Kevin Mullen Shield Roundup: Junior finalist suffers early season defeat

Kevin Mullen Shield 

Group A

ST NICHOLAS 4-9 DOWDALLSHILL 0-6

Dowdallshill’s 2023 season under new manager Gerry Curran didn't start as they would have hoped, after his side shipped a heavy defeat in this subsidiary League opener, played in spring like conditions.

Fielding club debutants John Spain and Gavin Durkin, Dowdallshill left themselves with the proverbial mount to climb after Niall McManus was shown a red card at the end of the opening quarter.

From that point, it was always going to be a tall order to stay in the game, and so it proved with a goal from Fionn Meagher on 20 minutes putting the Nicks in command.

The St Brigid’s Park outfit trailed by 1-7 to 0-1 at half time, and matters improved little on the restart as the hosts went on to record a comfortable win.

Sam Reilly, Lee Kavanagh (pen) and Meagher all had the ball in the net in the third quarter while Philip Kirwan weighed in with two points to seal the issue.

DOWDALLSHILL: Eamonn Duffy; Kevin McGonagle, Darragh Newman, Dylan McDonald; Paddy McKenna, Stephen Murray, John Spain; Gavin Durkin, Jack McGailey (0-1); Stephen King, Cathal Sheridan (0-3), Donal Magennis (0-2); Niall McManus, Gary Slevin, Paudie Murray. Subs: Johnny Walsh for G Slevin, Peter Hughes for K McGonagle, Ridwan Bodunrin for E Duffy and Tommy Craig for P Murray.

ST NICHOLAS: Shane Finegan; Stephen Finegan, Connor Faulkner, Eoin McDonnell; Andrew Starrs, Alex Reilly, Jack Downey; Brian Carter, Aaron Flanagan (0-1); Fionn Meagher (2-1), Phillip Kirwan (0-3), Shahin Housidari; Sam Reilly (1-4), Paudi Downey, Lee Kavanagh (1-0).
 
SEAN MCDERMOTTS 0-8 NH MALACHI 0-6

Sean McDermotts made it a worthwhile trip to Courtbane on Sunday as they claimed victory over Naomh Malachi in Group A of the Kevin Mullen Shield.

In a tight contest, the visitors did just enough to come away with both points as Kevin McMahon and Peter Tuite contributed important scores.

The teams were evenly matched throughout the game and at the end of the first half the Seans held a slender 0-4 to 0-3 advantage.

Darren Clarke and Jack Kirwan were among the scorers for the Mals as they battled to get back into the contest, but ultimately the Mountrush men did enough to wrap up the victory.

SEAN MCDERMOTTS: Finbarr Moran; Ronan Kerley, David McArdle, Nathan Commins; Danny Commins, Ian Corbally, Lorcan Ludden; Sean Martin (0-1), Cormac Walsh (0-1); Danny Reilly, Kevin McMahon (0-3), Noel Tuite (0-1); Ian McDonald, Declan Carroll, Peter Tuite (0-2). Subs: Conor Walsh for D Reilly, Dean Brennan for D Carroll, Declan Carroll for S Martin.

NH MALACHI: Niall Bird; Stephen Burns, Sean Watters, Conor Begley; David Begley, Brendan McShane, Jamie Kelly; Kevin McShane, Paudie Moley; Emmet Mullen, Jason Clarke, Conor Nicholson; Darren Clarke (0-2), Jack Kirwan (0-2), Collie Rooney (0-2). Subs: Daniel Mulligan for S Watters, Sean McArdle for S Burns, Matthew Campbell for E Mullen, Conal Stafford for B McShane, Shane Rogers for P Moley.

Group B

WOLFE TONES 2-8 NA PIARSAIGH 0-11

Wolfe Tones survived a second half revival from Na Piarsaigh before coming out on top in this Kevin Mullen Shield encounter in Drogheda on Sunday.

The hosts looked to be in a comfortable position when they led by seven points at the break but had to show character in the second half as they held out for the victory.

The only goals of the contest arrived before the short whistle as Joe Comiskey and Adam Gartland found the back of Na Piarsaigh’s net to help ease their side into a 2-4 to 0-3 lead at half time.

The Dundalk men came out for the second half in a determined mood, and they gradually began to reduce the gap. It was down to just three as the game went into the dying moments, but the visitors were unable to produce the goal they needed to rescue something from the game.

WOLFE TONES: Alan Sweeney; Sean McMahon, Patrick Fanning, Alan Fanning; Sam Kelly, Sean McQuail, Dwayne Leavy; Garrett Cooney (0-1), Sean Flanagan; Liam Gaffney (0-1), Danny Byrne, Adam Gartland (1-0); Joe Comiskey (1-0), Jordan Duffy (0-5), Chris Cudden (0-1).

ANNAGHMINNON 1-9 GLYDE RANGERS 1-5

Last year's Junior finalists Glyde Rangers suffered a rare home defeat to Annaghminnon Rovers in Tallanstown on Sunday morning. Rovers outscored Rangers in both halves as they ran out worthy winners.

