St Patricks lifted the Joe Ward Cup for the first time since 2007 when the defeated Newtown Blues by 1-12 to 0-9 in a keenly contested final replay at Dowdallshill on Sunday afternoon.

It was a game that was never going to be short on intensity and that was illustrated before the game started as the players got involved in a short melee as the came together for the parade.

That proved to be the trend for much of the game as there was no holding back from either side. However, it was by no means just a physical battle as the teams also produced some passages of good play as the quality of the match was much better than the drawn game.

It was the Blues who showed that quality in the early stages as their running game caused the Pats defence problems and two frees from John Kermode had them ahead inside three minutes.

Eamon Carroll and Danny O'Connor levelled but the Drogheda men remained on top and regained the advantage through Conor Brannigan and Hugh McGinn.

Again the Pats responded through Eoin O'Connor and Danny O'Connor to level after 15 minutes, but the Blues continued to find space and went 0-6 to 0-4 ahead on 19 minutes through Jimmy Murray and a Colm Judge free.

Few would have thought that the Blues would go on to score just three more times, as the Pats finally got a hold of the midfield and took the game to their opponents.
Pat
Paddy Keenan opened his account on 21 minutes while Eamon Carroll levelled with a brilliant point from a tight angle almost immediately.

Five minutes from the break the decisive score arrived and it was no suprise that Paddy Keenan and Ray Finnegan were at the heart of it. Finnegan appeared to have a point on his mind but his effort fell into the hands of Keenan who managed to scramble the ball to the net despite being challenge by Stephen McCann.

With the Blues still reeling from that score, the Pats turned the screw further with points from Eoin O'Connor and a Carroll free to make it 1-8 to 0-6.

Just before the break the Blues managed to pull one back through Judge and went in at half time leading by 1-8 to 0-7.

The Drogheda men took the game to the Pats at the start of the second half and were back in contention when Judge converted a free followed by a Cormac Reynolds effort to make it 1-8 to 0-9 within three minutes of the restart.

Just when the peninsula side needed a point to settle them again, almost inevitably it was Keenan who sent over a good point in the 39th minute.

After that, the Pats always appeared to be in control although both sides seemed to get a bit nervous in front of goal and failed to convert good chances. The Blues will be particularly disappointed with their shooting as they spurned a number of opportunities that would have put pressure on the Pats.

Once Eoin O'Connor pointed on 49 minutes to make it 1-10 to 0-9 there was no way back for the Blues. O'Connor added his fourth of the game and after Robert Carr had a goal effort blocked on the line, Karl White wrapped up the game with a point in injury time to complete a deserved victory.

ST PATRICKS: Sean Connor; Jamie O'Hare, Dessie Finnegan, Darren O'Hanlon; Eamonn Breen, Owen Zamboglou, Paudie Mallon; Colin Goss, Patrick Keenan 1-2; Eamon Carroll 0-3 (2fr), Eoin O'Connor 0-4, Aidan McCann; Danny O'Connor 0-2, Shane Hynes, Ray Finnegan. Subs: Karl White 0-1 for A McCann (34), Diarmuid McArtain for E Breen (54), Conor Grogan for S Hynes (59). Barry Corcoran, Kevin Toner, Colin McCann, Damien Connor, Johnny Ryan, Aidan Ryan, Evan White, Liam Oliver, Colin Noonan, Diarmuid Murphy, Robert Arthur.

NEWTOWN BLUES: Stephen McCann; Thomas Costello, Cormac Reynolds 0-1, Aiden O'Brien; Stephen Moonan, Jamie Carr, Emmet Judge; Brian Kermode, Andy McDonnell; Conor Brannigan 0-1, Colm Judge 0-2 (2fr), Keith Lynch; Jimmy Murray 0-1, John Kermode 0-2 (2fr), Hugh McGinn 0-2 (1fr). Subs: Ian McManus for J Kermode (28), Paul Moore for T Costello (h/t), Barry Sharkey for P Moore (49), Robert Carr for H McGinn (53).

REFEREE: Paul Kneel

[Report: Eunan Whyte]