Sean O'Mahony's prove too strong for improving O'Connell's outfit

CTI BUSINESS SOLUTIONS INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIOMSHIP ROUND 1

GROUP 4

Sean O’Mahony’s 0-16 O’Connell’s 1-8

Sean O’Mahony’s got this year’s Intermediate championship off to the perfect start as they accounted for O’Connell’s in relatively comfortable fashion in Clan Na Gael Park last Sunday afternoon.

The Point Road men built up an early seven-point lead, which ended up being enough of a buffer to keep their opponents at bay, despite O’Connell’s never throwing in the towel.

A late goal in the dying seconds from Sean Cairns put a fairer reflection on a this tie, as his team mustered a couple of mini comebacks.

Having struggled in Division 2 all year, this will at least give O'Connell's confidence ahead of their final round clash game in two weeks’ time, but it also leaves the winners feeling good heading into their clash with Clan na Gael.

And righty so, as this was a very polished performance. Seven players got on the scoresheet and they were an impressive defensive unit too. Just three of their final total came from placed balls, the only real blemish being a lack of goal chances. Something to work on ahead of round 2.

It was actually the Castlebellingham men that started this contest the brighter. They dominated the possession stakes in the first five minutes, with Dean Stanfield and Sean Cairns acting as their playmakers, coming back the field to force turnovers and quickly getting the ball forward.

However they weren’t able to turn this positive spell on the ball into scores, Stanfield and Bernard Osbourne both missing opportunities to get their team off the mark.

Chances soon dried up as Sean O’Mahony’s took control of the contest. O’Connell’s would not even create another chance until 23 minutes into this tie, when Bernard Osbourne finally got them off the mark.

In between these efforts came seven in a row from the Dundalk men, creating a match winning gap that was rarely threatened via efforts from Eddie Maguire (2), Thomas Rice (2), and three in a row Terry Kelly.

He became their target man for the duration of this half, as with a wind backing him up, he seemed capable of scoring from any angle.

And it was relentless waves of attacking too, as Liam Dullaghan’s troops managed to force turnovers six times from O’Connell’s own kickouts.

Osbourne ended their barren run without a score and bagged one more too before the final whistle for the Castlebellingham men. Whenever they could break into the opposition half, they looked dangerous, Osbourne and Cairns and Dean Stanfield doing all they could to keep this tie alive.

But attacks were few and far between, as further points from Maguire, Conor Finnegan and Kyle Carroll left eight between the sides going into the interval, O'Mahony’s leading by 0-10 to 0-2.

The Point Road men were forced into some changes early in the first half and this allowed O’Connell’s to finally build some momentum. Bernard Osbourne tapped over a free before a brace from Jackie Agnew reignited their challenge somewhat.

He was much more influential after the restart and he ended the half with four points to his name, often being the only person who looked capable of bypassing his markers.

However, the Dundalk men bounced back with three of their own via Robert Galligan, Terry Kelly and Ben McLaughlin to cancel out those earlier O'Connell's points.

To have any hope of a comeback O'Connell's needed to bag goals, so Cairns was deployed around the square with the hope he could win possession via an onslaught of high balls.

They were almost gifted a goal when Stanfield got his hands on a wayward kickout from Maguire, only for his attempt to chip him resulting in the ball going right back into the keeper’s hands, while some Cairns' fielding teed up substitute Evan Kearney, who blasted the ball wide from close range soon afterwards.

Former Dundalk FC captain Brian Gartland was introduced around the 50-minute mark, in what was his championship debut for the O’Mahony’s. He lost none of his leadership skills since retiring from soccer, as he could be seen giving orders when not on the ball.

Three more in row via Kelly (2) and Conor Martin down the final stretch killed off any last hopes of a comeback, but a Cairns goal at the death at least narrowed the gap somewhat. Should this group come down to scoring difference, as can happen in three team groups, this last score could end up very valuable.

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Sean O’Mahony’s: Eddie Maguire (0-2 frees); Rob Galligan (0-1), Chris O’Neill, Ciaran Jamison; Conor Mackin, Kian McEvoy, Robert Clarke; Conor Martin (0-1), Gareth Hall; Kyle Carroll (0-1), Conor Finegan, Tiernan Cassidy; Ben Mclaughlin (0-2), Terry Kelly (0-6), Thomas Rice (0-3, 0-1 free). Subs: Keith McLaughlin for Carroll (35), Ciaran Finan for Jamison (35), Brian Gartland for Hall (50), Vinny Smith for Cassidy (56), Conor McGailey for Clarke (61).

O’Connell’s: John Brennan; Jack McGeough, Conor Byrne, Sam Shearman; Stuart Osbourne, Conor Culligan, David Hoey; Ciaran O’Brien, Sean Cairns (1-0); Cian O’Dwyer, Jackie Agnew (0-4, 0-2 frees), Emmet Byrne; Callum Woods, Bernard Osbourne (0-3, 0-2 frees), Dean Stanfield. Subs: Nathan Carragher for Stuart Osbourne (Blood 5-7), Evan Kearney (0-1) for O’Dwyer (HT), Nathan Carragher for Hoey (42), Padraig McCahey for Bernard Osbourne (51), Adam Flynn for Kearney (63).

Referee: Damien Connor.