Louth GAA Division 2: Kevins move alongside Gaels at the top
HOLLYWOOD DEVELOPMENTS DIVISION 2
ST KEVINS 0-13
ROCHE EMMETS 0-11
St Kevins took full advantage of a dip in form from Dundalk Gaels to move level at the top of the Division 2 table.
With the Ramparts side losing for the second successive weekend, the Kevins seized their opportunity with a victory away to Roche Emmets to ensure they finished the weekend level at the top on 12 points.
With Roche on an impressive run of form ahead of the game, this was expected to be a closely contested affair and in the end the Philipstown men had just two points to spare at the end of an entertaining contest.
For much of the hour, the teams traded scores but the visitors just had the edge in the end as they held out for an important win.
The Kevins held a slender 0-9 to 0-8 at the break and in an equally tight second half they saw Cian Callan help secure victory as he brought his tally to five points. Patrick Clarke and Tom Matthews also weighed in with a brace apiece.
Barry O’Hare top-scored for Roche with six points, while DD Reilly and Mark Byrne were also on target.
ST KEVINS: Danny Crosbie; Keelan Maher, Seanie Crosbie, Finbarr Lynch; Darren McMullen, Cameron Maher 0-1, Karl Martin; Evan Maher, Shane Meade 0-1; Caolan McMullen, TJ Doheny 0-1, Patrick Clarke 0-2; Cian Callan 0-5, Lee Crosbie 0-1, Tom Matthews 0-2. Sub: Dylan Maher for C McMullen.
ROCHE EMMETS: Evin Quigley; Dermot Carthy, David Quigley, Adam McKay; Sean Dawe, Caoimhin Reilly, James McDonnell; Glen Stewart, Dan O’Connell 0-1; Jack McKay, Shane Byrne, Mark Byrne 0-3; DD Reilly 0-1, Ryan Martin, Barry O’Hare 0-6. Subs: James O’Hare, Gerry Browne, Fionn Conlon, Harry O’Connell.
COOLEY KICKHAMS 2-22
O’CONNELLS 1-1
Cooley picked up their third win in this league with an easy victory over the winless O’Connells at The Grove on Thursday evening.
Michael Rafferty got the first point of the game for the visitors but a minute later the home side had the ball in the net after a delivery into the area from Dean Stanfield was punched into the net by TJ Conlon.
A brace of points from Rafferty and another from Enda O’Neill put their side in front again. Conor Culligan got the Bellingham side first point to leave the team’s level 1-1 to 0-4 after 15 minutes, but that was the last time the home side scored in this game.
The men from the peninsula added another 1-7 before the half time whistle, the goal coming from substitute Callum O’Hanlon and points from Rafferty (2), O’Neill (2), Peter Thornton, James Reilly and Darren Marks to leave the score the break 1-11 to 1-1.
The second half continued much the way of the first although the O’Connells did not give up and tried their best. Cooley added another 1-7 in the first 20 minutes of the second half with the goal from O’Hanlon for his second of the game.
Fearghal Malone put over a great 45 and cornerback Ronan McBride also got in on the scoring with a point. Rafferty added another three points before the final whistle to take his tally for the night to nine. The score could have been a lot worse for the home side had it not been for some brilliant saves from their keeper John Brennan.
O’CONNELLS: John Brennan; Conor Byrne, Micheál Cairns, Jack McGeough; Nathan Carragher, Ciaran O’Brien, Emmet Byrne; Conor Kiernan, Conor Culligan 0-1; Alan McGovern, Jackie Agnew, Sam Shearman; Cian Geeney, Dean Stanfield, TJ Conlon 1-0. Subs: Cian O’Dwyer for C. Kiernan, Cathal O’Brien for N. Carragher, Sean Cairns for A. McGovern, Jake Kearney for J. McGeough, Dalton O’Brien for S. Shearman.
