SEAN MCDERMOTTS 2-10
STABANNON PARNELLS 3-6

Sean McDermotts held out to claim a one-point win over Stabannon Parnells in an entertaining encounter at Dunleer on Friday night.

In a game that was nip and tuck throughout, the Mountrush side snatched victory thanks to a late point from Tony Kelly as they got their campaign off to a winning start.

That score was a bitter pill to swallow for the Parnells as just minutes earlier they seemed destined to claim victory when Barry Sweeney's goal put them 3-5 to 2-6 ahead entering the last quarter.

However, the Parnells were unable to maintain the pace of a blistering third quarter and the McDermotts kicked four of the last five points to come out on top.

Stabannon may have gone into the game as underdogs but they began the match determined to make an impression as early scores from Aonghus Giggins and Colm Giggions put them ahead.

The pattern of the game was quickly established a brace of a Tony Kelly points left it a draw after 10 minutes. Aonghus Giggins put Stabannon back in front but another Tony Kelly point and Declan Carroll score put the Seans ahead after 25 minutes.

Not surprisingly the teams went into the break on level terms as Aonghus Giggins replied to leave four points apiece.

The game burst into life in the second half and it was the Seans who started brightly and scored two goals in as many minutes. The first came courtesy of Peter Osborne and almost immediately the second came from a Tony Kelly penalty.

Stabannon didn't give up and in fact went ahead mid-way through the second half with three goals in the space of ten minutes, the pick of them a brilliant Daniel Bannon goal which is sure to rival any in the championship game year in Louth.

Aidan Shevlin also hit the net and when Sweeney added a third it looked as if it would be Stabannon's night.

However, a brace of points from Tony Kelly put the Seans up by a point with five minutes to go. Although Aidan Shevlin replied to level the game, a late Tony Kelly free won it for the McDermotts who are no favourites to emerge from Group 4 with Oliver Plunketts.

SEAN MCDERMOTTS: David Brennan; Brian Melia, Ciaran McMahon, David O'Neill; Mark McEneaney, Emmet Duffy 0-1, Sean McMahon; Declan Carroll 0-2, Kevin McMahon 0-1; Peter Osborne 1-0, Kevin Carroll, Danny Reilly; Ian Corbally, Tony Kelly 1-5, Aaron Myles. Subs: Brendan McGahon for K Carroll, Cormac Walsh 0-1 for D Reilly, Lorcan Ludden for I Corbally.

STABANNON PARNELLS: Anthony Briscoe; Peter Lynch, Shane Sweeney, Alan Lynch; Daniel Bannon 1-0, Niall Cluskey, Thomas McBride; Sean Halpenny, Aonghus Giggins 0-3; Wayne Lynch, Colm Giggins 0-1, Damien Conlon; Dean Lynch, Aidan Shevlin 1-1, James Lynch 0-1. Subs: Anthony Byrne, Barry Sweeney 1-0, Niall Fanning. Tweet

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