Champions of Ireland

Westport captain Brian McDermott lifts the cup after the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Intermediate club championship final match between St. Colmcille's and St. Patrick's Westport at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Sportsfile

All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Final
Westport 2-12
St Colmcille's 3-8

Edwin McGreal
Croke Park

Westport are All-Ireland champions! Five words that will swell the pride of everyone associated with the West Mayo club.
They were deserving winners, no doubt, but fell over the line due to a combination of poor second half shooting, a resurgent St Colmcille's side and a controversial late penalty for the Meath team.
Referee Niall Cullen signalled no penalty initially but after receiving information from another official, he belatedly awarded it and with it a black card for Westport goalkeeper Pat O'Malley. Both decisions seemed very harsh and left just three points in it with four minutes of normal time and six minutes of injury time to go.
Westport would not score again but they held strong at the back and though St Colmcille's kicked two points, that was as close as they got.
The final whistle signalled ecstatic and emotional celebrations on the field and in the stands as The Green and Red of Mayo rang out over the Croke Park speakers.
The foundation for Westport's win was an exceptional second quarter display where they struck 1-8 of their total.
They led at the break 1-9 to 1-3 which was all the more impressive when you consider they lost totemic full-back Kevin Keane to a knee injury after just 11 minutes.
The young full-forward line of Oisin McLaughlin, Paul Lambert and Colm Moran led St Colmcille's a merry dance in that first half. All were Minor in 2016 but showed no issue with the stage or occasion. By the end of the half Moran had four points from play, Lambert showed and won ball constantly and McLaughlin had as good a goal as you are likely to see to his name.
Westport had been rocked by a St Colmcille's goal from James Conlon which had undone a lot of their good work but McLaughlin won the ball on the Hogan Stand sideline 50 metres out, sped towards the Hill 16 goal, no one from St Colmcille's could stop him and he finished low off the near post.
A goal from Ben Brennan on 43 minutes had just two points between the teams as Colmcille's roared back into contention but Oisin McLaughlin's second goal proved invaluable. The dynamic Colm Moran did the hard ploughing, winning the ball, running at the defence before squaring for McLaughlin to finish from close range. There were 51 minutes gone and it would be Westport's last score.
They led by six then and it proved enough for Westport to stand proud at the final whistle, the first Mayo team to win an All-Ireland Intermediate or Junior championship since the finals were moved to Croke Park.
Westport just might be the place to be tonight!

Westport
P O'Malley (0-1, '45); N McManamon, K Keane, K Dever; B McDermott, L Keegan, J Walsh; B O'Malley, S Scott (0-3); F McDonagh (0-3, 2fs), P Keegan (0-1), L Staunton; C Moran (0-4), P Lambert, O McLaughlin (2-0). Subs: D Horan for Keane (inj.); R Geraghty for Staunton, A Dunne for O'Malley.  

St Colmcille's
J Brown; A Lynch, J McDonnell, C Ward; E Woods (0-1), I Mullen, J Sweeney; D Sheeran, R McCloskey; C Hillard (0-1), B Brennan (1-2), D O'Byrne; G Reilly 0-3, 1f), N Ronan, J Conlon (1-0). Subs: J Reynolds (1-0, pen) for O'Byrne; C O'Byrne for Sweeney; C Kelly (0-1, f) for Ronan; J Kavanagh for McDonnell (inj.); N Ronan for Hilliard.
Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).