O’Neill inspires Seans to comfortable victory
SEAN McDermotts enjoyed a Sunday stroll in Louth Village, putting their opening round clash with Cuchulainn Gaels to bed in the opening half.
Inspored by the supremely accurate David O’Neill, the Mountrush men were 14 points to the good at the interval and while the intensity understandable dropped in the second period, they did more than enough to keep their opponents at bay.
Cuchulainn Gaels certainly didn’t throw in the towel and their honest endeavour was rewarded with a beautiful Cian McDonald goal after the re-start, but David Thornton will be the first to admit that his troops were outclassed on the day.
The tricky McDonald was a handful for the Seans defence all afternoon, but the supply lines ran dry for long periods as their opponents bossed possession in the middle third.
In O’Neill, Sean McDermotts had a player capable of making their superiority count on the scoreboard, both from play and dead balls.
He kicked one of each to open the scoring and further points from Lorcan Myles and Ian Corbally gave Seans a four-point lead inside six minutes.
McDonald and then Matthew O’Reilly, with a super effort, kept Gaels in contention, but a Kevin Carroll goal in the 14th minute was the first sign of what was to come from Seans.
The tagged on four more points over the nest five minutes through Corbally, Sean McMahon, O’Neill and Tony Kelly, making it 1-8 to 0-2 after 19 minutes.
It that wasn’t enough to break the Gaels’ early resolve, a second goal from BJ Duffy certainly put the game beyond their reach.
Kelly pointed twice more before the break, either side of a score for evergreen full forward Brendan McGahon, who at the ripe old age of 49 was starting his 34th Cham- pionship campaign for the Seans.
Brendan McKeown did pull a late point back for the Gaels but they trailed by 2-11 to 0-3 at the interval.
A Rammie Phillips point and a goal from Cian McDonald ensured the Gaels capitalised on a bright start to the second-half, but after idling a little in the third quarter, Seans picked up the pace again to rattle off five points without reply , four from the excellent O’Neill and one from Sean McMahon.
O’Neill went on to cap a fine personal display with a 58th minute goal and if that was an apt way for Seans to sign off, it was also suitable for the lively McDonald to close out the Gaels’ afternoon with an injury-time free. