DREADNOTS 0-16

DUNDALK GAELS 0-13

Dreadnots are back in the Louth Senior Championship Final for the second time in three seasons after finally seeing off Dundalk Gaels in the semi-final replay on Saturday evening.

In what proved to be another closely contested affair at Dunleer, there was little between the teams throughout but a four-point surge from the Clogherhead men at the start of the final quarter proved decisive.

Despite that run of scores, it took two injury time points from James Califf and Pat Lynch to finally see off the Gaels and set up a meeting with St Patricks in a repeat of the 2012 decider.

Picking up from where they left off in the drawn game, the teams went at each other from the opening whistle and although the Gaels got off the mark through first, they needed a Stephen McLaughlin save to keep Pepe Smith out soon after.

Sean McCann doubled the advantage before the Dreadnots got into their rhythm and at the end of the first quarter were 0-3 to 0-2 in front thanks to scores from James Califf (2) and David O'Brien.

The Gaels then enjoyed a good spell and struck three of the next four points through Crilly (2) and McCann to make it 0-6 to 0-4. However, the Dreadnots responded to level once again with scores from Pat Lynch and Pepe Smith before Crilly and Lynch traded scores to send the teams in on seven points each.

The indications at the start of the second half were that it might take extra-time to separate the teams as the first six points of the second half were shared to leave the teams still on terms at 0-10 apiece on 42 minutes.

The Gaels then edged ahead through Sean Fee, but at that stage the Dreadnots made the decisive move with Califf levelling before Cian McEvoy, Anthony Williams and Califf again made it 0-14 to 0-11 on 53 minutes.

However, the Gaels refused to give up and two points from Derek Crilly had them back to within a point entering injury time. However, his side were unable to produce the equaliser and late scores from Califf and Lynch secured the win.

DREADNOTS: Ciaran Cunningham; Brian Gargan, Padraig Rath, Derek Shevlin; Anthony Williams 0-1, Cian McEvoy 0-1, Barry Faulkner 0-1; Dermot Campbell, James Califf 0-7; Liam Shevlin, Pepe Smith 0-2, Pat Lynch 0-3; David O'Brien 0-1, Richard Kirwan, Conor Campbell. Subs; Luke Judge for L Shevlin, Fergal McGuigan for Conor Campbell.

DUNDALK GAELS: Stephen McLaughlin; Darragh O'Callaghan, Jamie Faulkner, Eamonn Kenny; David McComish 0-1, David Maloney, David Moley; Sean McCann 0-3, James Stewart; Andrew Coleman 0-1, Sean Fee 0-1, Niall Hearty; Anthony McSorley, Errol Boyle 0-1, Derek Crilly 0-6. Subs: Kevin McArdle for E Boyle, Peter McGinnity for D Maloney, Conall McArdle for N Hearty.

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