Cuchulainn Gaels dig deep to record historic third ever championship victory

DKIT Sport Junior Football Championship Round 2 Group 4

CUCHULAINN GAELS 2-5  ST NICHOLAS 0-9  

Having gone close the week previous, the two McDonald brothers made certain of a third ever Championship victory for Cuchulainn Gaels as they knocked a wasteful St Nicholas side out of the Louth Junior championship at the Grove.

Every one of Cuchulainn’s wins to date have come during Paul Sharkey's reign, last season and this season, and despite last week's setback the Gaels made sure of success with some hard work and well taken goals.

Usually reliant Fionn Meagher missed a late 14 yard free in front of the posts to salvage a draw three minutes into injury time, but the wayward effort summed up the Drogheda men’s shooting on the night and indeed the campaign as a whole.

Right at the end of the half, Cian McDonald rounded his marker and found the net to make it 1-3 to 0-3 at the turn. McDonald’s major was well taken but sucker punched Kubie Downey’s men after a half of domination, albeit not on the scoreboard.

Wingback Rian Farrell once again shone for the Nicks at half back, driving his men forward down the field end of the Castlebelingham venue and landing a point for himself.

Eoin McDonald then took over the scoring stakes from his brother to hit the net, alongside a counter attacking score and a Mícheál McCabe effort. This added further fluster among the Drogheda ranks when composure was badly needed.

Cuchulainn Gaels now line up against the Wolfe Tones for a place in the knock-out stages for the second season running.

CUCHULAINN GAELS: Seamus Quigley; Calum Fearon, Peter McCabe, Brendan McKeown; Peter Morgan, Martin Hynes, Conall Donnelly; Seamus McCabe, Brendan O’Hagan; Mícheál McCabe (0-1), Stephen Mullen, Jordan Loye (0-1); Cian McDonald (1-2), Rammie Phillips, Eoin McDonald (1-1). SUBS: Francis O’Hagan for Mullen.

ST.NICHOLAS: Shane Finegan; Stephen Finegan, Andrew Starrs, Connor Faulkner; Rian Farrell (0-1), Alex Finnegan, Declan Heeney; Brian Carter, Aaron Flanagan (0-1); Hayden Quinn, Fionn Meagher (0-2), Cebhan Houshidari; Johnny Carter (0-1); Paudi Downey (0-2), Phillip Kirwan (0-2). SUBS: Tadgh Martin for Faulkner, Lee Kavanagh for Quinn.