O RAGHALLAIGHS 0-12
ST PATRICKS 0-12
O Raghallaighs became the first team to book a place in the Senior Championship quarter-finals when they produced a fine comeback to secure a draw against champions, St Patricks, at Dunleer on Friday evening.
The Pats looked odds on to begin their Group 4 campaign with a victory when they led by six points with 42 minutes played. However, the Drogheda men came to life in the final quarter and a series of well-taken scores, combined with the Pats wastefulness at the other end, saw them secure a deserved draw.
In fact, had the game gone on any longer the O Raghallaighs would have fancied themselves to secure victory. However, the draw, combined with their win over Mattock last week, was enough to book a place in the last eight.
It was a game where the Pats rarely found top gear but for much of the hour looked as if they would do just enough to pick up a victory. However, the O Raghallaighs played with great heart, determination and no little skill to ensure they were always in with a chance. They also displayed confidence and accuracy in front of the posts, with the scoring power of Ruairi Moore, Ben Rogan and Craig McEnteggart leading the threat.
In the end it was a sublime pick up and shot to match from Moore that tied the game in the final minute.
The Pats began the game well and were two ahead thanks to Danny O'Connor and Karl White before Moore and Ben Rogan levelled. The Pats then moved up a gear and successive points from Danny O'Connor, Paddy Keenan, Ray Finnegan, Eoin O'Connor and Aidan McCann had them firmly in control with a 0-7 to 0-2 lead.
The Drogheda side showed they were not going to give up the fight and scores from McEnteggart, Barry Flanagan and Moore cut the gap to 0-7 to 0-5, before Eoin O'Connor's late effort sent the peninsula side in leading by 0-8 to 0-5.
After a quiet start to the second half, the Pats looked to have reasserted their control when McCann, White and Keenan stretched the gap to six points with just 18 minutes to play.
Once again the O Raghallaighs were in no mood to concede defeat and points from McEnteggart (2), Flanagan and Ben Rogan reduced the deficit to two.
The Pats response saw them create chances of their own, but crucially five efforts landed into the keeper's hands before an Eoin Moore effort left the score at 0-11 to 0-10 after 23 minutes.
It appeared that the Pats had weathered the storm when Darren O'Hanlon landed a fine effort from distance. However, it wasn't enough as the O Raghallaighs pressed forward and a free from McEnteggart was followed by Moore's equaliser.
O RAGHALLAIGHS: Stephen Smith; Stephen Murphy, James Morgan, Stephen Kermode; Andrew Rogan, Ciaran Brassil, Alan Doyle; Robert Mulroy, James Moonan; Eoin Moore 0-1, Chris Smith, Ruairi Moore 0-3; Ben Rogan 0-2, Craig McEnteggart 0-4, Barry Flanagan 0-2. Sub: Eoin Morrison for R Mulroy.
ST PATRICKS: Sean Connor; Kevin Toner, Dessie Finnegan, Patrick Kirk; Ray Finnegan 0-1, Darren O'Hanlon 0-1, Owen Zamboglou; Paddy Keenan 0-2, Eamonn Breen; Evan White, Karl White 0-2, Aidan McCann 0-2; Eoghan Lafferty, Eoin O'Connor 0-2, Danny O'Connor 0-2
Nh Fionnbarra followed up their narrow win over Roche Emmets with a comprehensive 2-19 to 1-2 win over Sean McDermotts to book their place in the last eight.
This Group 1 encounter provided very little in the way of entertainment as the Finbarrs dominated from start to finish. The Barrs got on top from the early stages and at the break were leading by 1-12 to no score at half time with William Woods finding the net.
The McDermotts improved after the break and found the net through Peter Osborne, but the Barrs added a second goal through Woods to seal victory.
John Mitchels picked up their second win in Group 2 as they came out on top against St Nicholas on a scoreline of 1-8 to 1-11.
The game in Monasterboice on Sunday afternoon saw the Mitchels begin well and a goal from Diarmuid Durnin helped them into a healthy 1-8 to 1-2 at half time.
The Nicks improved in the second half and gradually reduced the lead. However, the Mitchels did enough to keep them at bay with points from Kevin Gallager, who finished with a total of five, helped them secure the victory.
