Freshford overcome spirited Young Irelands of Gowran in JJ Kavanagh Junior F Hurling League Final

St Lachtain's, Freshford emerged two-point winners over Young Irelands, Gowran in an extremely competitive Junior F Hurling League Final at Palmerston on Sunday.

The Freshford club were appearing in their fourth successive Junior F league final, having lost to Tullogher Rosbercon (2021) and Conahy Shamrocks (2022), before defeating Windgap in last year’s final. On this occasion the title could have gone either way, with never more than a couple of points between two evenly matched teams.

Matthew Durnam put Lachtains ahead in the opening minute, this was replied to a minute later by Jack Blagriff, from a free. Jack who went on to prove a valuable player for Gowran, particularly from placed balls. James O’ Connor (SL) and Jim Conlan exchanged scores by the sixth minute, and this was the trend all through the opening half.

At the interval, St Lachtain's led 0-10 to 0-9, in a game played in lovely sunny conditions, before a fine attendance. Conor Dalton was scorer in chief for Freshford with six points, five of which came from frees.

The most important moment of the game arrived early in the new half. Gowran’s Michael Lennon was illegally tackled when close to goal, the award was a penalty, which was saved by Mark Nolan in the Freshford goal. While veteran Sean Kehoe added a point almost immediately to leave Young Irelands two points clear, this save would prove vital.

Young Irelands went 0-14 to 0-12 clear with a Sean Kehoe free in the 20th minute but Freshford finished the stronger, and three points from from the excellent Conor Dalton (two frees) and a fine score from midfield by Matthew Durcan, saw the black and amber Freshford men home as two-point winners, after a fine sporting contest.

St Lachtains team and scorers: 

Mark Nolan. Cathal Bowden, Luke Phelan, Jimmy Cantwell, Cian Leahy, Fergal Tobin, Caillin McCabe, Conor Dalton (0-10, 7 frees), Shay Burke, Matthew Durnan (0-3), Barry Hughes (0-1), James O'Connor (0-2), Jack Whitty, Evan Landers, Declan Killeen (Captain).

Substitutes: Used - Ben Dermody. Rest of Panel - Sean Counihan, David Burke, Michael Farrell, Michael Kavanagh, Ger Dalton, Kevin Dalton, Darragh Quinn (injured).

Young Irelands team and scorers:

Peter Carroll (captain), Martin Carter, Thomas Drennan, CJ Delaney, David Langton, Jonny Dunphy Michael Lennon, Jim Conlon (0-2), Jack Blagriff (0-6, frees), David Drennan, Jody Foley, Paul Kinsella (0-1), Ciaran Kavanagh, Sean Kehoe (0-3, 1 free), Kieran Byrne (0-2).

Substitutes: Used - Niall Walsh, David Holland, Eoin O'Neill, Jake Byrne. Rest of Panel - Tommy Carroll, Stephen Heffernan, Luke O'Donnell, Michael Keating, Vincent Byrne, Kieran Phelan, Tim Brennan, Ken Knox, Jack Kennedy, Jack Glendon, Charlie Brennan.
Referee: John McCormack.