Louth GAA club | Blues advance with comfortable win over the Joes

St. Josephs needed a win to extend their Anchor Tours Louth Senior Football Championship journey, but it was the Newtown Blues who stormed to victory with a comfortable win in Castlebellingham this afternoon.

Played in drizzle with a strong breeze swirling across The Grove, the Drogheda men showed from the very first minute that they meant business, and by half-time the contest was effectively over.

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It was a painful afternoon for the Joes as their hopes of progress were extinguished against an opponent who looked sharper from the first whistle.

It was a statement performance for the Blues and one that sends them into the knockout stages brimming with confidence.

The tone of the game was set inside the opening minute when Conor MacCriosta split the posts to open the scoring.

Barely had the crowd settled before county man Andy McDonnell hit a two-pointer, quickly followed by another from captain Ciarán Downey.

With just four minutes played, the Blues were already five points clear and dominating possession. The Joes tried to steady themselves, but disaster struck in the eighth minute.

A high ball into the square wasn’t dealt with, and debutant Eoin McCoy pounced to finish to an empty net. It was a simple goal, but one that summed up the difference in composure between the sides.

Andy McDonnell added another two-pointer, and suddenly the scoreboard read 1-7 to 0-0 in favour of the Drogheda men.

It took until the 14th minute for St. Josephs to finally get off the mark. Craig Doherty’s shot was tipped over by goalkeeper Johnny McDonnell, giving the Dromiskin/Darver outfit a sliver of encouragement.

But the Blues hit back immediately through Conor Branigan, and the avalanche continued.

Andy McDonnell, running the show from midfield, scored points in the 16th and 21st minutes, while Daire Nally and Downey also raised white flags.

A poor Joes kickout in the 22nd minute gifted Andy McDonnell another opportunity, and he made no mistake, watching his effort clip the crossbar and go over for a two-pointer.

MacCriosta added another two moments later, and by the half-hour mark, Downey converted a free to stretch the lead even further.

At the break, the scoreboard told a grim story for the Joes as their opponents were 18 points clear, and their manager, John Kermode, could scarcely have asked for more from his side.

Half time: St. Josephs 0-1 Newtown Blues 1-16

The second half at least offered a brighter spell for the Joes, not least when the rain stopped and the sun broke through.

Within two minutes of the restart, they had a lifeline. Awarded a penalty, Oisin McGuinness coolly dispatched it into the left corner.

Alan Quigley almost made it even better shortly after, forcing a fine save from Johnny McDonnell, but the Blues quickly reasserted their authority.

McCoy pointed before Downey slotted a close-range free. Louth U20 star Pearse Grimes-Murphy gave the Joes something to cling to with a tidy score in the 41st minute, but again it was short-lived.

The killer blow arrived in the 46th minute when Downey, who had been lively throughout, drilled a low shot into the net for the Blues’ second goal. From there, the result was beyond doubt.

To their credit, the Joes kept battling. McGuinness tapped over a free, Ben Collier landed a superb two-pointer, and late scores from Quigley and Conall McCaul added some respectability.

But it was a long way back from the first-half onslaught, and by the time the final whistle sounded, the gap was still a commanding 14 points.

For St. Josephs, the defeat spells the end of their championship hopes, and they now face the unwanted route of a relegation playoff.

For the Blues, the quarter-final stage of the Joe Ward Cup beckons, and on this evidence, they look every inch contenders.

Final score: St. Josephs 1-7 Newtown Blues 2-18.

St. Josephs: Shane Barron; Rian Devlin, Killian Staunton, Ben McKeown; Michael O’Brien, Cormac McKeown, Gabriel Bell, David Kierans (jc), Conall McCaul (0-1); Oisin McGuinness (1-1, 1-0pen, 1f), Craig Doherty (0-1), Pearse Grimes-Murphy (0-1); Conal Smyth, Ben Collier (jc) (0-2, 1tp), Alan Quigley (0-1, 1f).

Subs: Conor Neary on for Michael O’Brien (24'), Jack Mulligan on for Craig Doherty (HT).

Newtown Blues: Johnny McDonnell; Aiden O’Brien, Ciarán Cluskey-Kelly, Ryan Kelly; Brian Kermode, Emmet Carolan, Conor Moore; Andy McDonnell (0-8, 3tp), Daire Nally (0-1); Alan Connor, Ciarán Downey (c) (1-5, 2f, 1tp), Conor MacCriosta (0-3, 1tp), Jamie Kelly, Eoin McCoy (1-1), Conor Branigan (0-1).

Subs: Fergal Donohoe on for Kermode (42'), Colm Judge on for Conor Branigan (0-1) (49'), Ian Connor on for Eoin McCoy (54'), Dan McArdle on for Alan Connor (56').

Referee: Ultan McElroy (Kilkerley Emmets).