Via independent.ie

Sligo talisman David Kelly won his maiden senior club championship medal as the influential playmaker captained Tubbercurry to their first county final win in 23 years - the south Sligo town surged past St Mary's in an entertaining clash at Markievicz Park.

Two excellent second-half goals in the space of two minutes - substitute Cian Killoran and Brian Morahan the scorers - set up Tubbercurry, last year's beaten finalists, for the club's 20th Owen B Hunt Cup success and their first since 1991.

St Mary's, with Tommy Breheny, Sligo's Connacht-winning manager of seven years ago, in charge, started brightly and led 0-5 to 0-2 after 24 minutes - but a scoreless period of 18 minutes as well as a failure to exploit seven goal chances ruined their chances of regaining a title last won in 2001.

Crucially, the last of these goal opportunities could have made for knife-edge finish - the hard-working Johnny Martyn's attempt came off the crossbar in the 53rd minute and from the subsequent counter-attack, Tubbercurry goaled for a third time when Killoran netted his second of the afternoon.

Tubbercurry opened the scoring in the opening minute when ex-Sligo Rovers player Gary Curran pointed, but St Mary's, with Colm Egan, Mark Breheny and Stephen Coen all busy, began to exert control.

Coen snapped over two fine points, while Chris Kelly flashed a goal shot wide and Mark McGoldrick's sharp 24th-minute point - which left the runners-up three points up, 0-5 to 0-2 - suggested that the Sligo town outfit were in a favourable position.

But Tubbercurry, who struggled for much of the opening period, replied with four unanswered points in the last seven minutes of the first-half - free-taker Stephen Matthews scored three of these - to lead 0-6 to 0-5 at the interval.

St Mary's defensive plans were spoiled early in the second-half because of black cards for defenders Jonathan Lynch and Caolan O'Grady, and then came three moments that turned the game.

A slick 36th-minute move involving four players ended with Killoran flicking home Curran's pass for Tubbercurry's first goal.

In the next minute, Coen's goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by Daniel Maye and then Tubbercurry moved nine points clear, 2-8 to 0-5, when Morahan deftly goaled, when collecting a quickly-taken free from Matthews.

By the time St Mary's finally got on the scoresheet again - Mark Breheny, who scored six points in total, bagged a 41st minute free - the margin was nine points, 2-9 to 0-6.

St Mary's poor luck in front of goal continued with missed goal chances for Chris Kelly and McGoldrick.

Scorers: Tubbercurry: C Killoran 2-0, S Matthews 0-5 (4fs), B Morahan 1-1, D Kelly 0-2, G Curran, D Walsh, B Curran, F McDonagh 0-1 each. St Mary's: M Breheny 0-6 (5fs), S Coen 0-3, M McGoldrick, C Breheny, S Keenan (1 '45') 0-1 each.

Tubbercurry: D McDonagh; E Coleman, D Maye, J Kelly; F Cretaro, B Curran, C Surlis; S Gilmartin, M Burke; B Morahan, D Kelly, G Curran; S Kilcoyne, D Walsh, S Matthews. Subs: C Killoran for S Kilcoyne (23), B Murphy for M Burke (41), C Gilmartin for J Kelly (48), C McGee for S Matthews (50), F McDonagh for B Morahan (53), D Wynne for F Cretaro (57).

St Mary's: M Rooney; K Coen, B McGarry, C O'Grady; J Martyn, J Davey, J Lynch; D O'Connor, B Smith; C Egan, M Breheny, C Breheny; C Kelly, S Coen, M McGoldrick.Subs: S Keenan for J Lynch (34, BC), G O'Kelly-Lynch for C O'Grady (39, BC), N McManus for D O'Connor (41), D Kilgallon for C Kelly (48).

Referee: J Gilmartin (Curry).

Courtesy Indo Sport