Douglas 1-8 Nemo Rangers 0-10
Author: John Leonard
Douglas completed a junior football double after defeating last year's beaten finalists, Nemo Rangers, to claim the AOS Security Seandún Junior A title in front of a considerable crowd at Ballinlough on Saturday.
This victory followed their triumph in the AOS Security Seandún Junior B earlier that day at the same venue.
After a promising start from the Trabeg team, who last lifted the trophy in 2007, Douglas took control of the match with a decisive goal in the 12th minute. Nemo Rangers battled back, outscoring Douglas 0-3 to 0-1 in the second half, but it was not enough to secure the win.
Eric Dilloughrey put Trabeg ahead with two points, including a free, before Douglas seized the initiative.
Jack Cunningham opened the scoring for Douglas in the eighth minute. Harry Quilligan leveled the playing field by converting a mark from outside the 20-meter line of the Trabeg team.
Douglas took the lead in the 12th minute when Gearóid O'Sullivan set up James Burke for the only goal of the game from the edge of the Nemo Rangers' square.
Douglas continued to stifle the Trabeg team entering the second quarter and extended their lead to 1-5 to 0-2, thanks to a free scored by Quilligan and a point from an Evan Collins mark.
Nemo Rangers responded when Aaron Browne converted a free in the 20th minute, but Cunningham quickly replied with his second point in play.
The Trabeg team narrowed the margin to three points when Dilloughrey scored a point from play, followed by a free from Jason Lyons.
Both teams exchanged points before halftime, with Sean Nagle and Browne each scoring one for Nemo Rangers. O'Luanaigh and Brendan Powter responded with a point each for Douglas.
This left Douglas with a halftime lead of 1-7 to 0-7.
Browne reduced the difference to two points three minutes after the resumption, but Cunningham responded with his third point from play for Douglas in the 36th minute.
Browne converted a free for Trabeg, and Barry O'Driscoll got the last point of the match as they entered the final quarter.
A combination of wayward shooting and spectacular saves from Nemo Rangers goalkeeper Cillian Martin prevented Douglas from adding further goals, and the final whistle was met with scenes of jubilation from Douglas supporters.
Douglas Scorers: J Cunningham 0-3, J Burke 1-0, H Quilligan 0-2 (0-1 m, 0-1 f), E Collins (m), FO Luanaigh, P Powter 0-1 each.
Nemo Rangers: A Browne 0-4 (0-2 f), E Dilloughrey 0-3 (0-1 f), J Lyons (f), S Nagle, B O'Driscoll 0-1 each.
DOUGLAS: C O'Leary; N Lynch, C Kenny, L Fogarty; A Young, J Burke, D O'Callaghan; G O'Sullivan, B Powter; C Macpadín, C O'Keeffe, FO Luanaigh; E Collins, J Cunningham, H Quilligan.
Substitutes: M Howell for Mac Phaidín, J Hartnett for O Luanaigh (both in charge), B Fraher for O'Keeffe (41), M Nason for Cunningham (56).
NEMO: C Martin; S Mulcahy, C Coughlan, T O'Brien; N O Sé, J O'Donovan, D Coughlan; E Kelly, F Twohig; S Burke, S Nagle, E Dilloughrey; C O'Brien, J Lyons, A Browne.
Substitutes: C Casey for Mulcahy (28), B O'Driscoll for C O'Brien (36), P O'Dwyer for Nagle (48), R O'Connor for Browne (56), D Egan for Coughlan (57).
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