GAA Round Up | Division 3

John O'Neill Sand & Gravel Division 3A

O’CONNELLS 1-11

JOHN MITCHELS 0-14

O’Connells dropped a vital point in the 3A league when it ended honors even against the Mitchels at the Grove on Saturday evening as a late John Gallagher points gave the visitors a share of the spoils.

The home side went into a two point lead with scores from Niall Conlon and Sean Geeney before the visitors tied things up with the next two points from John Gallagher and Trevor Matthews.

Gallagher and Andrew Bingham added two points to put their team in front after ten minutes. A great save by Bellingham keeper John Brennan from Gallagher kept his side only two behind but a couple of minutes later the home team were reduced to 14 after Stuart Osborne was given his marching orders having already been booked.

Two more points, both from Matthews, put the Mitchels 0-6 to 0-2 in front after 20 minutes. Robert Quigley landed a brace to cut the lead to two and the same player and Gallagher shared the next two points to maintain the status quo. Matthews got the last point of the half to leave the score at the break 0-8 to 0-5 in favour of the Mitchels.

The O’Connells keeper kept his side it the game again with another great save this time from Matthews at the start of the second half. Bernard Osborne got the first point of the second half for the Grove side but the men from Ballybailie got the next two from Gallagher and Jamie Durnin to increase their lead two four.

However, that margin was cut to one when Conlon found Geeney and he shot to the net and the sides were level a couple of minutes later when Quigley put over a free.

A point from Conlon put his team in front but a brace from Gallagher put his side in the lead once again. Quigley put over another free to level the game and Osborne got his second of the game to leave the score 1-10 to 0-12 with time almost up.

Gallagher put over an excellent 45 to tie things up again in the 60th minute. Conlon got what looked like the winner two minutes into injury time but Gallagher got the equaliser two minutes later, his eighth score of the game just before the final whistle sounded.

O’CONNELLS: John Brennan; Sam Shearman, Conor Byrne, Nathan Carragher; Emmet Byrne, Stuart Osborne, Liam Kiernan; Conor Culligan, Cailum Woods; Jackie Agnew, Sean Cairns, Sean Geeney 1-1; Niall Conlon 0-3(1f), Robert Quigley 0-5(3f), Bernard Osborne 0-2.

Subs: Evan Kearney for N. Carragher.

JOHN MITCHELS: David Anderson; Barry Kirk, John Bingham, Emmet Farrell; James Sands, Mickey Quinn, Aaron Kane; Aaron Keely, Andrew Bingham 0-1; Tristan Knowles, John Gallagher 0-8(3f,45), Jamie Durnin 0-1; Trevor Matthews 0-4(3f), Cathal Bradley, Stephen Bingham.

NH FIONNBARRA 2-7

GLYDE RANGERS 1-9

Nh Fionnbarra moved further clear of the foot of the table with a narrow victory over Glyde Rangers in Tallanstown on Saturday evening.

The visitors had to come from behind at the break before claiming a victory that leaves them just a point behind Glyde in the table.

There was little to choose between the sides in the first half as they shared eight points but it was a goal from Ciaran Sheridan that proved the difference at the break as the hosts led by 1-4 to 0-4.

The Barrs picked up the pace in the second half and turned things around with two goals from Josh Crosbie seeing them come away with a crucial victory.

NH FIONNBARRA: Fionn McQuillan; Leo Kelly, Stephen Doyle, Colin McGrane; Sean Boyle, Adam Hanratty, Ronan McCreesh; Josh Crosbie (2-0), Chris McGlynn (0-2), Padraig Butterly (0-1); Kalum Regan, Aaron Kearney (0-1); Jack Murtagh, Hugh Osborne (0-1), Ben Turley (0-1).

Subs: Jack Regan (0-1) for L Kelly, Collum Kierans for A Kearney, Ciaran Murphy for P Butterly, Micheal McArdle for C McGlynn.

GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; Mark McKeever, Conor McCullagh, Fiachre Sheridan; Aaron Myles, Ged Bourton, Barry Brennan 0-1; Lee Finnegan, Tadhg Kellett 0-4; Leigh Byrne, Ciaran Sheridan 1-1, Aaron Devlin; Kevin Teather 0-1, Sean Devenney 0-1, Adam Sweeney 0-1.

Sub: Pauric Kearney.

The game between Oliver Plunketts and Na Piarsaigh was abandoned early in the second half.

John O'Neill Sand & Gravel Division 3B

ST NICHOLAS 1-6

NAOMH MALACHI 0-8

In this tight promotion chasing clash it was St. Nicholas who emerged with a late win on Saturday night in Courtbane over the stunned hosts Naomh Malachi.

A strong wind was a huge factor with both teams playing their best football when playing against the breeze. Both defences were on top in the first half, St. Nicholas only managing a Sam Reilly point and a Paudi Downey free. The Mals, playing into the wind, hit one from play and three Jason Clarke frees to go into the break two up.

Nicks levelled and led early in the second half with two Paudi Downey frees and a Shane Finegan '45. With ten minutes left in the match Fionn Meagher received his marching orders, but this reduction only spurred the Drogheda men on more. With the game in the balance a late Dylan Brogan effort found the back of the net to seal the deal and become a hero overnight.

ST NICHOLAS: Shane Finegan 0-1; Stephen Finegan, Alex Finegan, Caebhan Housidari; Aaron Flanagan, Ruairí Hanlon, Dylan Brogan 1-0; Sam Reilly 0-1, Cian Flynn; Fionn Meagher, Roy Kierans, Hayden Quinn; Paudi Downey 0-4, Lee Kavanagh, Brian Carter.

