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Now that the wee match in Dublin yesterday is behind us, the next big game comes up on Sunday at Beeston, Leeds at 1.30pm when Cu Chulainns play St. Benedicts Harps for Yorkshire Senior Championship and League in a double header.

Congratulations to John Mitchel's and Wolfe Tones on wining their divisions of the Pennine League.

Kilkenny were invited to play in the All-Britain Junior with the ultimate winners going into the All-Ireland. This was Kilkenny's second year playing in the competition. Scotland won this year's All-Britain and were beaten by Cavan last Saturday. The All-Britain is an excellent competition as it allows the prospect of playing, not only Kilkenny, but also another Irish county in the All-Ireland.

Just a shame that some counties don't seem to take it seriously with a few games given as walk-overs.

Lancashire Senior C'ship results:
St. Lawrence's 1-06 St. Brendan's 3-14 and John Mitchel's 1-16 Oisins 0-08.
Pennine League Div. 2:
John F. Kennedy's 0-07 Hugh O'Neill's 2-20.

According to the Britain GAA website, the final is set for Birmingham on November 24 at 1.00pm.

The obvious choice for venue would be Leeds or Newcastle, however, with no facilities in either venue, then off they'll go to Birmingham. I seem to recall Mitchel's and Cu Chulainns played their final there a few years ago. Should be a cracker wherever it's played.

Correct.

The road out!

Rumours abound about next year's Pennine League.

There seems to be two ideas floating around: One league of 11 teams playing home and away, or, if the three other clubs enter, one division of 8 and one of 6, also playing home and away. Either has to better than current arrangements with better quality games for all clubs more often. My own club played 12 senior and 5 junior games between early March and the end of October. Too few over such a long period. However, June is normally left out of the fixtures due to the county games and August slows down due to the holiday effect.

Far better to improve the Pennine League as proposed.

The last game of Yorkshire's season took place yesterday at Scott Hall Road for the Chris Noonan cup in the Junior League final between John F. Kennedy's and St. Benedicts Harps.

Games between these two usually produce fireworks and, especially with the Chris Noonan cup at stake, this game would be no different. Chris was a former JFK player who tragically lost his life at a young age. His family graciously presented a cup in his memory to be played for each year. Both teams lined out with 13 players as the rules allow and it was St. Benedicts who started more brightly playing up the infamous hill with the first three points from Gareth Morgan, captain Henry Foster and Domnick Thompson before JFK's replied with a point of their own. Play was even with JFK's posting three wides during this opening period as they struggled to cope with the swirling wind. Dom Thompson added two more points before JFK's repled with their second point to leave the half-time score 5pts to 2 to St. Benedicts. St. Benedicts felt their first half performance showed signs of great promise and manager, Gerard Rodgers, demanded greater effort in the quest for three-in-a-row.

Rory Scullion opened the second half scoring to leave four points between the teams and things were looking good for the boys in green and red. However, JFK's had other ideas and roared back with a rasper of a goal from Pa Scully and the game was in the melting pot. Substitute Peter Mulgrew popped over a point for St. Benedicts to stem the JFK momentum but this was cancelled by another JFK point to leave the minimum in it. The game was end to end stuff by this stage and Henry Foster came up with a point to double the lead. In fairness to JFK's - they wouldn't give up and kept coming back by taking their fourth point. Peter Mulgrew then hit the back of the net to ease the Benedicts nerves and leave four in it. Still JFK's would keep fighting and took the next two points before Henry Foster and Dom Thompson replied for St. Benedicts to restore their four point lead. With the game entering the final stages, Paddy Howard scored a brilliant goal from out the right wing to give Danny Miller in the Benedicts goal no chance. JFK's followed this with the equalising point and it looked like extra time would have to be played. However, St. Benedicts had other ideas as Gareth Morgan pointed, Dom Thompson made up for his penalty miss earlier by finding the net and Andy Mullan scoring the final point of the match to leave the final sore: John F. Kennedy's 2-07 St. Benedicts Harps 2-12. The game marked the end of an era for St. Benedicts as Steve Gaughan had announced his retirement from playing. Steve has been a stalwart since St. Benedicts started their open-age structure and will be missed. The Chris Noonan cup was presented to Henry Foster by Yorkshire CCC chairman, Mick Conrecode, on behalf of the Noonan family. Thanks to the Noonan's for their continuing sponsorship of this competition and long may it continue.

This game rounded off a good year for St. Benedicts as they completed the three-in-a-row in the Junior League to add to the already secured Junior Championship and Senior League.

Yorkshire final is today at 1.00pm at Beeston - Cu Chulainns v St. Benedicts Harps.

Yorkshire Senior Championship 2013

Round Robin series.

Sept 1 Brothers Pearse 0-0, St. Benedicts Harps 5-11, Cu Chulainns W/O v Hugh O'Neill's
Sept 15 Hugh O'Neill's v Brothers Pearse, Cu Chulainns v St. Benedicts Harps
Sept 29 St. Benedicts Harps v Hugh O'Neill's, Brothers Pearse v Cu Chulainns
Oct 13 Final

St. Benedicts Harps beat Cu Chulainns for the first time to take the Yorkshire Senior League for the first time in their history. After being 3-04 - 0-01 down after 12 minutes, St. Benedicts came back to win 4-12 - 3-10. Shame the cup wasn't available for presentation!

St. Benedicts also beat Hugh O'Neill's in the Yorkshire Junior Championship final for the third time in three years by a score of 1-16 - 2-07 and have won their first two Junior League games beating Hugh O'Neill's and John F. Kennedy's 1-15 - 0-08 and 5-11 - 2-06 respectively. Next game is the last in the Junior League away to Brothers Pearse on Thursday, July 25 with the final for the Chris Noonan cup scheduled for August 4.

I understand congratulations are the order of the day and that big cigars are available.

Pennine League 2013

Starts March 3 - 2 divisions split into two groups with winners of each group going straight into the final.

Games on Mar 3 -
St. Peter's v Hugh O'Neill's
St. Brendan's v St. Benedicts Harps
Oisins v John Mitchel's (Cu Chullainns also in this group)
Wolfe Tones v Bros Pearse (St. Anne's also in this group)
John F. Kennedy's v St. Lawrence's (St. Patrick's also in this group)