Lann Leire and Naomh Malachi set for mouth watering final round clash

DKIT SPORT JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 4 ROUND 2

LANNLÉIRE 2-10 SEAN MCDERMOTTS 1-10 

Lann Léire advanced to the knockout stages with their tails between their legs. The pre championship favourites were not convincing whatsoever in their second win and instead the storylines will go with the team that will no longer contest for the Christy Bellew Cup.

Sean McDermotts must be the unluckiest team to depart the Louth Junior championship. A late strike caught them in their opening day loss while some late deliberations from linesman Colin McCullough saw their late, late equalising goal deemed a ‘square’ ball. Hope and heartache in a matter of seconds.

Dunleer were punchy and raced into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead after Ian Mulroy pressured a Finbarr Moran restart to find the back of the net. Moran more than held his own too, pulling off some wonderful stops. The Longford native's performance typified the Seans never say die attitude.

The Churchtown men knuckled down through Marty Duffy to trail by the major at the interval, 1-5 to 0-5. A side that can’t be shaken is always one to be feared and despite Bob Murphy finding the net again this season, Nicky Malone’s troops were never comfortable in this banana skin.

Niall Babbington found the back of the net after a nervy ball in was worked well by the lively Duffy to really put Dunleer under pressure.

With three between the sides, the late drama came and went. Dunleer escape but must refocus for a top of the table clash with Naomh Malachi, while Seans manager Aidan Shevlin will ponder what might have been.

LANNLÉIRE: Liam Callan (0-3 45’s); Alex Carroll, Paul Doyle, Jason Torris; Cathal McEvoy, Briain McGuinness, Matthew Malone; Pierce Hawkins, Kyle van Rhijn; Cian Kearney, Bob Murphy (1-0), Killian Gregory; Ian Mulroy (1-1, 0-1 mark), Darragh Malone (0- 1 free), Paul Callan (0-5, 0-1 frees). SUBS: Laurence McEntee for McEvoy (41), Ciarán Dunne for Kearney (51).

SEAN MCDERMOTT’S: Finbar Moran; Ronan Kerley, David McArdle, Nathan Commins; Danny Commins, Seán Martin, Ian McDonald, Emmett Duffy, Declan Carroll; Danny Reilly, Peter Tuite (0-1), Ian Corbally; Niall Babbington (1-1), Marty Duffy (0-6, 0-2 frees), Cormac Walsh (0-2 frees). SUBS: Conor Walsh for McArdle (37), Noel Tuite for Reilly (52).

Referee: Stephen Devlin (Naomh Fionnbarra).

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Naomh Malachi 0-15 Na Piarsaigh Blackrock 1-6

Naomh Malachi made it two wins in a week after Na Piarsaigh Blackrock firmly pressed the self-destruct button in Dowdallshill on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin Caraher’s side held their nerve and showed a strong collective spirit to deservedly advance to the knockout stages with a game to spare.

It must be said, all was going well for Paul Sharkey’s men until his goalkeeper Adam Molloy received his marching orders shortly after half time. There were only two between the sides, 0-9 to 1-4 at the break, and you sensed it would go right down to the wire.

The sides were in fact level when Robert Murphy found the net in the first half for the Rock road side, but his side’s championship ambitions were ended with a red card from Gerard Corrigan after some unnecessary verbal’s from Molloy.

While the Naps were unravelling, Jason Clarke and Monday’s match winner Collie Rooney kept playing football.

Rooney bagged a brace and was well supplied by the two Paudie’s in the middle for the Courtbane men, while Moley and McLoughlin are more than a match for any midfield pairing in the county.

Paul Mallon finished off a miserable day for the Dundalk side with his second yellow card with five minutes left to play. Mals had done enough at that stage, as Ciarán Murphy landed some consolation points.

The fixture planners couldn’t have dreamt of a better final round pairing, unbeaten Lann Léire and Malachi’s now face off to see which team will top group 4. 

NAOMH MALACHI: Mark Meegan; Seán McArdle, Kevin McShane, Stephen Burns; Seán Watters, Tiernan Gonnelly, Jamie Kelly (0-2); Paudie McLoughlin (0-1), Paudie Moley (0-3); Michael McLoughlin, Jason Clarke (0-5, 0-2 frees), Conor Begley; Darren Clarke, Jack Kirwan (0-2), Collie Rooney (0-2). Subs: Keelan Conlon for Watters (22), Shane Rogers for Conlon (47), Andrew Begley for M McLoughlin (52).

NA PIARSAIGH BLACKROCK: Adam Molloy (0-3 frees); Ronan McCartney, Shane Roddy, Joe Woods; Stephen McGuinness, Fionn Tipping, John Galligan; Michael Woods, James Mahoney; Robert Murphy (1-0), Ciarán Murphy (0-3, 0-1 free), Tommy Muckian; Paul Mallon, Mark Larkin, Gerard Rice. Subs: John Garvey for Rice (35), David Boyle for Muckian (50), Cormac McCartney for Mahoney (55), Chris Kellett for Roddy (55), Darren Muckian for Galligan (59).

Referee: Gerard Corrigan (Mattock Rangers).