O RAGHALLAIGHS 2-12
O'CONNELLS 1-10
O Raghallaighs preserved their senior championship status with a well-deserved five-point victory over the O'Connell's in Darver on Friday night.
Goals from Barry Flanagan and Ben Rogan either side of the break proved decisive as the Drogheda side came through this play-off replay and as a result O'Connells will now meet St Patricks to see which side will be playing senior football next year.
The O'Connells made the brighter start with points from Sean Cairns and Paul McKeever, but Flanagan and Rogan hit back to level for the O Raghallaighs.
The Bellingham side then enjoyed another good spell and with the help of scores from Robert Quigley and Stuart Reynolds they led by 0-6 to 0-3. However, the Drogheda men then produced the first goal of the game when Ruairi Moore set up Flanagan to see the sides go in at the break level at 1-4 to 0-7.
The men from the Gaelic Grounds started the second half far better and put 1-3 on the scoreboard without reply, the points coming from Ruairi Moore, Flanagan and Rogan. The goal came after a high ball in to the area from Eoin Morrison was fisted to the net by Rogan who out-jumped the O'Connell's keeper to put his team six points in front after 41 minutes.
However, O'Connell's got back in the game a minute later when a high ball from Quigley deceived the defence and landed in Reynolds arms and he duly shot to the net.
The O Raghallaighs steadied the ship and with five minutes remaining held a 2-10 to 1-9 lead but another brace of points one of which was a free from Flanagan that took his tally to 1-8 for the night put the Drogheda men in a commanding lead with just a minute remaining.
Quigley got the last score of the game for O'Connell's but it's the O Raghallaighs who will play in the senior championship next season and the Bellingham side must battle it out with the county champions St. Patricks to see who will remain in the senior or drop to the intermediate championship for next year.
O RAGHALLAIGHS: Bryan Smith; Ciaran Brassil, Andrew Rogan, Graham Murray; Eoin Moore, James Moonan, Liam Hanna; Alan Doyle, Robert Mulroy; Eoin Morrison, Ruairi Moore 0-1, Chris Smith 0-1; Ben Rogan 1-2, Barry Flanagan 1-8 (3f), Jack Carr.
O'CONNELLS: Sean Connolly; PJ Tuite, Keith Woods, Jason Carroll; Salem Rifaie, Jackie Agnew, John McLoughlin; Dean Stanfield, John Flanagan; Robert Quigley 0-3, Cian Doyle 0-3 (1f), Conor McGill 0-1; Stuart Reynolds 1-1, Sean Cairns 0-1, Paul McKeever 0-1. Subs TJ Doyle for PJ. Tuite, Dean Corrigan for C. McGill, Ciaran O'Brien for S. Cairns, Conor Culligan for S. Reynolds, Emmett Byrne for J. McLoughlin.
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