Louth GAA: Clans grit their teeth to edge out O’Connell's
CLAN NA GAEL 0-16
O’CONNELL’S 2-9
Clan Na Gael topped group four by gritting their teeth against a much improved O’Connell’s side. A healthy score difference always had the Dundalk side in control but in the close finish they decided to win the game anyway.
The amateur, or indeed professional psychologists in Tallanstown on Saturday night were clearly able to gauge the motives of each side. With a lead to chase the Castlebellingham men were gutsy and gave it a go while Alan O’Neill’s side played within themselves but professionally carried out their task.
Following the big Dundalk win the week previous, the Clans were always able to go up a gear or too but they were also cautious of not getting into a dog-fight against the scrappy O’Connell’s. So many times the Ecco road men have been done in the past against their opponents but this season appears to be different.
O’Connell’s goalkeeper John Brennan provided the first sprinkle of an upset when superbly smothered a Seán O’Hanlon shot from close range. Cailum Woods had a terrific game and stemmed off his first point of the game.
Add in the returning Niall Conlon with a mark, the winless men in maroon were well and truly up for a shock. Clans composed themselves and Shane Carroll opted to point with a man inside him but the point was the safe option. Even then the wariness was apparent.
Conor Culligan was on form in the opening half, having swerved over a sumptuous point he bombed in a high ball for Sean Cairns to gobble up and lash home to give the Clans the feeling it wasn’t going to be their day.
Clans midfielder Robbie Curran then hit three points in a row. Game management and leadership all wrapped in one but the winners still trailed the O’Connell’s 1-6 to 0-9 at half time.
The sides were level five times in the second half and suited the Dundalk side just fine. Jack Callan clipped over from a narrow angle to open up a two point lead early upon the resumption.
Cairns once again found himself drifting towards the square to fire home again in similar fashion and make the Clans heart skip a beat but Paul Crewe and Conall McKeever never let their side worry.
Countering with vigour and thought, the two halfbacks countered anything the O’Connell’s threw at them and they threw plenty. Bernard Osbourne clipped over a brace as the teams went point for point.
Clans in the end decided to win the game with three of the affairs' last four scores. Crewe popped up with one of them, his third. O’Connell’s now face Mattock Rangers in the relegation play off semi final.
CLAN NA GAEL: Seán Smyth, Jack Callan 0-1, Craig Long, Brian McDonnell; Mark Lee, Paul Crewe 0-3, Conall McKeever 0-2; Robbie Curran 0-3 (1f), Conor Noonan; John Byrne, Shane Carroll 0-2, Gavin Gaffey 0-1; Seán O’Hanlon 0-1, Jason Cullen 0-2; Gerard Curran. SUBS: Conor Smith for Lee (20), Billy Smith 0-1 for McDonnell (HT), Mark McGeown for Gaffey (41), Liam O’Hanlon for Long (51), Lee O’Carroll for R Curran (56).
O’CONNELL’S: John Brennan; Jack McGeough, Conor Byrne, Sam Shearman; Conor Culligan 0-2, Stuart Osborne, Emmet Byrne 0-1; Ciarán O’Brien, Seán Cairns 2-0; Dean Stanfield 0-1, Jackie Agnew, Cailum Woods 0-1; Niall Conlon 0-2 (1m), Bernard Osborne 0-2 (1f), Evan Kearney. SUBS: David Hoey for Stanfield (53), Nathan Carragher for Kearney (60).
REF: Thomas Carr (Newtown Blues).