EMYVALE EASE INTO THE FINAL

Emyvale 1-15
Oram 0-08
By JOHN GRAHAM

EMYVALE possessed too much power and strength in depth for a battling Oram side as they booked their place in the final of the junior football championship for the second year in a row in this entertaining and at times quite exciting contest that was played in somewhat blustery conditions in Smithboro on Sunday afternoon last.

Emyvale started well but Oram gradually played their way into this game to the extent that they wiped out an early three points deficit to go on and take the lead by the 26th minute and went in a point ahead at the break after a most entertaining first half, and might well have been a little further ahead had they capitalised better on a couple of late chances.

On the resumption though Emyvale showed renewed purpose and set about establishing their strong ambition to reach the final as they hit three quick fire points in the opening minutes of the second-half to turn that half time one point deficit into a two points lead. Oram got the margin back to a point almost immediately but by the end of the third quarter Emyvale had pushed clear to a four points margin with Oram registering their final score of the game in the 17th minute. From there to the finish it was a little one sided as Emyvale closed the game out with an unanswered 1-4 in the final 13 minutes to win with 10 points to spare and in the process justify their tag as one of the favourites for the junior championship since the start of the season.

It was something of a helter-skelter opening with opportunities at both ends and Oram grateful to keeper David Sheehy when he denied David McAllister from close range before the county minor star opened the scoring for Emyvale with a point from a free in the seventh minute.

That settled the early nerves and Emyvale went on to add points by Daithi Colton in the eighth minute and …