SCORES WERE few and far between when the holders Shelmaliers and Enniscorthy Starlights crossed swords in ideal conditions on Sunday last in Killurin in the Jim Byrne Cup Minor football league final. At the end of a dour struggle, the Shels came out on top to complete a record four-in-a-row, but Starlights must be kicking themselves as they reflect back on the number of goalscoring chances which they missed over the hour.

In a tough, no-nonsense affair from start to finish, both teams showed a great determination to succeed and in truth the end result could have gone either way.

Had luck gone their way, Starlights could easily have scored four or five goals, but between their own inaccuracy, the effectiveness of Shane Birney between the Shelmaliers posts, and the hitting of the woodwork, they ended up with none, and in hindsight their tendency to try to find the net rather than take their points was probably the main reason why they lost.

Shelmaliers on the other hand were off target with a number of point-scoring attempts and they ended up with a total of eleven scoring efforts off target to Starlights' seven.

Some fine combination between Timmy Dwyer, Jack Kelly and Graham Donohoe led to a Starlights point in the opening minute, and six minutes later Stephen Corrigan levelled.

Both sides then missed a few scoring chances, notably Willie Dunne and Jack Kelly (who struck the ball in the side-netting) for the Enniscorthy side, and James Gordon and A.J. Lehane for Shels, before Kelly at last got Starlights' second point midway through the first-half and Gordon levelled matters again on 0-2 each ten minutes before the break.

Nothing separated them as the ball was kicked up and down the pitch, and by half-time they were deadlocked on 0-3 apiece after another exchange of points between Glen Murphy and Jack Kelly.

Starlights were awarded a penalty inside the first minute of the second-half when Timmy Dwyer was brought down as he raced through. He took the kick from the spot himself but the ball was brilliantly saved by goalie Birney.

James Gordon took advantage of the let-off with an immediate point for Shels, but Brendan Kearney had them level again on 0-4 each before ten minutes of the new half had elapsed.

The miss of the match came at the start of the final quarter when Willie Dunne's handpass set up Jack Kelly straight in front of goal on the edge of the small square with only the goalie to beat, but he somehow managed to send the ball to the left and wide.

A.J. Lehane and Alan Tobin then exchanged points, before James Gordon with his third from play scored what proved to be the winner with seven minutes plus injury time still to go.

Luck continued to desert the Starlights as they tried ever so hard for at least a draw. Substitute Dane Fortune was almost the hero when he got to a ball that bobbled around the Shelmaliers goal area before rebounding off the goalpost, and it was eventually sent out for a '45 which Alan Tobin dropped short just before the final blast of referee Eddie O'Sullivan's whistle.

The Chairman of the Jim Byrne Cup committee, Shay Keevans, presented the cup to the captain of the successful Shelmaliers team, Brian Murphy, while Starlights gained some consolation when Jack Kelly received the man of the match trophy from organising Secretary, Fintan Whyte.