Both side’s full forwards James O’Connor and Brian Duffy swapped well taken majors, but O’Connor was better aided by Aidan Lee Martin who punished Gus Flynn’s side at every opportunity.

In the second half Glyde battled in an effort to haul the deficit back, however Rovers had too much in the legs with Conor Russell and Niall Brennan finding the range.  They play fellow winners Wolfe Tones next week.

ANNAGHMINNON ROVERS:  Declan Lambe; Tomas Byrne, Shane McMahon, Paul McArdle; Colin Campbell, Ronan Byrne, Padraig Russell; Eddie Finnegan, Shaun Harte, Conor Russell (0-1), James Campbell, Niall Brennan (0-1); Aidan Lee Martin (0-6), James O’Connor (1-1), Dwayne Markey. SUBS: Tiernan O’Brien, Fergal Markey, Tony Brennan.

GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; Pauric Kearney, Fiachra Sheridan (0-2), Gerard Bourton; Oran Matthews, Aaron Myles, Conor McCullagh; Lee Finnegan, Peter Duffy; Killian Scott (0-1), Aaron Devlin, Sean Devaney; Darren McKeever, Brian Duffy (1-2), Leigh Byrne. SUBS: Conor Sheridan, Killian Gallagher, Niall Bird, Dylan Kearney.

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Group C

JOHN MITCHELS 1-15 WESTERNS 2-6

James Murray picked up his first win as the new John Mitchels manager at Protection and Prosperity Louth GAA Training Centre in Darver, courtesy of a strong second half performance against Westerns on Friday night.

Improved Westerns were unlucky not to come away with something from the game as David Anderson stood up again with some terrific point-blank saves. James Maguire did find the breakthrough, but Mitchels were too strong overall.

With the returning Stephen Campbell bagging the goal, Trevor Matthews impressed again pulling the strings on the forty with the two Binghams working well together in the middle of the field for the winners.

JOHN MITCHELS: David Anderson; Anthony Coyle, Shane Crosson, Barry Cousins; Liam Devitt, Aaron Kane, Mikey Nulty; Andrew Bingham (0-1), Aaron Keely (0-2); Jamie Durnin (0-1), Trevor Matthews (0-5 frees), Kevin Gallagher; Cathal Corrigan (0-3), Stephen Campbell (1-0), Robbie Coyle (0-3, 0-2 frees). SUBS: James Sands for A Coyle, Keith Durnin for Cousins, Leigh Ross for Devitt, Stephen Murphy for Durnin.

WESTERNS: Peter Shiels; Brian Coyle, Connor McLellan, Roan Gallagher; Conor Smith, John Murray, Emmett Smith; Ryan Duffy, Aidan McGarrell; Mick Martin, James Maguire (1-3), Patrick Kerley; Cillian Crosby (0-1), Justin Cunningham (1-0), Chris Morgan. SUBS: Anthony Durnin (0-2).

Group D

OLIVER PLUNKETTS 4-15 CUCHULAINN GAELS 1-13

Oliver Plunketts started the season with a long trip to Omeath but returned down the motorway in upbeat mood after securing a comfortable victory over Cuchulainn Gaels.

The hosts battled gamely throughout and kicked some good scores, but they were unable to match the scoring power of the Drogheda men as the visitors made a winning start in Group D of the Kevin Mullen Shield.

The Plunketts always had the edge in this contest, but it took a goal from Sean Boyle to help open up daylight between the teams as his side led by 1-9 to 0-6 at the break.

Cuchulainn Gaels fought hard in the second half and found the net through James Sharkey, who finished with an impressive tally of 1-6, while Michael McCabe chipped in with four points.

However, the Mell side were never in any real danger and made sure of a comfortable win thanks to goals from Killian Nolan and Luke Carley, while Kristian Nolan weighed in with seven points.

OLIVER PLUNKETTS: Colum Duffy; Ricky Bateson, Cillian Matthews, Evan Byrne; Tadhg O’Brien, Gary Keogh (0-1), James Lambe; Sean Boyle (1-0), Shaun Smith; Conor Haggans (0-2), Sean Callaghan (0-3), Niall Murtagh; Kristian Nolan (0-7), Stephen Beirth (0-1), Killian Nolan (2-0). Subs: Jamie Byrne for O’Brien, Luke Carley (1-0) for Lambe, Adam Smith for Beirth, Caoimh O’Reilly for Killian Nolan, Christopher Quinlan (0-1) for Byrne.

CUCHULAINN GAELS: Ciaran Connelly; Martin Hynes, Sean Brennan, Callum Fearon; Euan McArdle, Philip McGovern, Brendan O’Hagan; Seamus McCabe, Francis O’Hagan; James Sharkey (1-6), Micheal McCabe (0-4), Rammie Phillips (0-1); Cian McDonald (0-1), Jordan Loye (0-1), Jamie Molloy. Subs: Peter Morgan for F O’Hagan, John Morgan for E McArdle, Conal Donnelly for J Molloy, Sean McManus for J Loye, Stephen Mullen for C Fearon, Michael Keenan for P McGovern, Rory Watson for M Hynes, Brendan McKeown for R Phillips.