Louth GAA Division 1 Roundup: Pats strike late to sink St Marys

HOLLYWOOD DEVELOPMENTS DIVISION 2

DREADNOTS 2-7

GERALDINES 2-3

Dreadnots continued their move away from the foot of the table with a four-point win over Geraldines at Clogherhead on Friday evening.

For the visitors it was another disappointing evening as their bright start to the campaign is becoming a distant memory with this game representing a fifth consecutive defeat.

It certainly didn’t help their cause that they failed to find the target in the first half and although the Gers rallied after the break, they left themselves with just too much to do.

The first half belonged to the home side, and in particular Jay Hughes as he pounced for two goals to give his side a 2-4 to no score advantage at half time.

The Haggardstown side finally came to life in the second half and had a brace of points from Jim McEneaney and another from Beanón Corrigan. Two goals from Brian Cafferty gave the Gers some hope but the task was beyond them as the hosts held out for an important win.

DREADNOTS: Dylan Cassidy; Aaron Scullion, Pop Rath, Barry Faulkner; Cathal Lynch, Dermot Campbell, Conor Faulkner; Cian McEvoy, Darragh Shevlin 0-1; Jay Hughes 2-2, Paraic Smith, Ciaran Finnegan; Dean Hyland 0-1, Eoin Murphy, Peter Kirwan 0-2. Subs: Craig Shevlin 0-1 for C Lynch, Conor Shevlin for D Hyland, Carl Monaghan for J Hughes, David O’Brien for P Smith.

GERALDINES: Sean McEneaney; Dara O Gradaigh, Jack Traynor, Paul Clarke; John McCrohan, Tom Cunniffe, Thomas McNamara; Matt Corcoran, Paddy Hoey; Neil Gartlan, Jim McEneaney 0-2, Francis Lynch; Beanón Corrigan 0-1, Brian Cafferty 2-0, Barra Duffy. Subs: Niall Brennan, Chris Reilly, Tiarnan Hand.

ST PATRICKS 2-11

ST MARYS 3-7

St Patrick’s struck two goals in the dying minutes to claim a dramatic victory over St Marys in Lordship on Friday evening.

With three minutes of normal time remaining, the Ardee men looked to be cruising towards another win when Conor Gillespie added their third goal of the night to move eight points clear.

However, the hosts replied with an Aidan McCann point was followed immediately by a Cathal Grogan point. With hope restored, St Pats pushed forward and sub Danny O’Connor pulled back a point before adding an injury-time goal to give his side victory.

The drama of the conclusion was in contrast to the opening half where both sides found scoring difficult.

Early points from Cathal Grogan and Aidan McCann were cancelled out by the visitors by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a similar story with each side adding two scores as they went in level at four points apiece.

The hosts were quick out of the blocks after the restart with four of the first five points. However, the Marys took control with goals in quick succession from Tiarnan Corrigan and Ciaran Keenan.

When Gillespie added the third goal on 27 minutes the points looked secure for the Ardee men but they had no answer to the late blitz that saw St Pats snatch victory.

The results represents a blow to St Marys’ title hopes as they fall three points behind leaders, Nh Mairtin and are now joined on 12 points in the table by a St Pats side who are enjoying a good run of form.

ST PATRICKS: Martin McEneaney 0-1; Daniel Tumilty, Ruairi O’Hagan, Conor Grogan; Joseph Connor, Barry Dunne, Darren Connor; Matt Pagni, Martin Breen; Aidan McCann 0-3, Cathal Grogan 1-1, Tadhg O’Connor 0-1; Shane Murphy, Jason Woods 0-3, Tom McCann 0-1. Subs: Danny O’Connor 1-1 for S Murphy, James Savage for J Woods.

ST MARYS: Gavin Douglas; Jay Crawley, Tiarnan Corrigan 1-0, Carl Gillespie 0-1; Conor O’Brien, Paraic McKenny 0-1, Ciaran McConnon; Cillian Keenan, Conor Gillespie 1-1; Paudy Clarke, Shane Matthews, Dean Matthews; Ciaran Keenan 1-1, Ronan Carroll 0-2, Darren Clarke 0-1. Subs: Ryan Rooney, Karl Faulkner.

ST MOCHTAS 1-11

ST FECHINS 1-9

St Mochtas moved to within a point of the league leaders, Nh Mairtin, following victory over St Fechins in a tight contest at Louth Village on Saturday evening.

The visitors started off the brighter with points from Ryan Walsh and Jamie McDonnell. They held the majority of the possession and it wasn’t until 10 minutes in that Mochtas got off the mark. 

St Fehcins hit back and after a clearance from back Cian Gorman the ball was quickly moved up the wing and found its way to Brian Devlin who found the back of the net. Mochtas got three back but the Beaulieu side added to their tally with points from Niall Devlin and Harry Haughney to go in at the break with a 1-4 to 0-4 lead.

The teams exchanged points early on but a goal six minutes in from Cormac Smyth levelled the score and the pressure was on Fechins to find their earlier form. 

However, it was the Mochtas who finished the stronger and added six points to their tally to secure victory.

ST FECHINS: Niall McDonnell; Cian Gorman, David Lally, Danny Burnell; Neal Hodgins, Aaron McGlew, Harry Haughney 0-1; Jamie McDonnell 0-1, David Collier; John O’Connell, Colm O’Neill, Eoin Hackett; Ryan Walsh (0-4), Brian Devlin 1-0, Niall Devlin 0-3. Subs: Joe Corrigan for D Lally, Eoghan Duffy for B Devlin, Ronan Holcroft for J O’Connell, Lee Grifferty for C O’Neill, Evan Dolan for D Collier.

