DUNDALK GAELS 1-10
NEWTOWN BLUES 0-11

Dundalk Gaels came from four points down at half time to defeat Newtown Blues and book their place in the semi-final of the Louth Senior Championship where they will face town rivals, Sean O'Mahonys.

A goal from Derek Crilly 20 minutes from time proved decisive as the Dundalk men held out for a two-point win in a tense finish at Darver on Thursday night.

The Gaels made a blistering start to the game and had three points on the board inside six minutes thanks to Jason Clarke (2) and Derek Crilly, and it wasn't until the 10th minute that Conor Branigan got the Blues off the mark.

Kieran Downey and David Maloney swapped points to leave the Dundalk side in a good position when leading by 0-4 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter.

However, at that stage the Blues moved up a gear and dominated the remainder of the half, adding points from Alan Wilton, Colm Judge and Downey to take the lead. Derek Crilly kicked the only point for the Gaels in that spell as the Blues went in at the break leading by 0-9 to 0-5.

The Gaels fought back in the third quarter and points from Sean Fee and Gerard McSorley helped them reduce the gap to 0-10 to 0-8, before Crilly fired in the only goal of the game to put his side in front. However, Ross Nally replied for the Drogheda men to level proceedings entering the last ten minutes.

With the game delicately balanced it was the Gaels who found the extra ounce of energy to take control as points from Kevin McArdle and David Maloney saw them through to the last four.

DUNDALK GAELS: Paul Burke; Eamonn Kenny, David McComish, Jamie Faulkner; Peter McGinnity, David Moloney (0-2), Oisin Murray; James Stewart, Derek Crilly (1-2); Niall Hearty, Gerard McSorley (0-1); Sean Murray, Errol Boyle, Sean Fee (0-1), Jason Clarke (0-3). Subs: Shane Rice, Sean McCann, Eanna McArdle, Kevin McArdle, Gary Shevlin, Chris Sweeney.

NEWTOWN BLUES: Danny Rothwell; Thomas Costello, Jimmy Murray, John Connelly; Cormac Reynolds, Fergal O'Donaghue, Paul Moore 0-1; John Kermode, Conor Brannigan 0-3; Cormac McQuillan, Conor Moore, Kieran Downey 0-3; Brian Kermode 0-1, Colm Judge, Alan Wilton. Subs: Ross Nally 0-1 for C Moore, Aidan O'Brien for J Murray, Hugh McGinn for T Costello BC, Jamie Kelly for C McQuillan.

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