Louth GAA club | Late drama as St. Patricks draw with the Jocks

A brace of late two pointers from St Patricks mean that both them and Naomh Mairtin will have to do it all over again this coming weekend.

It looked like Naomh Mairtin were all set to book their place in the Louth SFC semi finals, with three points in a row giving them a 1-16 to 1-12 lead with 57 minutes on the clock. But you have to take your hat off to St Patricks, as they refuse to go quietly.

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Having forced their way back to get the required result against St Mochtas last time out, Jamie O’Hare’s side were at it again, with a brace of late two pointers from Martin McEneaney and sub Danny O’Connor rescuing this game for the Lordship men, to send this dramatic quarter final to a replay, which takes place this coming Saturday in Darver.

Naomh Mairtin will probably regret not kicking on when they put some daylight between themselves and their opponents at different stages in the game, having led by seven points at the start of the second half, as well as by four late on.

Mattie Rice’s side began brightly, with the lively Darragh Dorian opening the scoring after 3 minutes.

Prior to this, the Martins almost grabbed the opening goal, when Pats keeper Martin McEneaney stood up tall to thwart Val Leddy from close range following a clever Sean Healy handpass.

Sam Mulroy converted a free, before the Louth captain seized on a mistake from Pats’ netminder McEneaney to roll the ball into an empty net, to leave the Jocks ahead by 1-2 to no score after 8 minutes.

Jack Murphy (f) did get the Pats off the mark after 11 minutes following a foul on the hard running Barry Dunne.

In what was a key moment in this quarter final, The Martins went close to another green flag, when Sean Healy once again broke free on the left flank to hand pass across the goal mouth. However, Pats’ defender Kevin Toner heroically flicked the ball away from danger just as Val Leddy was ready to pounce.

Straight down the other end, the Pats moved the ball through Conor Grogan and Darren Connor, with the latter finding Sean Fearon inside the Martins cover, and Fearon fired the ball to the net, to bring his side right back into the game at 1-2 to 1-1, when it could have so easily been 2-2 to 0-1 second earlier.

Such was the bruising nature of this encounter, both sides were embroiled in plenty of physical rucks and tussles. One such tussle saw Darran O’Hanlon tangle with Darragh Dorian, with the Pats emerging with the ball, thanks to Darren Connor.

Following this, Eoin O’Connor fired over a two pointer with the outside of his right foot to put the Pats ahead at 1-3 to 1-2 just past the first quarter.

The Martins did get great success off their own kickout in that first half, with Dara McDonnell and Adam Booth seeing plenty of possession here. One such move saw Jack Murphy tee up Tom Gray for a fine effort to level the sides up.

This began a purple patch for the Martins who outscored the Pats by 0-5 to 0-1 in the run up to half time to take a four-point lead into the break. 

Sam Mulroy (3) (one 2p) stretched the Martins lead to four with 26 minutes on the clock. Jack Murphy stretched that lead to five thanks to more neat work by Eoghan Callaghan.

The Pats still looked a threat at the other end, and had earlier come close to a second goal, when Aidan McCann’s goal bound strike was kept out on the goal line by Thomas Sullivan.

McCann did close that gap to three from play, thanks to neat interplay from Eoin O’Connor who led the Pats challenge impressively.

Wayne Campbell and Jack Murphy combined to set up Tom Gray for another score for the Martins, who led by 1-8 to 1-4 at the break. Six minutes into the second half, the Martins opened out a seven-point lead, thanks to a Dara McDonnell two pointer and a Sam Mulroy 45.

However, the Martins were guilty of a cheap concession of two pointers, which is simply unavoidable against the Pats. A two pointed free from Martin McEneaney, as well as one from play by newlywed Darren O’Hanlon left just three between the teams after 39 minutes.

The Pats got to grips with the Martins kickout in that second half, with Leonard Grey, Joe Connor, Kevin Toner, and Michael O’Shaughnessy all getting their hands to breaking ball in this area.

Grey set up Sean Fearon to score from play, to leave the Pats just two in arrears at 1-11 to 1-9 inside 40 minutes.

Things nearly got even better for the Pats, with Eoin O’Connor’s rasping drive smacking back off the crossbar. Jack Murphy picked up the loose ball to get the point for his side, leaving just the minimum between the sides.

Following another one of these physical tussles which were allowed to occur thanks to referee Paul Kneel, Naomh Mairtin’s Conor Healy emerged with possession, for brother Sean Healy to set up Eoghan Callaghan for a much-needed Martins point.

Sub Danny O’Connor fired over to trade scores with Sam Mulroy as both sides went fire for fire. Jack Murphy (f) for the Pats, again left a point between the sides, with nobody leaving Darver early.

The Martins kicked on for what they thought was a match winning scoring spurt, thanks to Tom Gray, Darragh Dorian and Sam Mulroy (f), as they led by 1-16 to 1-12 with three minutes left.

However, as we know with these FRC rules, that lead is a pittance in this new game, with the Martins again guilty of conceding cheap two pointers.

Martin McEneaney landed a free outside the arc, before a marvellous Danny O’Connor effort following decent work from Eoin O’Connor means that a replay will be required to decide who will reach the Senior Championship semi-finals.

Naomh Mairtin: Darren Morgan; Shane Morgan, Thomas Sullivan, Conor Healy; Evan Whelan, Eoghan Callaghan (0-1), Sean Healy; Adam Booth, Dara McDonnell (0-2) (1 x tp); Jack Murphy (0-1), Sam Mulroy (1-7) (3f) (1 x tp), Wayne Campbell; Darragh Dorian (0-2), Val Leddy, Tom Gray (0-3).

Subs: Craig Callanan for Murphy (49), Joe McGrane for Campbell (49), Tadgh O’Brien for Shane Morgan (54).

St Patricks: Martin McEneaney (0-4) (2 x tpf); Sean Holland, Kevin Toner, Darren O’Hanlon (0-2) (1 x tp); Conor Grogan, Barry Dunne, Eoin O’Connor (0-2) (1 x tp); Leonard Grey, Thomas McCann; Darren Connor, Joe Connor, Jack Murphy (0-3) (2f); Michael O’Shaughnessey, Aidan McCann (0-1), Sean Fearon (1-1).

Subs: Danny O’Connor (0-3) (1 x tp) for Thomas McCann (33), Conor McGuinness for O’Shaughnessy (56), Rory Duffy for O’Hanlon (56).

Referee: Paul Kneel (Kilkerley Emmets).