Louth GAA Division 2 Round Up: Emphatic win sees Clans set the early pace

Hollywood Developments Division 2 Round 1

CLAN NA GAEL 1-16 LANNLEIRE 0-8

Clan na Gael made sure that Lannleire’s return to Division 2 was not a winning one as the Dundalk men eased to a comfortable win on Saturday night.

The game was switched to Dunleer after the Clans’ pitch was unplayable, but the Mid Louth side were unable to make home advantage count as a strong second half display from the visitors helped them clinch victory.

Before the game, a minute's silence was observed in memory of the late Jim Ryan, which was beautifully respected by all in the ground.

Lannleire ended up getting the opening score of the game, a Colin Murphy pointed free, but thereafter Clans dominated the clash.

Colin Murphy with another point, Darragh Malone (free) and Bob Murphy were Lannleire's other scorers in the first half, but with Billy Smith and Jason Cullen in fine scoring form, it was the Clans who led by 0-9 to 0-4 at the break.

The Dundalk men stretched their lead at the start of the second half and when Smith scored the only goal of the game on 41 minutes to make it 1-12 to 0-5, the result was put beyond any lingering doubt.

Billy Smith goaled for Clans on 41 minutes at which stage they led 1-12 to 0-05. Colin Murphy (3) and Killian Gregory were on the scoresheet for Lannleire in the second half.

CLAN NA GAEL: Sean Smith; Craig Callan (0-1), Gerard Curran, Brian McDonnell; Paul Gore, John Byrne, Jack Callan (0-1); Robbie Curran (0-1), Conor Noonan; Paul Crewe (0-2), Shane Carroll (0-1), Gavin Gaffey; Jason Cullen (0-4), Billy Smith (1-7), Ciaran O’Connor. Subs: Paul Gartlan for P Gore, Mark Lee for J Callan, Shay Coleman for S Carroll, Conor Smith for G Gaffey, Liam O’Hanlon for J Cullen, Mark McGeown for C O’Connor.

LANNLEIRE: Liam Callan; Jason Torris, Paul McGeough, Laurence McEntee; Darragh Goodman, Thomas Doyle, Caoimhin Maher; Pierce Hawkins, Kyle van Rhijn; Colin Murphy (0-5), Ian Mulroy, Darragh Malone (0-1); Paul Callan, Bob Murphy (0-1), Killian Gregory (0-1). Sub: Alex Carroll for Laurence McEntee.

GLEN EMMETS 3-5 ROCHE EMMETS 0-10

Glen Emmets got their Division 2 campaign off to a winning start when they made a fruitful trip to Roche Emmets on Saturday evening. Two goals from Keelan O’Neill proved vital as the visitors chalked up a four-point victory.

Roche went into the game hoping to build on a promising 2022 campaign and Jamie O’Hare’s team looked in good shape early on, as scores from Shane Byrne, Caoimhin Reilly and Mark Byrne helped them into a three-point lead.

However, O’Neill got his side back on level terms with his first goal on 17 minutes before Alex Carolan and Andrew Mooney pointed to help their side lead by 1-3 to 0-4 at the break.

The game turned three minutes into the second half when Diarmuid Cullen added a second goal to send his team five points clear.

O’Neill added a third goal on 42 minutes and although Barry O’Hare helped reduce the gap late on, it was too late to deny the Tullyallen men the points.

GLEN EMMETS: Damien Grimes; Emmet Delaney, Andrew Mooney (0-1), Keith Boylan (0-1); Robbie Byrne, Cathal Maguire, Luke McCarthy; Sean Byrne, Sam Kenny (0-1); Eoghan Maguire, Evan English, Keelan O’Neill (2-0); Alex Carolan (0-1), Cian Talbot, Diarmuid Cullen (1-1). Subs: A Fowler for E Maguire, S Corry for S Byrne, T Grimes for A Carolan.

ROCHE EMMETS: Dan O’Connell; Dermot Carthy, David Quigley, Adam McKay; Gerard Brown, James McDonnell, Aidan Grant; Glen Stewart, Martin Carroll; Jack McKay, Caoimhin Reilly (0-1), Sean Dawe; Shane Byrne (0-3), Barry O’Hare (0-3), Mark Byrne (0-3).

