Dundalk Gaels book promotion play-off berth after convincing win away to O'Connell's
O'Connell's 1-10 Dundalk Gaels 2-18
Division One/Two promotion play-off semi-final
O'Connell's 1-10 Dundalk Gaels 2-18
Dundalk Gaels remain on course for a return to Division One after they came through Saturday’s play-off semi-final with an 11-point win over O’Connell’s at The Grove.
Gaels had early points from Niall Hearty and David McComish before the hosts were reduced to 14 with the dismissal of Cian Doyle.
McComish and Gerard McSorley added to their score before Niall Conlon got the home team off the mark with a point from a free, while Andrew Sharkey and Robert Quigley registers kept the home side in touch.
However, the Dundalk men scored the first goal of the game to increase the lead to 1-7 to 0-5 and at the break the gap was 1-10 to 0-6.
The second half saw Gaels continue to dominate and a goal from Oisín Murray effectively ended the game as a contest. Seán Cairns got a consolation goal for the home team, but Gaels ran out easy winners and will now face St. Mochta’s, who defeated them in the senior championship, to see who will play in the Division One league next season.
O’Connell’s: Stuart Reynolds; Jason Carroll, Conor Byrne, Gary Connolly; Emmet Byrne, Stuart Osborne, Keith Ryan; Ciaran O’Brien, Seán Cairns (1-0); Robert Quigley (0-3), Andrew Sharkey (0-1), Dean Stanfield; Niall Conlon (0-6), Conor Culligan, Cian Doyle
Subs: David Hoey, Paul McKeever, Conor McGill
Dundalk Gaels: Joe O’Donoghue; James Lynch, Jamie Faulkner, Mark Hanna; Oisín Murray (1-0), Seán Murray (0-3), Adrian Rafferty (0-1); David Moloney (0-1), Derek Crilly (0-1); Niall Hearty (0-1), David McComish (0-6), Paul McCrave; Éanna McArdle (0-2), Seán McCann (1-2), Gerard McSorley (0-1)
Subs: Eamonn Kenny, Jason Clarke, Luke Murray, Errol Boyle, John O’Hare
Referee: David J McArdle (St. Bride’s)