COOLEY KICKHAMS: Neil Gallagher; Ian Arnold 0-2, Dean McGreehan, Ronan McBride 0-1; Gerry Malone, Fearghal Malone 0-1, James O’Reilly 0-2; Peter Thornton 0-2, Darren Marks; Gerard Hanlon, Enda O’Neill 0-2, MJ Hanlon; Cian Connor 0-3, Michael Rafferty 0-9, Richard Brennan. Subs: Calum O’Hanlon 2-0, Cormac Malone, Brian Boyle, Sean White, Thomas McCarragher.
YOUNG IRELANDS 1-13
CLAN NA GAEL 1-9
Young Irelands got back to winning ways on Friday night when they enjoyed a four-point victory over local rivals, Clan na Gael at Pairc Eire Óg.
After back-to-back defeats, the hosts came from a point behind at the interval to revive their league hopes as they consigned the Clans to their second successive defeat in Division 2.
Robbie Curran’s early point for the visitors was cancelled out by Jordan O’Donoghue and that set the tone for a very tight opening quarter.
The Castletown side moved up a gear in the second quarter and were in a healthy position when Ciaran O’Connor found the back of the net on 25 minutes to see his side lead by 1-5 to 0-3.
However, the goal-scorer then picked up a red card and Young Irelands took full advantage as Jordan O’Donoghue pulled a point back before Dermot Mone found the net to cut the gap to 1-5 to 1-4 at half time.
The first four points of the second half were shared before Young Irelands picked up the pace and opened up a gap with the help of points from Cian O’Donoghue, Cian O Naraigh and Ruairi Kelly.
A Sean O’Hanlon brace kept the Clans in with a chance but the hosts but scores from Derek Maguire and Liam McStravick ensured the Irelanders came out on top.
YOUNG IRELANDS: Fergal Sheekey; Mark Gahon, Ciaran Murray, Conn O’Donoghue; Liam McStravick 0-2, Ryan Malone, Jamie Browne; Sean Murphy, Ruairi Kelly 0-1; Dermot Mone 1-0, Cian O’Donoghue 0-3, Jordan O’Donoghue 0-4; Derek Maguire 0-1, Dean Maguire 0-1, Cian O Naraigh 0-1. Sub: Shadam Azeez for Conn O’Donoghue.
CLAN NA GAEL: Cillian Rice; Gerry Curran, Brian McDonald, Jack Callan; Mark Lee 0-1, Shane Carroll, Conor Noonan; Robbie Curran, Billy Smith 0-2; John Byrne, Mark McGeown, Paul Crewe; Sean O’Hanlon 0-2, Ciaran O’Connor 1-0, Gavin Gaffey. Subs: Lee O’Carroll for G Curran, Liam O’Hanlon for M Lee, Paul Gore for S Carroll, Conor Smith for G Gaffey.
ST JOSEPHS 3-13
DUNDALK GAELS 2-14
St Josephs got the better of Dundalk Gaels with two Conor Neary points in added time at Cluskey Park on Friday night.
The Joes had stretched their lead to seven and six points respectively midway through both halves but the Gaels hit back with goals to leave the match on a knife edge. Despite the scoring exploits of Gaels front man Tom O’Connell who hit 12 points on the night it was the Joes who collected two very valuable league points.
Alan Quigley opened the scoring for the Joes in the first minute only for O’Connell to cancel this out soon after. The hosts then took charge of the game with goals from Alan McKenna and Cian Sheridan to take a 2-4 to 0-3 lead at the start of the second quarter.
The visitors didn’t panic and gradually fought back with the help of points from O’Connell and just before the break Jordan Keating flicked a Sean McCann centre to the net to cut the deficit to 2-6 to 1-6 at the break.
A Liam O’Connor point early in the second half helped reduce the deficit to just one but this time the Joes regained the initiative when a goal from Jack Mulligan helped them move six clear once again.
However it was the Gaels who pressed forward forcing the Joes into the concession of frees that the unerring marksman Tom O’Connell punished to perfection, to level the game after 60 minutes. However, in a dramatic finish it was Neary who won it with two late points.
