CURRAHA 2-7

O'CONNELLS 0-12

O'Connells bowed out of the Leinster club championship by the narrowest margin against the Meath champions Curraha at The Grove on Saturday afternoon.

In a game where there was little between the teams throughout, the Meath men secured victory thanks to two second half goals.

It was a disappointing outcome for the Louth champions particularly as they made a bright start and at the break were four points to the good but ultimately they were unable to complete the job.

The home side started better with three points on the board in the first three minutes from Niall Conlon, Robert Quigley and Dean Stanfield only for the visitors replied with two points from frees from Conor Moriarty and James McEntee.

However the Bellingham team restored their three point lead with a brace of points from Quigley one of which was a free. Moriarty made it a two point game with a point but the home side were well on top at this stage and another Quigley free put three between the teams again and it could have been more had it not been for some weak efforts that fell short and landed in the keepers hands.

Stanfield got the last score of the half with excellent point to leave the Bellingham team in front at the break 0-7 to 0-3.

The Meath men got off to a flyer at the start of the second half when on their first attack from the throw in David Coyle played a defence splitting pass to Andrew Battersby who shot to the net to leave one between the sides and the teams were level a minute later when McEntee made no mistake with the free after 33 minutes. Quigley put his team ahead again with a point from a free but McEntee levelled again with a great well-taken point. With the game going end to end and both teams giving their all the Bellingham side went in front with a super point from Conor McGill and a Conlon free a minute later put two between the teams.

However, it did not last long as a free from Moriarty and a point from substitute Evan McGovern had them level again going into the last ten minutes. O'Connells had a chance of a goal in the 52nd minute but Dean Corrigan saw his shot well blocked by the Curraha defence and the visitors broke quickly up the field with men over, and a great pass from David Toner to Battersby left him free to score his and his team's second goal of the game.

A Conlon point from a free reduced the margin to two with five minutes to go but they were hampered by the loss of Dean Stanfield to a red card. Quigley fired a free just over the bar and that was the last chance for the Louth side and its Meath's Curraha that move on to the semi-final of the Leinster intermediate club championship.

O'CONNELLS: Stuart Reynolds; James Clerkin, Jason Carroll, PJ Tuite; Jackie Agnew, Salem Rifaie, Keith Woods; Dean Stanfield 0-2, Sean Cairns; Emmet Byrne, Conor McGill 0-1, Stuart Osbourne; Robert Quigley 0-6(3f), Naill Conlon 0-3(2f), Conor Kiernan. Subs Dean Corrigan for C. Kiernan, Liam Kiernan for S. Reynolds (BC).

CURRAHA: Luke McCarthy; Mark Phelan, Niall Murphy, Seamus Hogan; Sean O'Hanrahan, Gavin Coyle, Neil Shortall; Brian Joyce, David Toner; Phelim Dowling, Brian Murphy, Andrew Battersby 2-0; Conor Moriarty 0-3(2f), David Coyle, James McEntee 0-3(2f). Subs Evan McGovern 0-1 for G. Coyle, Sean Keogh for D. Coyle.

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