Medtronic senior footballers produced their finest display in many years to defeat a highly fancied Allergan side by 2-15 to 0-10 and claim their third successful Connacht title.
Allergan, backboned by Mayo stars Aidan O’Shea, Barry Moran and Alan Dillon, had no answer to a powerful team performance from Medtronic.
They had many outstanding performers in Damien McHugh, Ger Cafferty, Enda Mullarkey in defence, David Hogan and Martin Shaughnessy in midfield, while Joe Canny, Cian Mimnagh and the O’Donovan brothers were to the fore in attack. Man of the match Colm O'Donovan finished with a tally of 2-9.
Medtronic, with the aid of the strong breeze, were not long in setting down a marker. Colm O’Donovan opened the scoring inside the opening minutes and from the kick-out Adrian Warde who raced through to set up O’Donovan for his second A third point from O’Donovan and a converted free from Cian Mimnagh left Medtronic four up inside the opening eight minutes. Four minutes later Enda Mullarkey and Barry O’Donovan combined to set up Colm O’Donovan for his fourth score.
Allergan could not come to grips with Medtronic at midfield, and while Aidan O'Shea did make some piercing runs, he came up against a determined Medtronic rearguard.
Mimnagh set up Ronan Conlon for a seventh point before Allergan broke their duck with a pointed Fionan Duffy free just before the quarter hour.
After another Mimnagh point, Medtronic grabbed their first goal with Mimnagh fisting across the face of the goal for Colm O’Donovan to palm the ball home. Fixtures
Before the break the O’Donovans combined with Colm adding to his tally. Barry O’Donovan and Cian Mimnagh found the range before Fionan Duffy converted a close range free for Allergan to bring the first half to a close with the Galway side leading 1-11 to 0-2.
Allergan tried to get back into the game, but when the O’Donovans combined yet again before Colm slipped the ball to the back of the Allergan net, there was no way back.
Medtronic: K Murphy, D McHugh, K Dooher, T Monaghan, G Cafferty, E Mullarkey, A Warde, D Hogan, M O’Shaughnessy, B O’Donovan (0-2 ), J Canny, R Conlon (0-1 ), C O’Donovan (2-9, 2f ), C Mimnag (0-3, 1f ), D Joyce. Subs: M McNamara, M Kelly, T Wrynne, R Rogers, R McDermott
Allergan: B Walsh, S Ryder, S Duffy, N Feeney, S Geraghty, A O’Shea (0-2 ), S Gallagher, P Holmes, B Moran, N Beattie, N Ryan (0-1 ), F Gallagher, F Duffy(0-7, 6f ), C O'Connell, A Dillon. Subs: G Dillon, M Gallagher, K Kane, T Gill, P McCroan.
Referee: G O’Conamha (Roscommon )
Medtronic, Connacht Senior Interfirms Senior Football Champions 2015,
Back Row (L-R ) Jimmy Heverin, Tomas Monaghan, Karl Dooher, Martin Kelly, Tomas Wrynne, Michael McNamara, Terrance Moran. Ronan Rogers, Cian Mimnagh, Keith Murphy, Ronan Conlon, Martin Shaughnessy, Colm O’Donovan,
Front Row (L-R ) Cormac O’ Connaire, David Hogan, Raymond McDermott, Ger Cafferkey, Adrian Warde, Damian McHugh, Barry O’Donovan, Damien Joyce, Enda Mullarkey, Joe Canny, Aaron Molloy.
