Louth GAA club | Dundalk Young Irelands win Division Six title
Dundalk Young Irelands 1-16 Cúchulainn Gaels 1-12
Dundalk Young Irelands claimed the John O'Neill Sand and Gravel Louth GAA Division Six League title with a 1-16 to 1-12 win over Cúchulainn Gaels at Páirc de Róiste on Tuesday evening.
The Gaels, in search of their first piece of men’s silverware since their founding in 2005, started the brighter of the two sides and led for the opening ten minutes.
(Cúchulainn Gaels were beaten in the Division Six league final by Dundalk Young Irelands. Photo by Arthur Kinahan)
That burst of scoring saw the Dundalk men head into the break with a three-point advantage.
The second half proved a tense and tactical battle, with scores harder to come by. With just seven minutes remaining, the Gaels found the net to cut the margin to two points, reigniting hopes of a late comeback.
However, the Irelands responded in emphatic fashion - Michael O’Shea’s goal-bound effort was well saved, but Brendan Prendergast reacted quickest to the rebound and calmly slotted the ball home, restoring a commanding cushion.
Dundalk Young Irelands: Darren Tuite; Conn O’Donoghue, Lee O’Donoghue, Alan Hanks; Joe Mee, Cian O’Náraigh, Caolán McCabe; Evan McArdle, Michael O’Shea (0-8, 2tp, 2tpf); Mark Lee (0-2), Liam McStravick (0-3, 1tp, 2f), Brendan Prendergast (1-0); Leon Duffy (0-1), Jack Watters (0-2), Seán Hoey.
Subs: Seán Murphy on for Seán Hoey (35'), Jack McArdle on for Leon Duffy (40'), Jack McKenna for Lee O’Donoghue (45').
Cúchulainn Gaels: Niall King; Rory Watson, Callum Fearon, Euan McArdle; Jamie Molloy (0-1), Sean Brennan, Stephen Óg McGuinness; Seamús McCabe, Dylan Lynch (0-2); David McQuaid, JP Elmore, Cian McDonald; Adam Sharkey (0-4, 1f), Aodhán O’Hanlon (0-2, 2f), David Reilly.
Subs: Larry Brennan (1-2) on for Seamús McCabe, James Walker (0-1) on for David McQuaid, Caolan Murphy on for Aodhán O’Hanlon.
Referee: Colin Halligan (Sean O'Mahony's).