Louth GAA club | Division Two round-up

Dundalk Gaels 3-12 Mattock Rangers 0-13

It was first versus second in Collon where Dundalk Gaels tightened their grip on the John O'Neill Sand and Gravel Louth Division Two League title with an impressive win over Mattock Rangers.

Two first-half goals were enough to put the league leaders in the ascendancy as Chris Sweeney’s opener on the back of a good Mattock start put his side in command.

READ NEXT: Louth GAA club | Division One round-up

Without the suspended Sean Flynn, Rangers relied on Cathal Fleming but Louth Under 20 star Tony McDonnell rattled off a match-winning goal and a couple of points to push the game beyond Gus Flynn’s side in the opening half as they went in 2-6 to 0-4 ahead.

Rangers were determined in the second half and saw Cathal Fleming finish with seven points, but Gaels picked them off with defenders Shaun Duffy and Alan Jumbo getting in on the act. Tom O’Connell wrapped things up with an early second-half goal.

Seven points clear with three rounds to go, Kevin McKernan could well be adding more silverware in the coming weeks if not this weekend.

Dundalk Gaels: Aaron Culligan; James Lynch, James O’Connell, Padraig Tinnelly; Shaun Duffy 0-1, Oisin Murray, Alan Jumbo 0-1; Tom Murphy, Sean Murray; Cain Bromley 0-1, Dylan McKeown 0-4, Jordan Keating; Tony McDonnell 1-3, Tom O’Connell 1-1, Chris Sweeney 1-0.

Subs: Jack Mullen, Sean Lambert, Paul McCrave 0-1, Paddy O’Connell, Kyle Rafferty.

(John O'Neill Sand and Gravel Louth Division Two League table)

Kilkerley Emmets 4-14 Roche Emmets 3-16

Kilkerley Emmets got one over their neighbours Roche Emmets when they held out to win by a single point in this Division 2A clash at home on Saturday evening.

The hosts had to do it the hard way as they recovered from a ten-point deficit to take control of the game before withstanding a late rally from the Faughart men.

The first half belonged to Roche as they dominated from the outset with goals from Liam Dawe and Daire Reilly sending them in at the break with a healthy 2-9 to 0-5 advantage.

The home side were struggling to find their rhythm in a half where their scores came from Micheal Begley (3), Patrick Murtagh and Finan Brady.

Kilkerley came out in the second half with greater energy and soon took a firm grip on the game. Daragh Conlon bagged two goals in quick succession along with another from Michael Kirby to give their side a 3-12 to 2-11 lead at the water break.

A fourth goal from Micheal Begley had the hosts 4-14 to 2-14 ahead entering the closing stages before Roche rallied with a David Quigley goal and two late points but time ran out before they could rescue the game.

Kilkerley Emmets: Callum Mulholland; Cormac Bellew, Fintan Brady 0-2, Cillian Mulligan; Patrick Murtagh 0-1, Ronan Deery, Michael Kirby 1-0; Aaron Crawford, Darren Geoghegan; Ultan  McEneaney 0-1, Rian Hand 0-1, Daniel McKeown; Darragh Conlon 2-0, Michael Begley 1-9, Michael McGeown.

Subs: Glen Hoey for P Murtagh; Andrew Thornton for G Hoey.

Roche Emmets: Jamie O’Hare; Dermot Carthy, Matthew McArdle, Sean Connolly; Fionn Connolly 0-1, David Quigley 1-0, Jack McKay 0-1; Liam Dawe 1-2, Glen Stewart; Sean Dawe 0-3, Shane Byrne, Ryan Martin 0-1; Daire Reilly 1-1, Barry O’Hare 0-4, Alex McArdle 0-1.

Subs: DD Reilly 0-1, Cathal Corcoran 0-1, James McArdle.

(John O'Neill Sand and Gravel Louth Division Two League table)

Oliver Plunketts 1-15 O’Raghallaighs 0-6 

Oliver Plunketts came away from the Gaelic Grounds with a scorching three points against town rivals O’Raghallaigh’s for their second league win over the same team at the venue this season.

The accuracy of Luke Haggins and the absence of Rory Moore and Kyle McElroy was the difference between the two sides.

Three two-pointers from the Mell goalkeeper had the winners in control throughout while the scoring power on the half-forward line for Emmet Kelleher’s side allowed them to build a healthy halftime lead. 

By the time Conor McGinty notched his third point, the hosts were down to fourteen men with Emmet King double booked in the heat.

Stephen Keeley made sure of all three points with a clinching goal. The win sees the Plunketts go level at the bottom with two other teams, while the O’Raghallaighs are now just one point above that trio.

Oliver Plunketts: Luke Haggans 0-6; Ricky Bateson, David McTaggart, Barry Reynolds; Adam Lambe 0-1, Jamie Byrne, Conor Haggans; Robbie Brodigan, Shaun Smith; Adam Smith 0-1, Cian Brady 0-1, Kristian Nolan 0-4; Dean Carolan; Jack Taaffe, Stephen Keeley 1-2.

Subs: Gary Keogh, David Lambe, Niall Murtagh, Ben Boyce.

