Irelanders cling on to see off stubborn Rangers
start they made, falling 1-4 to no score behind before Ciaran Sheridan opened their account with a free on 16 minutes.
By that stage Dundalk Young Irelands were in full flow, underlining their Seamus Flood Cup credentials even in the absence of county star Derek Maguire, who was serving a suspension left over from last season.
His younger brother Dean was prominent as Irelands surged into an early lead.
Jordan O’Donoghue and Johnny Breen both hit the target inside the opening minute before Maguire sliced straight through the heart of the Glyde defence.
A slick one-two with Mark Savage created the space and Maguire took full advantage, firing low past Gerard Carroll to make it 1-2 to no score.
Savage added another point on 11 minutes and when former Geraldines man Breen converted a free to open a seven-point cushion, Glyde already looked to be in serious trouble.
Sheridan’s free was quickly cancelled out by O’Donoghue, but the lifeline Glyde needed arrived right on cue.
It was a soft one from the Irelanders point of view as David Devaney was left completely unmarked on the 13-metre line, giving Brian Duffy the simple task of chipping a quick free into his path, and the former Louth made no mistake with an emphatic finish.
Maguire replied with an exquisite point straight away and he added another to cancel out a Brian Duffy free, making it 1-7 to 1-2 at the interval.
Both sides would have been reasonably content at the break as Glyde could easily have been chasing a lost cause, while the Irelanders would still have been confident of pushing on for victory.
But it was Glyde who dominated the early exchanges after the break.
Duffy cut the gap to four and Dion Conlon should have hit the target at the end of a fine run, but Glyde did cut the deficit to the minimum five minutes later when Niall Sharkey powered his way in from the right placed a beautiful finish past McKenna.
Young Irelands response was impressive as Maguire, Breen and Mone gave them some breathing space again.
Sharkey and Breen then traded frees as full-time approached, but there was one more twist when David Devaney was pulled down in the penalty area and Ciaran Sheirdan dorve the spot kick home . Conlon had a half chance to rescue a draw for Glyde but Irelanders hung on through five minutes of injury-time. DUNDALK YOUNG IRELANDS: Craig McKenna; Stephen Bellew, Cuiaran Murray, Robbie Farrell; Cian O Nairaigh, Peter Nixon, Peter McCourt; Simon Flynn, Gerard Nixon; Johnny Lynch, Jordan O’Donoghue 0-2, Johnny Breen 0-4 (3f); Dermot Mone 0-1f, Mark Savage 0-1, Dean Maguire 1-3. Subs: Andrew NIxon for Gerard Nixon.
GLYDE RANGERS: Gerard Carroll; Gerard Farrell Mark O’Brien, Peter Duffy; Conor McCullough Conor Sheridan, Barry Sharkey; Cein Sheriden Ciaran Sheridan 1-1; Gavin Duffy, Dion Conlon; Brian Duffy 0-2 (1f); Niall Sharkey 1-1, David Devenney 1-0, Aaron Devlin. Subs: Fiachra Sheridan for G Duffy, Alan Brennan for Sharkey Barry Brennan for Duffy.
REFEREE: John Murphy.