David Clifford kicked 11 points and was sent off in stoppage time as Fossa landed the junior All-Ireland title at Croke Park on Sunday.
Six players were red carded in all, four from Stewartstown and two from Fossa, with Clifford’s older brother, Paudie also seeing red in the stoppage time.
The Tyrone men had Kyran Robinson sent off in the melee at the death after David Clifford pulled down an opponent with three points in the game and Stewartstown hunting a goal.
READ MORE: All-Ireland Club Finals live score updates from Stewartstown v Fossa and Galbally v Rathmore
Clifford was sent off on a second yellow card, although confusion surrounded his first yellow.
Paudie Clifford wiped blood off his mouth as he lifted the trophy after being hit with an elbow by Anton Coyle, who was sent off on a straight red card after 53 minutes.
In his captain's winning speech at the end Clifford praised the match officials but said he was sent off in the wrong.
The referee was Thomas Murphy from Galway with his sideline officials Paddy Neilan (Roscommon) and Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).
The key to the game was the harsh looking red card Murphy gave to full back Darren Devlin on 38 minutes for what looked like a push in the face on Emmet O’Shea.
Stewartstown had alternated their sweeper in front of Clifford, with Devlin marking him.
After that they found it hard to get up the field down a man and with the sweeper still in, as Clifford just got stronger and stronger with his inter-county standard fitness telling at club junior level.
Paudie Clifford powered into the game hitting two second half points, while Harry Buckley shot three and O’Shea hit three of his own.
Stewartstwon, who were beaten in the 2005 All-Ireland junior final by another Kerry side, Finuge were the slicker, fitter looking team in the first half.
But four points straight after the break by Fossa put them one clear and when Devlin was sent off they were in the driving seat.
In the first half Gareth Devlin - an All-Ireland minor winner with Tyrone in 2004 as a 16 year old, when they beat Kerry was the star of the show and he would finish with 1-5 in a pulsating encounter that went right to the wire.
FOSSA: S O’Sullivan, B Myers, F Coffey, K McCarthy, D O’Keeffe, P Clifford (0-2), D O’Connell, E Talbot, P Sheehan, H Buckley (0-3), M Rennie, C O’Shea, R Doyle, D Clifford (0-11, 3fs), E O’Shea (0-3, 1mk).
SUBS: R Colleran for McCarthy ht, T O’Shea for Doyle 55mins, K Buckley for H Buckley 64mins, M Dennehy for O’Keeffe 67mins.
STEWARTSTOWN HARPS: G Kelly, J Park, D Devlin, C Quinn (0-2), K Robinson, M Rooney, G O’Neill, S Talbot (0-2), M Quinn (0-1), D McElhatton, C O’Neill, T Rush, D Lowe (0-3, 2fs), G Devlin (1-5, 0-3fs), T Lowe.
SUBS: A Coyle for T Lowe 47mins, C Devlin for D Lowe 53mins.
REFEREE: Thomas Murphy (Galway)
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