DUNDALK GAELS 2-8 ST KEVINS 1-6

In a hard-fought contest at Philipstown, it was Dundalk Gaels who came out on top against St Kevins to secure a winning start to their Division 2 season, with goals from Gary Shevlin and Thomas O’Connell proving decisive.

The opening half saw both teams battle for supremacy, with points exchanged at either end. TJ Doheny was quick off the mark for St Kevin's, scoring a point from play in the opening minute.

Dundalk Gaels responded with two points of their own before Patrick Clarke and Cian Callan notched up points for St Kevin's. However, Dundalk Gaels managed to find the net and added two more points from frees, giving them a four-point lead at halftime, 1-4 to 0-3.

As the second half began, the Gaels quickly added another point from a free. St Kevin's continued to fight, with Cameron Maher slotting a free over the bar. Moments later Lee Crosbie found the net for St Kevin's with a well-taken goal. TJ Doheny followed up with a stunning point from a line ball.

Despite the renewed energy, they couldn't maintain their momentum, as the Gaels began to find their rhythm, adding points from both play and frees. TJ Doheny added another point from a free, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide in his side’s favour.

DUNDALK GAELS: Adrian Rafferty; Jack Mullen, Oisin Murray, Shaun Duffy; James O’Connell, David McComish, David Moloney; Sean Murray, Jordan Keating; Gary Shevlin (1-1), Barry Watters, Luke Murray (0-1); Eamonn Kenny, Chris Sweeney, Thomas O’Connell (1-5). Subs: Liam O’Connor (0-1), Sean McCann, Kyle Rafferty.

ST KEVIN’S: Danny Crosbie; Shane Meade, Seanie Crosbie, Andrew Hynes; Dylan Maher, Cameron Maher (0-1), Darren McMullan; Brian Callaghan, Evan Maher; Keelan Maher, TJ Doheny (0-3), Jack Stokes; Cian Callan (0-1), Lee Crosbie (1-0), Patrick Clarke (0-1). Subs: Tom Matthews for K Maher, Niall Gregory for A Hynes. 

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ST JOSEPHS 0-16 O’CONNELLS 1-9

St. Josephs got their Division 2 campaign off to a winning start when they had four points to spare over O’Connells at Cluskey Park on Saturday evening.

Stuart Osborne opened the scoring for the visitors with a point, but Craig Doherty levelled with a free for the home side. Robert Quigley put the Bellingham side in front again, but the Dromiskin outfit then hit four unanswered points from Conor Neary, Doherty, Ben Collier and Jack Mulligan.

Another free from Quigley kept O’Connells in touch but the home side landed the next three points, two from Doherty and the other from Killian Staunton to lead 0-8 to 0-3 with five minutes to go in the half.

Osborne got his second point for the visitors just before Doherty received a black card for the Joes. Quigley got his third point of the half with a free before the half time whistle sounded to leave the score at the break 0-8 to 0-5 in favor of the home side.

Despite having an extra man at the start of the second half, the O’Connells failed to take advantage and two points in a row from Collier pushed the lead out to five between the sides.

Points from Jackie Agnew, Mulligan, Quigley and Neary maintained the gap with the score 0-12 to 0-7 after 45 minutes.

Doherty, back on the field after his black card, increased the home side’s lead to six with a free but that was down to three a minute later when Emmet Byrne got on the end of a free kick and flicked the ball to the net with eight minutes to go.

Quigley and Mulligan traded points to keep three between the sides. A free from Doherty and a third point from Neary put five between the sides on the hour mark.

Quigley got the last score of the game to reduce the margin to four, but it’s the Joes who got their season off to a winning start although they were made to fight all the way to the final whistle.

