O’Mahony’s outclass Clans in Championship opener

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Seán O’Mahony’s emerged victorious over Clan na Gael in the opening round of the Louth Intermediate Football Championship at Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdallshill on Saturday evening.

O’Mahony’s strong second-half performance proved decisive as they started their championship campaign on a high note. Clan na Gael, despite a spirited effort, was unable to keep pace with their opponents in the closing stages of the match.

The game began with Clan’s Shay Coleman narrowly missing the target in the opening minute. However, it was the Point Road side who struck first, with captain Stephen Kilcoyne registering the first point of the match in the 5th minute.

Clan na Gael responded quickly, with County player Conall McKeever fisting over the bar to level the scores in the 9th minute. Gavin Gaffey added a superb point from distance for the Clans three minutes later to put them ahead.

O’Mahony’s fought back with Gareth Hall and Kian McEvoy scoring points to regain the lead by the 16th minute. The teams traded scores with Robbie Curran leveling things up again at 0-3 each from a free in the 21st minute.

However, a quickfire double from Terry Kelly ensured Cathal Doughlas’ side pulled ahead again. Kelly registered a brilliant point from a tight angle, before instantly adding a second score from distance.

A free from Thomas Rice extended O’Mahony’s lead to three points. Still, Clan na Gael responded emphatically with a goal from star player McKeever in the 27th minute, bundling the ball over the line after a save from Kevin Brennan in the O’Mahony’s net.

This brought the Clans back within a point, but a free from O’Mahony’s ‘Junior’ immediately pushed them two ahead. R. Curran’s free just before the break narrowed the deficit to a single point. At halftime, Seán O’Mahony’s led by 0-7 to Clan na Gael’s 1-4.

Seán O’Mahony’s came out firing in the second half, and within just two minutes, they had found the back of the net. Kelly, assisted by Dauda Shoyato finished off a well-worked move to put his side four points clear. He followed this up with a successful free in the 33rd minute, pushing the score to 1-8 to 1-4.

The momentum firmly shifted in Seán O’Mahony’s favor as they added three more points in quick succession, with Shoyato and Kelly on target, extending their lead to seven points.

Clan na Gael managed to break the scoring drought with a free from Robbie Curran in the 45th minute, but Seán O’Mahony’s continued to press, with Thomas Rice adding another free and Junior scoring again to make it 1-13 to 1-5.

Despite a late push from Alan O’Neill’s men, who scored two late points to narrow the gap, Seán O’Mahony’s held firm to secure a five-point victory.

It finished Clan na Gael 1-8 Seán O’Mahony’s 1-13 at Dowdallshill as O’Mahony’s got the championship off to a winning start over their Dundalk rivals.

SEÁN O’MAHONY’S: Kevin Brennan; Stephen Kettle, Chris O’Neill, Kian McEvoy; Oisin Breen, Aaron Boyle, Seán Cassidy; Gareth Hall, John O’Brien; Dauda Shoyato, Thomas Rice, Brian McGuirk; Conor Finnegan, Terry Kelly, Stephen Kilcoyne (c).

Subs: Kyle Carroll for Rice, Calum Smith for Kettle, Gary Cawley for Kilcoyne.

CLAN NA GAEL: Seán Smith; Brian McDonnell, Craig Callan, Conor Smith; Conall McKeever, Conor Noonan (c), Mark Newell; Robbie Curran, Jack Callan; Gavin Gaffey, John Byrne, Paul Crewe, Shay Coleman, Shane Carroll, Liam O’Hanlon.

Subs: Gerard Curran for Callan (HT), Mark McGeown for O’Hanlon, Billy Smith for Carroll, Aodhan Kirk for Newell, Farouq Ibrahim for Gaffey.

REFEREE: Paul Kneel.