O’Raghallaighs: Joe Finnegan; James Morgan, Alan Doyle, Kevin Magee; Emmet King, Stephen Murphy, Eseosa Omoregbe; Eoin Moore, Conor McGinty 0-3; Lucas Carton, Jason Reynolds, Olan Walsh 0-1; Ben Rogan, John Horan 0- 1, Chris Smith.

Subs: Andrew Rogan, Daragh Naughton, Calum Somerville.

Glen Emmets 1-18 Clan Na Gael 1-13

Glen Emmets’ form after the split has been mightily impressive. A second win over Clan na Gael at home on Saturday night has lifted them to the same points tally as two other teams at the bottom of Division 2.

A rasping early start had the Tullyallen men in control throughout as James Butler struck three to put Emmets six-nil ahead.

County star Conor Grimes struck five points before the interval to all but secure the points, while young Jacob Morgan’s goal upon the resumption essentially did.

Clans did respond with a Shane Carroll goal midway through the half but it was never going to be enough. The visitors could find themselves in a relegation battle if not careful, while the hosts look to be digging themselves out of one.

Glen Emmets: Ian O’Reilly; Evan English, Keith Boylan, Brien Maguire; Shane Curtis, Cathal Maguire 0-01, Calum Wogan 0-01; Andrew Mooney 0-01, Conor Grimes 0-06; Eoghan Maguire, Kealan O’Neill 0-01, Darragh Russell; Paddy McHugh, James Butler 0-05, Jacob Morgan 1-02.

Subs: Daniel Grimes 0-01, L Lynch, Keefer Carolan.

Clan na Gael: Sean Smyth; Conor Smith, Craig Callan, Brian McDonnell; John Byrne, Conor Noonan, Craig Long; Conall McKeever 0-1, Shay Coleman 0-2; Jack Callan 0-1, Paul Crewe, Gavin Gaffey; Liam O’Hanlon 0-7, Gerard Curran, Billy Smith 0-2.

Subs: Mark Newell, Shane Carroll 1-0, Mark McGeown, Mícheál McDonnell.

Young Irelands 2-13 St Kevins 0-13

Young Irelands travelled to Philipstown on Saturday evening and returned home with maximum points thanks to a deserved victory.

That makes it two wins from two for the Dundalk men in Division 1B as they appear to be hitting their stride ahead of the championship.

For St Kevins, it was a second successive defeat in phase two of the league and as a result it leaves them looking over their shoulders as the relegation battle begins to heat up.

While the teams chalked up 13 points each it was goals from Jack Watters and Dean Maguire that proved the difference as the Dundalk men came out on top.

Young Irelands: Fergal Sheekey; Conn O’Donoghue, Ciaran Murray, Lee O’Donoghue; Cian O Naraigh 0-2, Peter Nixon, Caolan McCabe; Michael O’Shea, Ruairi Kelly 0-2; Liam McStravick, Dermot Mone, Jack Watters 1-1; Dean Maguire 1-3, Jordan O’Donoghue 0-4, Cian O’Donoghue 0-1.

Subs: Derek Maguire for D Mone, Joe Mee for C McCabe, Aidan Sheekey for Cian O’Donoghue, Sean Murphy for C O Naraigh.

St Brides 2-18 Stabannon Parnells 0-12

St Brides moved to within a point of second-placed Mattock Rangers thanks to victory over Stabannon Parnells in Knockbridge on Saturday evening.

The win was all the more impressive given the fact that the hosts played almost the entire game with just 14 men after the third-minute dismissal of midfielder Peter Carragher.

Despite this setback, the Brides, playing with the breeze in the first half, had points from Kieran McArdle, Seán Marry, and Dónal McArdle.

It was nip and tuck for both teams throughout the first half, with the Brides going in with a two-point advantage, 0-7 to 0-5, after having the benefit of the wind.

Stabannon failed to push on with the breeze and the extra man in the second half despite points from Harry and Bobby Butterly during that period.

St. Brides began to build a cushion with three 2-point frees from Aaron Devin, creating some daylight between the teams.

When Michael Keane scored a goal in the 24th minute, it was difficult to see a way back for Stabannon and Kieran McArdle closed out the game in the dying minutes with another well-taken goal.

St Brides: Aaron Devin 0-6; Stephen Hoey, Cillian Kirk, Padraig Mackin; Andrew Smyth, Bernard Laverty, Ross Murnaghan; Peter Carragher, James Costello; Sean Marry 0-3, Kieran McArdle 1-4, Morgan Tobin; Nathan Kirk, Kevin Hearty 0-2, Donal McArdle 0-2.

Subs: Patrick Reilly 0-1 for N Kirk, Micheal Keane 1-0 for P Mackin, Robert McCaughney for R Murnaghan, Oisin McBride for M Tobin.

Stabannon Parnells: Michael Lynch; Johnny McGee, Alan Reynolds, Mark Byrne; Jake Corrigan, Sean Reynolds, Ryan Halpenny; Colm Giggins, Niall Cluskey 0-1; Padraig Reynolds 0-1, Bobby Butterly 0-2, Shane Brady; Robert Callaghan, Dylan Shevlin 0-2, Harry Butterly 0-4.

Subs: Tristan Hartung for Byrne, Barry McCoy (0-2) for S Brady, Jamie Cronin for P Reynolds