Division 3 leaders, Westerns, began their challenge for the Junior Championship with an impressive 1-12 to 0-6 win over St Kevins at Dunleer on Sunday evening.
The first half of this Group 3 clash was well contested but it was a goal from Aidan McGarrell that gave the Reaghstown men a good cushion at the break as they went in leading by 1-5 to 0-4.
The Kevins were unable to up their game to a level where they could seriously threaten the lead and the Westerns went on to complete the comfortable win with the help a seven-point haul from Tommy Durnin.
Glen Emmets made it two wins from two outings in Group 4 after a strong second half display saw them defeat Stabannon Parnells by 0-16 to 0-8.
The first half proved to be a relatively low-scoring affair but it was the Emmets who just had the edge. They kicked the first four points before the Parnells got off the mark through Aonghus Giggins, but at half time the Tullyallen led by 0-5 to 0-3.
The Tullyallen men upped the tempo in the second half and with Robert Byrne, Conor Grimes and Mark Noone all finishing with three points, they ran out comfortable winners in the end. Aonghus Giggins top-scored for Stabannon with four points.
Lannleire got off the mark in Group 4 with a very straight forward 2-16 to 0-5 win over Wolfe Tones in Drogheda on Saturday evening.
The Dunleer men were never under any real pressure in this encounter and the writing was on the wall for the Tones as early as the tenth minute when Paul Callan hit the net for Lannleire.
The Mid Louth men were 1-8 to 0-2 up at the break and they doubled their tally in the second half with Callan adding his second goal on the way to a personal tally of 2-6. Niall Smith and Alan Fanning were among the scorers for the Tones.
GERALDINES 0-7
DUNDALK GAELS 0-4
Geraldines made a winning start to their Senior Championship campaign when they defeated Dundalk Gaels in a rather defensive and low-scoring game in Dowdallshill on Sunday afternoon.
The Gaels were fancied to build on their impressive win Newtown Blues but they were unable to reproduce that display in a game that saw a total of five players dismissed.
The Gaels were first off the mark thanks to a Sean Fee free after two minutes but soon after Jim McEneaney levelled the game from a long range free and added another on six minutes.
Michael Rogers put his side 0-3 to 0-1 in front but the Gaels restored the advantage when Derek Crilly's effort was followed by Fee's equaliser.
A Kevin McArdle 45 made it 0-4 to 0-3 but that was to prove to be the Dundalk side's final score of the game.
Just before half time Dara Hamill levelled and McEneaney added another to send their team in leading by 0-5 to 0-4.
Early in the second half, Nathaniel Cooney produced a fine save to deny Gerard McSorley and the first score of the second half didn't arrive until the 48th minute when Shane O'Hanlon raised the white flag.
With the Gaels unable to get past a disciplined Gers defence, the McGeough Park side sealed the win on 57 minutes thanks to a Glen Trainor point.
The winners lost Josh Arrowsmith to a yellow and black card, while Paddy Hoey saw red. The Gaels had Jamie Faulkner, Gary Shevlin and Andrew Coleman dismissed.
GERALDINES: Nathaniel Cooney; Tiarnan Hand, Nicky Mackin, Paul Clarke; Josh Arrowsmith, Gerard Hoey, Sean Thornton; Michael Rogers 0-1, Stephen Reidy; Conal Hoey, Jim McEneaney 0-3, Shaun Callan; Dara Hamill 0-1, Shane O'Hanlon 0-1, Glen Trainor 0-1. Subs: Robbie Lynch, John Rogers.
DUNDALK GAELS: Paul Burke; Daire O'Callaghan, Jamie Faulkner, Eamon Kenny; David McComish, Errol Boyle, Niall Hearty; Gary Shevlin, Sean McCann 0-1; Derek Crilly 0-2, Gerard McSorley, Andrew Coleman; Kevin McArdle, Sean Fee 0-1, David Maloney. Sub: Chris Sweeney for K McArdle.
DREADNOTS 1-15
ST MARYS 1-11
Following the disappointment of losing the 2014 Senior Championship Final, Dreadnots began their campaign to go one better this year when they claimed victory over St Marys at Dunleer on Sunday evening.
