Louth GAA club | Gaels book their place in SFC semi-final

Jack Mullen proved to be the hero as Dundalk Gaels booked their place in the semi final of the Louth Senior Football Championship with this dramatic victory over St Fechins in a quarter final replay, which needed extra time to separate the sides.

Prior to the subsequent extra time drama, St Fechins had led the contest by 2-13 to 1-15 thanks mainly to the exploits of Ryan Walsh who finished with 1-5 overall, including a spectacular goal in normal team, worthy of winning any game.

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However, following an equalising score from the excellent Tom O’Connell, Jack Mullen sent the Gaels into the last four with a stoppage time winning point at the end of ET, sparking wild celebrations in the blue and white.

The Fechins will also rue not seeing the game out in normal time, having led by four points in the last 5 minutes, after Ryan Walsh sent a rasping shot to the Dundalk Gaels net, before Aaron McGlew from a free left them 2-8 to 0-10 ahead at that stage.

However, in a thrilling end to proceedings, the Gaels responded in style, with Tom O’Connell once again stepping up when needed. First, O’Connell slotted calmly to the Fechins net to leave one between the sides in stoppage time.

Despite Fechins sub Harry Haughney stretching their lead back to two, the Gaels calmly moved the ball through the hands, before Tom O’Connell fired the ball over from around 40m out to send the game to extra time with a tremendous strike.

Despite the extra time drama, the first 50 odd minutes of this game was a slightly tepid affair, as both sides lacked quality in the final third, particularly St Fechins who failed to make the most of an early wind advantage, accruing 0-4 from 10 first half shots and 2-9 from 22 shots overall.

The Fechins landed the opening two scores from frees thanks to Ryan Walsh following a 3 v 3 breach, and Aaron McGlew after Paul Matthews was fouled.

Despite winning 13 out of 18 kickouts contested, with James Stewart effective here, with 35 possessions, the Gaels struggled to function in attack early doors. Dylan McKeown did get them off the mark from play after 8 minutes.

The next score did not arrive until the 21^st minute, which saw McKeown level things up with a free. Sloppy play from the Gaels coming out of their own half saw Aaron McGlew fire over from close range to regain the lead for the Fechins shortly after.

Playing with that breeze, the Fechins were keen to kick the ball early into the inside line, with Ronan Holcroft lively early doors. He picked up a loose ball following a long sideline ball from Aaron McGlew to give the Fechins a 0-4 to 0-2 lead inside 24 minutes.

In the run up until half time, the Gaels found some consistency in front of the posts, with Tom O’Connell coming to the party. He landed back-to-back points to level the sides up, before a Dylan McKeown free left the Dundalk side 0-5 to 0-4 ahead at the break.

Second half:

Back-to-back Aaron McGlew strikes, including another close range free for another Gaels 3 v 3 breach, left the Fechins ahead again, three minutes after the restart.

The next score did not arrive until the 43^rd minute, which saw Louth under 20 star Tony McDonnell convert the first of two scores on the bounce from him, which gave the Gaels a 0-7 to 0-6 lead.

Padraic Tinnelly who never shirks the physicality, stretched that lead to two, before a fine two pointer from Tom O’Connell left the Gaels 0-10 to 0-6 ahead after 49 minutes.

Despite the Gaels beginning to open up a gap, the Fechins hit back with Aaron McGlew and Paul Matthews combining through the hands for John O’Connell to find the net to leave just a point between the sides.

In a topsy turvy end to proceedings, team captain Danny Burnell stepped up to level things up with five minutes left, which was met with a seismic roar from the Termonfeckin support.

From the next kickout, Ronan Holcroft collected before teeing up the marauding Ryan Walsh who almost ripped a hole in the back of the net, to leave the Fechins a 2-7 to 0-10 lead with 55 minutes on the clock.

The Fechins will be bitterly disappointed that they squandered this advantage, which stretched to four thanks to Aaron McGlew (f).

But cometh the hour, cometh Tom O’Connell for the Gaels, as having calmly slotted to the net to leave just a point between the sides, the rangy forward later rescued a draw for the Gaels, with a marvellous two pointer to send the game into extra time, with Fechins sub Harry Haughney returning from an earlier black card to increase the Fechins’ lead two points moments earlier.

Then came extra time, and the Gaels were trailing by two in ET, thanks to Ryan Walsh (2) and sub Lee Grifferty, who impressed following his introduction. Dylan McKeown (f) was the Gaels’ reply, moments after Fechins keeper Niall McDonnell had denied Chris Sweeney from close range.

Padraic Tinnelly, who continued to drive at the opposition fired over a crucial score just before the ht break in extra time, to leave a point between the sides.

Gaels’ sub Alan Jumbo sensibly fisted over the bar in the second period of ET, and Niall McDonnell denied the Gaels another goal with a fine save from Dylan McKeown, before the Drogheda side were reduced to 14 men after Colm Hackett was sent off for a second bookable offence, in a period where the Gaels lost Sean McCann to a black card.

Ryan Walsh (f) gave the Fechins the lead once again.

However, the Gaels produced the late late show, as following an equalising score from Tom O’Connell who finished with 1-7, sub Jack Mullen sent the Dundalk Gaels into the semi-finals of the Senior Championship with a dramatic late winner, as the Dundalk side sealed their place in the last four for the first time since 2017.

Dundalk Gaels: Aaron Culligan; James Lynch, James O’Connell, Padraic Tinnelly (0-2); Luke Murray, Sean Murray, Shaun Duffy; Jordan Keating, James Stewart; David McComish, Dylan McKeown (0-4) (3f), Chris Sweeney; Cain Bromley, Tom O’Connell (1-7) (2 tp), Tony McDonnell (0-2).

Subs: Jack Mullen (0-1) for Keating (44), Tomos Kavanagh for McComish (56), Sean McCann for Bromley (58), Alan Jumbo 0-1 for Duffy (60), Shaun Duffy for Sweeney (5 ET), Kyle Rafferty for McCann (17 ET).

St Fechins: Niall McDonnell; Mark Holohan, Niall McCabe, Rob McCarthy; Danny Burnell (0-1), Shane Reilly, Aaron McGlew (0-5) (2f); Ciaran McGinty, Colm Hackett; John O’Connell (1-0), Paul Matthews, Colm O’Neill; Ryan Walsh (1-4) (2f), Paddy Keane, Ronan Holcroft (0-1).

Subs: Joe Corrigan for Keane (HT), Harry Haughney (0-1) for McGinty (47), Lee Grifferty 0-1 for Holcroft (58), Evan Dolan for Holcroft (58), Ronan Holcroft for McGlew (11 ET), Ciaran McGinty for Reilly (14 ET).

Referee: Stephen Devlin (St Josephs).