Antrim U20 Football Championship final
Con Magee's, Glenravel 1-6 St Gall's 0-8
A GOAL from a penalty midway through the second half ultimately proved the decisive moment as Con Magee's, Glenravel claimed the Antrim U20 Football Championship at the expense of St Gall's at a bitterly cold Davitt Park on Saturday.
Rian Lennon was the man on target as the victors made the most of a mini spell as they turned a two-point deficit into a three-point lead at the water break and while St Gall's got to within one, they just couldn't find the equaliser.
With heavy showers before the game, the pitch was a little greasy and this made handling difficult with the ball resembling a bar of soap at times, but both sides did their best to make the most of it and served up an absorbing game with no little skill throughout.
However, it was the men from the Glens who managed to get over the line to the delight of their large support on the day as they rounded off a hugely positive campaign with the silverware.
"It's been a massive turnaround this year," said manager Gareth McKeown.
"We had been written off, but this group of player dug deep, brought everything to the table and did everything we've asked from them from start to finish.
"There have been ups and downs the whole way through with not knowing when games would be played, but the boys pushed it over the line today. Big congratulations to them - we're over the moon."
Niall Burns evades a challenge
While this was ultimately a low-scoring affair, the game got off to a very lively start with Glenravel ahead just 18 seconds in whenCallum Higgins gathered off a break to sling over.
St Gall's hit back immediately with Dubhaltach Mac Liam weaving his way into a bit of space to drop his shot over and straight from the kick-out, the city side gained possession with the hugely impressive Niall Burns lashing over a peach of a score from range.
Mac Liam then turned provider in the next possession as he fed Darragh Ferguson to put St Gall's two up after three minutes and there was a sense this was on course to be an open affair.
However, the scoring slowed down and Glenravel were back on terms after 12 minutes thanks to pointed frees from Lennon and Eoin Hynds, but they had a couple of goal chances in this time with Hynds forcing a turnover, but the ball just wouldn't sit for him as it was scrambled clear and then Lennon couldn't turn home as a loose ball was prodded into the danger area.
Burns did give St Gall's the advantage once again before the water break and they finished the half in the same position as the teams managed just one point apiece in the second quarter of the game with Lennon kicking a free to level and Burns hitting a fine score off his left following an intercept to make it 0-5 to 04.
At the start of the second period, Glenravel again had a sight of goal when the ball was worked to Ryan McQuillan, but the St Gall's defence did well to crowd him out and turn the ball over, working it upfield and winning a free with Burns converting to put two between them.
Glenravel just began to take a bit of control after and were dominating around the middle, winning possession from kick-outs and things then just clicked as Hynds kicked a free and then a great ball from Sean McKay found Lennon who kicked over to level.
The key moment then arrived on 44 minutes as Hynds did brilliantly to take down a high ball and move towards goal, only to be taken down by St Gall's goalkeeper Louis McCormick who was booked for the challenge that resulted in a penalty. Up-stepped Lennon who thumped down the middle to put his side a goal up.
The task became even more difficult for St Gall's just before the water break as Oisin Crawford was black-carded for sliding in from the back on Ryan McQuillan, but they seemed to reorganise at the halt in play and gradually got back into contention with Burns kicking a free and Barra McCaffrey curling over off his left with eight to play.
Try as they might, they just couldn't get on terms with Burns off target from a 58th minute free and then in stoppage time, Conn Doherty's shot sailed out to the left as Glenravel took the honours.
Conor Ryan skips away from Rian Lennon and Darragh Donnelly 
"It was a good game," reflected St Gall's manager Sean Burns, who felt a few calls didn't go his side's way.
"Both teams tried to play a bit of football to a degree, but the score was a fair result for them.
"As long as we learn to go into senior next year... When you are down three or four points to come back into that game and never give up... Just one or two decisions went against us that I thought were soft, but congratulations to Con Magee's."
That spell in the third quarter when Glenravel hit 1-2 to put themselves in the driving seat was ultimately the winning of the game.
Coming out the right side of this arm wrestle of a game will be a huge confidence booster for the whole club and their manager, McKeown, paid tribute to his players for how they dug in and claimed victory.
"That was a big phase of the game when the boys stood up and took control," he noted.
"One of our boys (McQuillan) got wiped out at the end of that third quarter, but that's the hits you take to win championship medals.
"Over the last couple of years we've been knocking on the door with Intermediate semi-finals but couldn't push it over the line.
"This will give us the belief we need to push on with a new management coming in next year. I hope and I'm sure this will push us onto better things and Con Mages's is on the rise.
"St Gall's are a serious side too and I'd expect them to be right back again next year."
GLENRAVEL: J Scullion; E Carey, S Higgins, S McCusker; J Martin, G Hynds, C Laverty; D McQuillan, S Black; C Higgins (0-1), R Lennon (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees), R McQuillan; S McKay, E Hynds (0-2, both frees), D Donaghy.
ST GALL'S: L McCormick; C Mac Adhaimh, C McGirr, O Crawford; D Mac Liam (0-1), C Ryan, F Donnelly; C Doherty, A Mullan; D Delaney, N Burns (0-5, 2 frees), C Maguire; B McCaffrey (0-1), D Ferguson (0-1), N Fallon.
Subs: C Walsh for D Delaney (21), J McKenna for C Maguire (51).
REFEREE: Eamonn McAuley (Cargin)
