Moninne clinch U-16 hurling title

3-9 3-5

NAOMH Moninne retained their Louth U16 Championship title thanks to this hard earned victory over rivals St Fechins in an exciting final played in Darver last Tuesday evening.

Full forward Darren Geoghegan proved to be a match winner for the Dundalk boys tormenting the Termonfeckin defence throughout where he accounted for all but one goal of his sides tally.

It was St Fechins who opened the scoring with Ryan Walsh firing over an early free. Geoghegan replied for Moninne with his first point also from a free shortly after.

The Dundalk side went on to dominate proceedings over the next 20 minutes with Geoghegan accounting for his sides first goal and adding three more points to leave them in front by 1-4 to 0-1 on the quarter hour.

A mistake by Fechins keeper Eoin Hackett gifted their opponents a second goal with Geoghegan adding two more points both from play.

The Fechins halted this run of scores with their first goal, scored from close range by Sean Kerrisk on 23 minutes. The sides exchanged the next two points as Moninne went in at the break leading by 2-7 to 1-2.

The eventual winners extended their lead with the opening two points on the resumption before a good period of possession saw the South Louth side grabbing three points without reply from the sticks of Kerrisk, Danny Morgan and a Ryan Walsh 65 metre free, 2-9 to 1-3.

With James Prendergast and Alan Carr working tirelessly in midfield for their side, Moninne pressed forward again and they were rewarded with a well taken third goal from Kyle Rafferty on 46 minutes.

That third goal proved to be their last score of this encounter but their supporters had to endure some nervous moments in the time that remained. The reason been that St Fechins netted a second goal from substitute Cormac White on 55 minutes and added another shortly after when Ryan Walsh’s free was deflected into the net by a defender 3-9 to 3-5.

Further pressure failed to yield any more scores with Moninne relieved to hear the final whistle from the referee. Afterwards the cup was presented by the Louth Coiste Iomana Chairman Mark Stephenson to the Naomh Moninne captain Eoin Murphy.