Blues march on as Emmets face Jocks showdown
It all panned out as predicted as the champs strolled through to the last eight with another commanding display at the Grove on Sunday night, but Kilkerley Emmets showed enough mettle to suggest they can really put it up to Naomh Mairtin this weekend.
The knockouts start early for the Group B rivals as they fight for the scraps from the Blues’ table, but Kilkerley’s refusal to roll over and let the county champions rack up a bigger victory means that they can afford to draw on Sunday evening and still advance to the quarter-finals.
With six players missing - including four starters - this was another ominous display of strength by the Blues.
Louth defenders Fergal Donohue and Emmet Carolan were absent as was their predecessor on the county panel, Kevin Carr, while up front Robbie Carr missed out through injury.
With Ian Connor and Jamie Kelly away, Ronan Phillips’ back-up options were also depleted and he was forced into a major early change as John Kermode picked up a black card.
But none of that turmoil even remotely knocked the Blues out of their stride.
Points from John Kermode, Colm Judge, from a free, and Conor Branagan saw them surge into an early three-point lead and despite a spirited display from Kilerkley they never looked back.
Emmets kept it tight until half-time, as Shane Lennon’s enduring class shone through in glimpses and after those three early Blues’ pooints the sides shared the next eight equally.
The Blues could have made life a little easier on themselves, but goal chances for Ciaran Downey, John Kermode, shortly before his black card, and Ross Nally all went begging.
Still, the champs adjourned with a 0-7 to 0-4 cushion and they would turn the screw quite ruthlessly after the break.
Kermode’s replacement Hugh McGinn clipped the top of an upright to get the ball rolling and further scores from Judge, Branagan, Downey, Nally, Stephen Mooonan and Nally again, made it 0-14 to 0-5 at the end of the third quarter.
A Lennon free at the other end was Kilkerley ‘s only response during that spell of Blues’ dominance and the former Louth star added another point from play to leave eight in it and Emmets did well to maintain that gap to the finish.
They briefly closed it to six points when Ciaran McGlynn pounced on the rebound from a James Fegan shot that Dean Martin saved, but Blues hit back almost on cue albeit through a collector’s item from defender Thomas Costello.
Two more Lennon frees in the closing stages ensured Emmets retired with a better score difference than Naomh Mairtin, who lost to the Blues by 11 points on the opening weekend and that could yet prove crucial in what could be a tight contest.
NEWTOWN BLUES: Dean Martin; Paul Moore, Aidan O’Brien, Paul Kellegher; Alan Connor, Cormac Reynolds, John Connolly; Stephen Moonan 0-1, John Kermode 0-2; Conor Branigan 0-2, Andy McDonnell 0-1, Ciaran Downey 0-5 (1f); Colm Judge 0-2 (1f), Ross Nally 0-3, Conor Moore. Subs: Hugh McGinn 0-1 for J Kermode (BC), Ronan Levins for P Kellegher, Thomas Costello 1-0 for S Moonan, Lorcan McQuillan for P Moore, Niall Costello for A O’Brien.
KILKERLEY EMMETS: Cillian Quigley; Cormac Bellew, Alan McGeough, Ciaran Clarke; Killian Kampes, Andrew McGuill 0-1, Shaun McElroy; James Fegan, Ciaran Bellew; Neil Mulholland, Seán Hand, Rian Hand; Ronan Mulholland, Shane Lennon 0-7 (4f), Daniel McKeown 0-1. Subs: Kieran Murtagh for K Kampes, Ciarán McGlynn 1-0 for Sean Hand, Conall McEnaney for R Hand, Niall Mulholland for S McElroy, Fintan Clarke for N Mulholland
REFEREE: Stephen Johnson.