carey,Padraig McGurk(0-1),John McDermott,Denis O Neill,Craig Owen(1-1),Aiden Kearney,Paddy Mulligan(0-9,6f),Edward Jackson(1-0),Mark Sweeney(0-1)

George O Rourke presenting trophy to Capt Rory McLaughlin