ST JOSEPHS: Stephen Carron; Killian McDonnell, Michael Staunton, Aidan Kieran; Cian Sheridan (1-0), Killian Staunton, David Kieran (0-1); Conor Neary (0-3), Gabriel Bell (0-1); Jack Mulligan (1-2), Craig Doherty (0-2), Alan McKenna (1-1); Alan Quigley (0-3), Ben Collier, Daire Smyth. Subs: Conall Smyth, Evan McEnteggart, Ben Mulligan, Alan Lynch.
DUNDALK GAELS: Adrian Rafferty; James Lynch, Oisin Murray, Paul McCrave; Jack Mullen, James O’Connell, Kyle Rafferty 0-1; Mark McCabe 1-0, Jordan Keating 1-0; Liam O’Connor 0-1, Eamonn Kenny, Shaun Duffy; Sean McCann, Thomas O’Connell 0-12, Mark Hanna. Subs: John O’Hare for E Kenny, David McComish for O Murray, Chris Sweeney for M Hanna, Eanna McArdle for C Sweeney.
KILKERLEY EMMETS 5-14
LANNLEIRE 1-9
Kilkerley Emmets continued their return to form with a comfortable victory at home to Lannleire on Friday evening.
The visitors went into the game on the back of their first win of the season the previous week but from the outset it looked unlikely that they would produce a repeat as the Emmets dominated and fired in five goals on their way to victory.
It was one-way traffic in this one with the home team ahead 2-7 to 0-5 at the break and adding 3-7 in the next half.
Kilkerley’s scores in the first half were all from play except for a free from Tadhg McEnaney who also had 0-2.
Ewan McEnteggart netted as an opener and other points from Cormac Mallon, Fintan Brady, Conor Quigley, Conall McEnaney, while Brian Brady netted with the second last score.
A comeback was always an unlikely proposition for Lannleire but they did battle to the end with Darragh Malone, Pierce Hawkins and Killian Gregory on the night, while Paul Callan added a goal.
However, Kilkerley continued to pick off scores at the other end with Conor Quigley and Sean Hand among the points while Fintan Brady and Tadhg McEnaney raised green flags to see their side move within a point of league leaders, Dundalk Gaels.
KILKERLEY EMMETS: Ultan McEnaney; Ronan Deery, Cillian Mulligan, James Bellew; Ewan McEnteggart 2-1, Ciaran Clarke, Cormac Bellew; Cathal Bellew, Fintan Brady 1-1; Cormac Mallon 0-1, Brian Brady 1-0, Sean Hand 0-1; Tadhg McEnaney 1-6, Conal McEnaney 0-1, Conor Quigley 0-3. Subs: Liam Cawley for C Clarke.
LANNLEIRE: Liam Callan; Laurence McEntee, Paul McGeough, Jason Torris; Briain McGuinness,
Thomas Doyle, Alex Carroll; Jack Maguire, Pierce Hawkins 0-1; Ciaran Dunne, Paul Callan 1-3,
Paul Doyle; Darragh Malone 0-4, Bob Murphy, Killian Gregory 0-1. Subs: Luke Dunne Boylan for C Dunne; Lawrence Jones for B Murphy; Cathal McEvoy for P Doyle; Aaron McArdle for B McGuinness; Matthew Malone for L McEntee.
HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS 3-6
GLEN EMMETS 0-8
Hunterstown Rovers were clinical in their dismantling of Glen Emmets at home on Friday night in Division 2.
Two wins in successive weeks have pushed the hosts way from trouble while leapfrogging the Tullyallen men with the win also.
Finn Kelly gave Colm Donnelly’s side the perfect start while Shane Halpenny killed off the game as a contest with their second goal early into the second half.
Emmets haven’t registered a win since the opening day and an over reliance on Keelan O’Neill saw them lose again. Dean Burns slammed home a late goal for the winners with ten minutes to play.
HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS: Niall Carrie; Finn Kelly 1-0, Paddy Taaffe, Euan Woodlock; David Finn, Tony McKenna, Jamie O’Callaghan; Jason Monaghan, Shane Halpenny 1-0; Aaron Levins, Paul Carrie, Glen Matthews 0-1; Richie Taaffe, Ryan Ward 0-3, Dean Burns 1-1. SUBS: Jamie Ward, Colm Murphy, Peter Reid 0-1.