Lough Crew sail into knockout stages

Sean Wall

LOUGH CREW became the first team to qualify for the knockout stages of the Dioralyte Regional FC following their 1-11 to 0-13 victory over An Tuaisceart at Dunganny last evening.

With both teams having recorded victories in their opening outing this was a crunch tie and the exchanges were hard fought throughout.

An Tuaisceart started without their Castletown contingent who are in Leinster Club action at the weekend and their hopes suffered a blow at the start of the second half when talisman Sean Meade was forced off with an injury.

Meade was the focal point of the An Tuaisceart attack throughout the opening half and the Nobber sharpshooter tallied five of his side’s seven points. Without Meade An Tuaisceart were less effective but with Meath Hill’s Cormac Sheehy taking over free-taking responsibility they remained in contention.

They had a chance to snatch a share of the spoils in the dying seconds when they were awarded a free 55 metres out. Keeper Dominic Yorke stepped up to the kick but his well struck effort was fisted clear in a crowded goalmouth before referee Keith Sheerin called a halt to proceedings.

Lough Crew made a great start with CJ Healy finding the net after three minutes in reply to the opening point from a Meade free. Jason Scully then opened his account before Meade converted two further frees and Cormac Sheehy pointed to leave the teams level after nine minutes.

Lough Crew then hit the next five points to lead 1-6 to 0-4 by the 18th minute. However An Tuaisceart hit three unanswered points, including one from Meade which could easily have went under the bar to leave it 1-6 to 0-7 at the break.

The lead stretched 1-8 to 0-8 following a Healy point on 40 minutes but it was back to the minimum after 'keeper Yorke converted a long range free.

A Sean Reilly point left it 1-10 to 0-10 before a brace of Sheehy scores again reduced the deficit. Harry Ryan doubled the Louth Crew advantage on 63 minutes and that proved to be the winning score as Tomas Conlon snatched a late point for Brian Farrell’s charges.

SCORERS

Lough Crew – C J Healy 1-2; Sean Reilly 0-3 one free; Jason Scully 0-3; Harry Ryan 0-2 one free; Colin Hawdon 0-1.

An Tuaisceart – Cormac Sheehy 0-6 three frees; Sean Meade 0-5 four frees; Tomas Conlon 0-1; Dominic Yorke 0-1 free.

Lough Crew – Oisin McDermott (Ballinlough); Oran O’Reilly (Oldcastle), Michael Flood (St Brigid’s), Shane Gibney (Moylagh); Ronan Maguire (Oldcastle), Stephen Lawless (Oldcastle), Darren Gibney (Moylagh); Sean Reilly (Moylagh), Kevin Gilsenan (St Brigid’s); Pearse Sheridan (Oldcastle), Jason Scully (Oldcastle), Harry Ryan (Ballinlough); CJ Healy (Oldcastle), Robbie Farrelly (Oldcastle), Colin Hawdon (Oldcastle). Subs – Joseph Blake (St Brigid’s) for Farrelly 43 mins, Thomas O’Reilly (Moylagh) for Gilsenan 50m, Oran Mulvaney (Oldcastle) for Maguire, Gilsenan for Hawdon both 55m.

An Tuaisceart – Dominic Yorke (Meath Hill); Barry Cassidy (Nobber), Eanna Fagan (Nobber), Ryan Summersby (Syddan); Mark Fedigan (Syddan), Killian Russell (Kilmainhamwood), Tomas Conlon (Drumconrath); Thomas Murtagh (Nobber), Gary Breslin (Meath Hill); Paddy Matthews (Meath Hill), Cormac Sheehy (Meath Hill), James Mooney (Meath Hill); Tomas Smith (Meath Hill), Niall Bennett (Kilmainhamwood), Sean Meade (Nobber). Subs – Matthew Durnin (Drumconrath) for Conlon half-time, Ronan Mooney (Syddan) for Meade 32 mins, Barry Bradley (Nobber) for Smith 58m.

Referee – Keith Sheerin (Drumconrath)