Subs: Tadgh Martin for Kavanagh, Declan Heeney for Brogan.

NAOMH MALACHI: Darren Kearney; Darren Clarke,, Sean Watters, Stephen Burns; Daniel Mulligan, Jason Clarke 0-4, Conor Begley; Kevin McShane, Paudie Moley; Conor Nicholson 0-3, Matthew Campbell, Andrew Begley; Collie Rooney 0-1, Jamie Kelly, Ronan McElroy.

Subs: Keelan Conlon for Ronan McElroy, Paul Burke, Shane Rogers, Mark Meegan, Gary McShane, James McShane, Donal Begley.

WOLFE TONES 1-15

CUCHULAINN GAELS 1-7

With an impressive win over Cuchulainn Gaels, Wolfe Tones are now up and running with a five game winning streak. With that vein of form, John Garvey’s side are now joint third in Division 3B.

A slow start to the season will not be rued fully but costly nonetheless as Garvey has found a Tones forward line that is humming. Eoghan O’Shea killed the game as a contest in the second half but Gaels only trailed by three at half time.

James Sharkey kept the hosts in touch but Eoghan Brennan and the returning Darren Weldon were enough for the visitors to coast to the finish line. Mícheál McCabe struck gold off the bench but it wouldn’t be enough to halt the Tones winning run.

WOLFE TONES: Sean McMahon; Danny Byrne, Reece Owens, Rhys McGovern; Sean Flanagan, Alan Fanning, Seán McQuail 0-1; Mark Healy, Dean Haggins; Taidhg Rock, Garrett Cooney 0-2, Saml Kelly; Liam Gaffney 0-3, Darren Weldon 0-4, Eoghan Brennan 0-5.

Subs: Eoghan O’Shea 1-0 for Weldon, Rory Taaffe for Cooney, Niall Smith for Rock, L Mallon for McQuail.

CUCHULAINN GAELS: Seamus Quigley; Rowan Mulligan, Seán Brennan, Seamus McCabe; Rammie Phillips, Martin Hynes, Eamonn Donnelly; Larry Brennan, David Reilly; Cian McDonald 0-1, David McQuaid, Phillip McGovern; James Sharkey 0-3, Conor King,  Adam Sharkey.

Subs: Mícheál McCabe 1-1 for Phillip McGovern, Eoin McDonald for James Sharkey, Stephen Mullen for Eamonn Donnelly.

ANNAGHMINNON ROVERS 2-11

SEAN MCDERMOTTS 0-12

The scoreline does not reflect how dominant Annaghminnon Rovers were in Mountrush on Saturday night against Sean McDermotts. A seven point win could have been much more for Glenn Burden’s side.

Wasteful Rovers were nine up with five to go thanks to the Markey brothers combining for 2-5 between them, Fergal with both goals and devastating Dwayne with the rest

However, Padhraic Corrigan got a red card for the visitors and reliable Seans free taker Tony Kelly nailed four frees but to cut the gap but never threatened Ciaran O’Reilly’s goal.

It has been an ultra-competitive season for Rovers who lost four games this year by two points or less and now find themselves only six points off top place. They’ll look forward to the split round now.

ANNAGHMINNON ROVERS: Ciaran O’Reilly; Chris Connolly, Tiernan O’Brien, Eddie Finnegan; Padhraic Corrigan, Colin Campbell, Paudi Russell; Mark Hoey, Tony Brennan 0-1; Paul McArdle, Rory Phelan 0-2,  Dwayne Markey 0-5; James O’Connor 0-2, Conor Russell 0-1, Fergal Markey 2-0.

Subs: Shane Grimes, Micheal Marron, Richie Ashfield, Diarmuid Murray.

SEAN MCDERMOTTS: Danny Reilly; Conor Walsh, David McArdle, Ian Corbally; Danny Commins 0-1 Niall Babington, Kevin McMahon 0-2; Patrick Osborne, Sean McMahon; Peter Tuite 0-1, Emmet Duffy, Matthew Little 0-1; Dean Brennan, Tony Kelly 0-6, Ian McDonald.

Subs: Connor Farrell for Dean Brennan, Declan Carroll 0-1 for Niall Babington.

WESTERNS 2-25

DOWDALLSHILL 1-4

Westerns cemented their hold on the top of Division 3B with a comprehensive victory over Dowdallshill on Saturday night in Reaghstown.

From the outset, credit must go to the visitors for fulfilling a daunting fixture that saw bottom play top. James Maguire was in no mood for charity with nearly half of his side's tally but Emmet O’Brien’s second half major added some gloss to the Dowdallers tenth defeat of the season.

Westerns were keen for the game and they ran their bench and gave their squad competitive minutes as Matthew Kane shone and Mick Martin got a goal for the happy hosts.

WESTERNS: Dermot McArdle; Andy Murray, B Coyle; Mick Martin 1-0, Matthew Kane 0-5; Connor Smith; Finn Duffy, Anthony Durnin 0-2; Patrick Kerley 0-2, Cathal Kennelly, Chris Kerr 0-3; James Maguire 1-12 Connor Smith.

Subs: Aidan McGarrell 0-1 Rory Duffy, Killian Crosbie, Dylan Ogle, Ciaran Scriven, B Duffy.

DOWDALLSHILL: Ridwan Bodunrin; Peter Hughes, Sean Duffy; John McKenny, Tommy Craig, Thomas McKenny; Paudie Murray, Stevie Murray 0-1; Jack McGailey 0-2, Davy Campion, Peter Begley 0-1; Emmet O’Brien 1-0, Cian Griffin.