The Ardee men were hoping to book their place in the last eight after their opening day win over Nh Mairtin, but they were made pay for an under par first half display which saw them trail by seven points.
Although they battled back in the second half, the Dreadnots had enough in reserve to hold out for victory.
The Marys started the game in confident mood and opened the scoring through Ronan Carroll. Although the Dreadnots levelled, it was another Carroll effort that had his side back in front.
The Clogherhead men then twice took the lead but each time scores from Carroll and Kian Moran pegged them back.
However, Dreadnots then opened up a gap with points on 17, 18 and 19 minutes and two more followed by the 26th minute, before they struck for the only goal of the game to make it 1-9 to 0-4.
RJ Callaghan had the final say of the half to leave his side trailing by seven points.
Although the Dreadnots opened the scoring in the second half, St Marys gave themselves hope four minutes in when Alan Kirk hit the net after being set up by Fergal Diamond.
That score was cancelled out by three quick Dreadnots points, but the Ardee men refused to give up and the introduction of Darren Clarke gave them a boost. The former Louth player was among the scorers along with Moran as their side reduced the deficit to just three points with two minutes remaining.
However, it was the Dreadnots who had the final say as the landed the insurance point to complete the win.
The game ended on a sour note with Darren Clarke suffering an injury and being taken away by ambulance.
ST MARYS: Peter Duffy; David Carroll, John Bingham, Barry Faulkner; Niall Carroll, Evan Keenan, Conor Keenan; Robert Leavy, RJ Callaghan 0-1; Karl Faulkner, Alan Kirk 1-1, Fergal Diamond; Ryan Rooney, Kian Moran 0-2, Ronan Carroll 0-3. Subs: Darren Clarke 0-4 for F Diamond, Eamonn Callaghan for D Carroll.
COOLEY KICKHAMS 1-16
O'CONNELLS 3-6
Cooley Kickhams began their Senior Championship campaign with a four-point win over O'Connells in Haggardstown on Saturday evening.
O'Connells looked on course for their second victory of Group 2 when they led by four points at half time but they were unable to sustain their effort and a strong second half display saw the peninsula side claim the win.
The Bellingham side got off to a great start when a goal from Stuart Reynolds after just five minutes had his side 1-1 to 0-2 ahead.
Cooley hit back with points from Richard Brennan and Michael Rafferty but the signs were good for O'Connells when Cian Doyle got through for a goal on 18 minutes to put his side 2-3 to 0-4 in front.
Niall Conlon added a point to stretch the lead to six, but before the break Cooley reduced the gap with points from Patrick Sheelan and Brian White to trail by 2-4 to 0-6 at half time.
Reynolds added a point five minutes into the second half but Cooley hit back with points from Patrick McGrath, Patrick Sheelan and White, before Another from Reynolds kept his side in command at 2-6 to 0-9.
Cooley made further inroads with scores from Rafferty and Aoghain McGuinness to leave just one between the teams. However, O'Connells appeared to have regained the initiative when Doyle grabbed his second goal on 48 minutes to increase the gap to four points.
It was to prove to be the final score for the Bellingham side as Cooley dominated the remainder of the game. Three points from Brian White and another from Patrick Sheelan levelled the game before White got on the end of a fine move to hit the back of the net.
Ciaran Sheelan popped up with the insurance point in the final minute to complete an impressive comeback.
COOLEY KICKHAMS: Neil Gallagher; Antoin waters, David Reilly, Dylan McGarrity; James Loughran, Conor McGuinness 0-1, Peter Thornton; Keith White, Richard Brennan 0-1; Aoghain McGuinness 0-1; Michael Rafferty 0-2, Brian White 1-4; Patrick Sheelan 0-4, Ciaran Sheelan 0-2, Patrick McGrath 0-1. Subs: Alan Page and Shane Marks.
O'CONNELLS: David Eager; Andrew Shields, Conor O'Brien, PJ Tuite; Jason Carroll, Jackie Agnew, Keith Woods; Sean Cairns, Dean Stanfield 0-1; TJ Doyle, Niall Conlon 0-1, Paul McKeever 0-1; Salem Rifaie, Cian Doyle 2-1, Stuart Reynolds 1-2. Sub: Conor Culligan.