Lough Crew's Shane Gibney seen here against An Tuaisceart played his part in helping his team to a big win over Darnley.

Lough Crew demolish Darnley

Published: Wed 9 Nov 2022, 7:58 AM

Last updated: Wed 9 Nov 2022, 8:45 AM

Lough Crew 3-15

Darnley 1-8

DAVID RISPIN

Lough Crew maintained their 100% record in this year’s Regional FC with a facile victory over winless Darnley last evening in Dunganny.

On the evidence of this performance, it is easy to understand why Davy Nelson’s men are the hot favourites to win the inaugural competition with a squad of immense talent and an attractive style of play.

Over the 60+ minutes, The North Meath combination of Ballinlough, Oldcastle, Moylagh and St Brigid’s had no fewer than 13 different scorers in what was a dominant display from start to finish. Lough Crew, wind assisted, fired 1-3 without reply inside the first 5 minutes of the contest with scores from Darren Gibney, Kevin Gilsenan and CJ Healy supplemented by an emphatic Pearse Sheridan penalty goal.

Darnley with only pride to play for, did respond with back-to-back scores of their own from Diarmaid O’Donnchadha and a long range free from Goalkeeper Sean Brennan. Their campaign was summed up to a considerable extent with the loss of the O’Donnchadha brothers and Daragh Swaine all inside the opening quarter due to injury.

Their misery was compounded shortly afterwards when Jason Scully waltzed his was through the Darnley rear-guard before playing a neat 1-2 with Rory Gibney prior to palming home a second goal of the night. Harry Ryan added another for the rampant leaders before a fine Luke Martyn score for the Dunderry, Clann na nGael, St Ultan’s and Cortown side. This was immediately cancelled out by four consecutive Lough Crew points from Oran O’Reilly, Joe Blake, and the excellent Healy (2) to stretch their lead out to eleven at the interval, 2-08 to 0-3.

A quickfire brace early in the second half from Moylagh’s Sean Reilly threatened to open the floodgates for Lough Crew but to their credit Darnley continued to plug away and remain competitive.

Eoin Carroll and Anthony Malone’s charges were rewarded for their endeavours when a long delivery from Sean Traynor was collected brilliantly by Coogan over the head of Shane Gibney, and he made no mistake in riffling to the net.

Substitute Robbie Farrelly introduced his arrival with a point, but Darnley continued to eat into Lough Crew’s lead with four-in-a-row from Emmet Costello and Coogan (3) to make it a 7-point game entering the final 10 minutes of the game.

Sadly, for the gallant men in red, that was as good as it would get because after traded frees from Scully and Coogan Lough Crew would finish as they started with 1-3 without reply.

Ronan Maguire tucked away a beautifully constructed team move for his side, sandwiched in-between further efforts from substitute Farrelly, Tommy O’Reilly, and Dylan Briody to round off another win.

The North Meath outfit now progress to the knockout stages where they will face tomorrow (Wednesday) night’s winners Boyne Valley or Moyfenragh in the Semi-Final next Tuesday and with the quality and scoring power in their ranks, Nelson’s team could take serious stopping.

SCORERS

Lough Crew - Jason Scully (1-1, 1f), CJ Healy (0-3), Pearse Sheridan (1-0, 1 Pen), Ronan Maguire (1-0), Sean Reilly (0-2,1f), Robbie Farrelly (0-2), Darren Gibney (0-1), Kevin Gilsenan (0-1), Harry Ryan (0-1), Oran O’Reilly (0-1), Dylan Briody (0-1), Tommy O’Reilly (0-1), Joe Blake (0-1).

Darnley - Stephen Coogan (1-4,3fs), Luke Martyn (0-1), Sean Brennan (0-1f), Diarmaid O’Donnchadha (0-1), Emmet Costello (0-1).

Lough Crew – Conor McHugh (Oldcastle); Oran O’Reilly (Oldcastle), Michael Flood (St Brigid’s), Shane Gibney (Moylagh); Ronan Maguire (Oldcastle), Sean Geraghty (Ballinlough), Darren Gibney (Moylagh); Sean Reilly (Moylagh), Kevin Gilsenan (St Brigid’s); Pearse Sheridan (Oldcastle), Jason Scully (Oldcastle), Harry Ryan (Ballinlough); CJ Healy (Oldcastle), Rory Gibney (Moylagh), Joe Blake (St Brigid’s). Subs – Daire Shine (Ballinlough) for R Gibney Half Time, Oran Mulvanney (Oldcastle) for S Reilly 41 mins, Tommy O’Reilly (Moylagh) for Flood 41 mins, Robbie Farrelly (Oldcastle) for J Blake 45 mins, Luke Blake (St Brigid’s) for Gilsenan 47 mins, Dylan Briody (St Brigid’s) for Ryan, Rory Gibney (Moylagh) for Maguire 60 mins.

Darnley - Sean Brennan (Dunderry); Declan Ball (St Ultan’s), Conor Dempsey (Dunderry), Jack Doherty (Clann na Gael); Charlie Smith (Cortown), Sean Traynor (Dunderry) Aaron Newman (Dunderry); Darragh Swaine (Clann na Gael), Luke Martyn (Dunderry); Diarmaid O’Donnchadha (Clann na Gael), Morgan Callaghan (Dunderry), Hugh Staunton (Cortown); Stephen Coogan (Dunderry), Eamon O’Donnchadha (Clann na Gael), Carl Kelly (Clann na Gael). Subs - Marc Kane (Dunderry) for Swaine 8 mins, Ruairi Buchanan (St Ultan’s) for E O’Donnchadha 13 mins, Emmet Costello for D O’Donnchadha 17 mins, Niall O’Laoire (Dunderry) for Smith Half Time, Adam Rogers for Staunton 34 mins, Ryan McNamee (Clann na Gael) for Ball 36 mins, Eoin Griffin (Clann na Gael) for Brennan 38 mins, Ciaran Keating (Cortown) for Doherty 45 mins, Tommy Buchanan (St Ultan’s) for Kelly 47 mins, Theo Staunton (Cortown) for Newman 50 mins.

Referee: Andrew Smith (Dunshaughlin).