ST MOCHTAS: Jason Callan; Liam Lawlor, Ben Goss Kieran, Andy Lennon; Oisín Callan, Darren McMahon 0-3, Andy English; David Lennon, Danny Kindlon 0-1; Conor Garland, Liam O’Flaherty, Phily Englishby 0-1; Cormac Smyth 1-2, Gerry Garland, Jamie Farrell. Declan Byrne 0-2, Sean Flynn 0-2.

MATTOCK RANGERS 4-13

NEWTOWN BLUES 3-10

A high scoring affair in Newfoundwell went in the way of the visitors Mattock Rangers over Newtown Blues on Saturday night.The hosts raced into a big lead thanks to Jamie Kelly and Conor Branigan’s fast tempo start. Branigan and Declan McNamarra both found the net to reward Des Lane’s side's good work.Awakened from their slumber, Mattock rattled off three goals before the break. Brendan Leacy, Caolan Nulty and on the stroke of half time, Oisín McKenna dramatically swung the game in the Collon men’s favour.

Christy Grimes' outfit would not score for a large chunk of the second period but Cathal Fleming wrapped up the two points with a well taken goal. Branigan popped up for a consolation for the Blues in the finish.

MATTOCK RANGERS: Stephen Smith; Ben Markey, Cillian Hickey, Eoin McCloskey;  Caolan Nulty 1-0, Ryan Leneghan, Ronán Kilbane 0-1; Brendan Leacy. Jason Condon; Robert Holmes 0-1, Aaron O’Brien, Darren Henry; Jack Thompson 0-1, Cathal Fleming 1-2, Oisín McKenna 1-1. SUBS: Aaron Smith, Liam Flynn, Evan Dooley, Adam Flynn, Ben McKenna.

NEWTOWN BLUES: Johnny McDonnell; Joe Harte, Ciaran Cluskey Kelly, Cathal Broderick; Stephen Kerr Rafferty, Alan Connor, Iollan Farrell 0-1; Emmet Carolan, Evin McConnon; Ciaran White, Declan McNamara 1-0, Zach Levins 0-1; Conor McGurk, Conor Branigan 2-2, Jamie Kelly 0-5. SUB: Robert Carr 0-1.

SEAN O’MAHONY’S 1-7

NAOMH MAIRTIN 0-10

Thomas Rice claimed a well-earned point for Sean O’Mahony’s on the Point Road against League leaders Naomh Mairtin on Friday night. It was the first point of the season the Monasterboice outfit have dropped.An early goal from Conor Martin had a huge impact on the game. With the lead, the hosts defended like their lives depended on it and nearly claimed yet another memorable win at home.

However, despite struggling to break the Dundalk side down all evening, Sean Healy looked to have given the unbeaten visitors all two points on offer. Rice however would level deep into injury time.

SEAN O’MAHONY’S: Eddie Maguire; Ciaran Jamieson, John O’Brien, Sean Cassidy; Brian McGuirk, Thomas Rice 0-1,Robert Clarke; Conor Martin 1-1, Gareth Hall; Tiernan Cassidy, Ben McLaughlin, Conor Mackin; Conor Finnegan, Junior Shotayo, Terry Kelly 0-5. SUBS: Mark Treanor for McLaughlin. 

NAOMH MAIRTIN: Joe Gordon; Shane Morgan, Thomas Sullivan, Conor Healy; Evan Whelan, Conor Smith, Jack Murphy; Val Leddy, Wayne Campbell 0-1; Ben Callanan 0-2, Tom Gray, Joe McGrane; Conor Whelan 0-4, Darragh Dorian 0-1, Sean Healy 0-2. SUBS: Dara McDonnell for Morgan, Craig Callanan for McGrane.

ST BRIDES 1-20

O’RAGHALLAIGH’S 2-11

A six point win for the St. Brides saw them climb further away from the bottom of the Division 1 table. Following on from a win the week previous, the hosts had too much scoring power for the winless O’Raghallaigh’s. The Drogheda side also packed a punch on the night with Ben Rogan and Kyle McElroy finding the net to give the visitors an early lead but at the back Ronan Phillips’ side have conceded the most in the division so far this season.

Kieran McArdle punished the Raghs’ indiscipline while Nathan Kirk lashed home a decisive major with Sean Marry popping points over off the bench to leave the O’Raghallaigh’s rooted to the bottom of the table.

ST BRIDES: Aaron Devin; Padraic Mackin, Cillian Kirk, Ronan Bailey; Sean Brennan 0-1, Ross Murnaghan, Stephen Hoey 0-3; Brian Laverty, Liam Molloy; Laurence Steen, Kieran McArdle 0-8, Evan Wynne; Nathan Kirk 1-1, Emmet Kirk 0-4, Ciaran Deane 0-2. SUBS: Sean Marry 0-2, Robert Mc Caughey, Paraic Rutledge.

O’RAGHALLAIGH’S: Joe Flanagan; Kevin Magee Emmet King, Scott Byrne; James Morgan, Danny Morgan 0-2, Joe Meehan; Eoin Moore 0-3, Ruairí Moore; Cillian Curran, Kyle McElroy 1-4, Connel Rice; Euan Sweeney, Ben Rogan 1-1, Baz Flanagan.