ST JOSEPHS: Jordan Mackin; Killian McDonald, Michael Staunton, Stefan Potts; David Kieran, Killian Staunton (0-1), Cian Sheridan; Conor Neary (0-3), Daire McKiernan; Jack Mulligan (0-3), Craig Doherty (0-6), Gabriel Bell; Daire Smyth, Ben Collier (0-3), Alan McKenna. Subs Ben Mulligan for S. Potts, Alan Lynch for A. McKenna, Sean Allen for D. McKiernan, Oran McParland for D. Smyth.

O’CONNELLS: John Brennan; Jack McGeough, Conor Byrne, Nathan Carragher; David Hoey, Conor Culligan, Liam Kiernan; Cailum Woods, Sean Cairns; Jackie Agnew (0-1), Stuart Osborne (0-2), Emmet Byrne (1-0); Cian O’Dwyer, Bernard Osborne, Robert Quigley (0-6, 0-2 frees). Subs: Ciaran O’Brien for D. Hoey, Cian Geeney for C. Woods, Matthew Reynolds for L. Kiernan. 

YOUNG IRELANDS 3-5 COOLEY KICHAMS 1-2

Three first half goals propelled Young Irelands to an opening-day victory over Cooley Kickhams at Pairc Eire Og on Saturday evening.

The visitors went into the Division 2 clash on the back of some encouraging form in the opening weeks of the season, but were made pay for a slow start as the Irelanders claimed a deserved win.

Dean Maguire gave his side the perfect start when he found the net on three minutes and Cooley barely had time to settle themselves when Derek Maguire added a second just over a minute later.

The peninsula side did get off the mark on 16 minutes through Enda O’Neill, but that proved to be their only score of the half. The hosts continued to dominate and made the most of their chances when Dean Maguire grabbed his third goal to make it 3-2 to 0-1 at the break.

O’Neill added his second point just after the restart, but his side were unable to build on that score and a comeback was never really on the cards.

Jordan O’Donoghue kicked three points for the Young Irelands in the second period to ensure that a 50th minute goal from Gerard Hanlon was little more than consolation.

YOUNG IRELANDS: Fergal Sheekey; Michael Mone, Ciaran Murray, Conn O’Donoghue; Liam Stravick (0-1), Jamie Browne, Cian O Naraigh; Peter Nixon, Sean Murphy; Dermot Mone, CIan O’Donoghue, Lee O’Donoghue; Derek Maguire (1-1), Dean Maguire (2-0), Jordan O’Donoghue (0-3). Subs: Caolan McCabe for Derek Maguire, Jack McArdle for P Nixon, Leon Duffy for Dean Maguire.

COOLEY KICKHAMS: Cian Rogan; Ronan McBride, Dean McGreehan, Gerry Malone; Sean White, Fearghal Malone, MJ Hanlon; Richard Brennan, Peter Thornton; Sean Hoey, Enda O’Neill (0-1), Gerard Hanlon (1-1); Brian Boyle, Cian Connor, Darren Marks. Subs: James O’Reilly, Ian Arnold, Cormac Malone, Joseph Quinn.

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HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS 1-8 KILKERLEY EMMETS 0-12

A late Kilkerley Emmets push in the last seven minutes snatched both points away to Hunterstown Rovers in the opening game of Division 2 on Saturday night. Tadhg McEneaney coolly slotted over the match winning mark to leave Rovers to rue what might have been.

Emmets scored the last six points of the game after Daithí Carroll’s first half goal looked to be the difference between the two sides all evening. Colm Donnelly’s side deservedly led 1-4 to 0-5 at the interval. 

Five points down, Emmets took over the final quarter. The return of Mícheál Begley was massive as he finished with four points like match winner McEneaney in this stunning comeback victory.

KILKERLEY EMMETS: Ultan McEnaney; Cormac Bellew, Cillian Mulligan, Ronan Deery;James Bellew, Cathal Bellew, Conal Quinn; Fintan Brady 0-1,Brian Brady; Ewan McEnteggart, Conal McEnaney (0-2), Cormac Mallon (0-1); Tadhg McEnaney (0-4), Micheal Begley (0-4), Ciaran Clarke. Subs: Darragh Conlon for Clarke; Kyle Cotter for J Bellew.