U21FC final: glory for O'Connells/Stabannon/John Mitchels
December 22, 2014
O'CONNELLS/STABANNON/JOHN MITCHELS 3-12
CLAN NA GAEL 2-12
O'Connells/Stabannon/John Mitchels claimed the Louth U-21 title when they held off the challenge of Clan na Gael in an entertaining encounter that went to extra-time in Roche on Friday night.
Cian Doyle was the scoring hero for the winners as he grabbed an extra-time hat-trick to secure victory against a Clans side who pushed them all the way.
The mid Louth side started well with the first two points from Emmet Byrne and Ciaran O'Brian but the Clans then took over and landed the next six points - three for Robbie Curran, a brace Dean Brown and one from Gavin Gaffey.
Robert Quigley reduced the lead for the combination team with a brace of points one a free but back came the Clans with a brace of their own another from Brown and one from full forward Conal Mc Keever to leave the score at half time 0-8 to 0-4 in favour of the Clans. Curran increased his side's lead to five with the first point of the second half from a free.
However Quigley landed the next two points' one from a free before Mark Newell pointed to keep the Dundalk team ahead by four points, but that was their last score of the game in normal time after 46 minutes.
Another Quigley point and a brace from Doyle left one between the sides with two minutes remaining. Conor Reilly got the equaliser after a good move down the field but the combination team suffered a blow when Conor Kiernan and Ciaran O'Brien were both black carded before the final whistle and the game was headed for extra time with the final score 0-10 each after 60 minutes.
Two minutes into extra time and Doyle had the ball in the net as the mid Louth team seemed to take control of the game and not long after that he had his second goal and they had a six point lead which they held until the last minute of the half.
Doyle hit the post with a shot and from the rebound Clans broke down the field and Stephen Coleman finished the ball to the net, and another quick point from Curran and it was game on again with the score at the half time of extra time 2-10 to 1-11 to the mid Louth team.
Doyle increased his teams lead to three at the start of the second period but back came the Clans and after a good move McKeever blasted the ball to the net and the sides were level again with seven minutes to go.
Quigley put his side ahead again with a point and not long after that Doyle completed his hat-trick with less than three minutes to go. Brown landed a free for the Clans but time ran out and the combination team were the winners by three points.
O'CONNELLS/STABANNON/MITCHELS: John McLoughlin; Peter Lynch, Micheal Cairns, Mitchell Keenan; Thomas Campbell, Andrew Sharkey, David Hoey; Colm Giggins, Conor Kiernan; Daniel Bannon, Conor Reilly 0-1, Ciaran O'Brien 0-1; Robert Quigley 0-6(2f), Cian Doyle 3-3, Emmet Byrne 0-1. Subs Dean Corrigan for Campbell, Aaron Keeley for Hoey, Andrew Keenan for Kiernan (BC), David Hoey for O'Brien (BC).
CLAN NA GAEL: Sean Smith; Jason Murphy, Craig Long, Ian Carr; Ola Olajubu, Kevin Carroll 0-1, John Byrne; Conal Cooney, Conor Noonan; Dean Brown 0-4(1f), Robbie Curran 0-5(1f), Mark Newell 0-1; Brendan O'Carroll, Conal McKeever 1-1, Gavin Gaffey 0-1. Sub: Stephen Coleman 1-0.
