Both teams entered the final having come through their respective groups unbeaten. Davitt’s had overcome a strong Rossa side in the semi-final while Ardoyne had dispatched O’Donnells.
The first few chances of the game fell to Ardoyne who shot two wides from distance within the first few minutes before Davitts broke up the field and scored a wonderfully worked point through Conor Ferran. This score seemed to settle the Falls Road lads and this was followed up with another two quick-fire points coming from midfield duo of brothers Jay and Brady Maguire. The Davitts boys now had their heads up and continued to run at the Ardoyne defence at every opportunity. Further scores were added via the Maguire brothers, Odhran O’Kane, Stephen Thompson and Auryn Graham during the half, with Ardoyne registering one point with a great strike from Daniel Watson to get their scoring tally open.
Half-Time Davitts 0-8 Ardoyne 0-1
The second half started as it finished with the Davitts half forward Conor Corr scoring two points to give the West Belfast side what looked like an unassailable lead but Ardoyne, to their credit, rallied with three points in succession with Odhran McKee, Daniel Watson and Ronan Lopes registering for the Kickhams.
The North Belfast vocal support sensed a comeback and rallied their team on with every attack but the Davitts half back Caoimhin Rainey had other ideas. He broke free time and time again to assist the midfield and forward line and create the next few attacks. During one of these attacks the game was settled in earnest when Jay Maguire rifled in the only goal of the game and with that the Davitts team and their sizeable support knew that they were about to reclaim the South Antrim Féile B title that they won two years ago.
The teams traded points in the dying minutes of the game with Ardoyne’s impressive Cormac Barnes claiming two points and the Maguire brothers each getting on the score sheet again to leave the final score Davitts 1-12 Ardoyne 0-6
Davitt’s now face South West champions Moneyglass in Sunday’s final at a venue still to be decided.
Davitts: Sean McAuley, Auryn Graham, Stephen Thompson, Jay Maguire, Eamonn Toner, Michael Brammeld’ Brady Maguire, James Winters, Aaron Tierney, AJ Mathers, Adam Irwin, Conor Corr, Conor Ferran, Caoimhin Rainey, Aodhan Shannon, Adam O’Rawe, JT Toner, Stephen McManus, Odhran O’Kane
(Also in pic – not playing due to injury, Riley Rooney and Odhran Cosgrove)
Coaches – Patrick Maguire, Stephen Toner, Gerard Cairns and Dee Ferran
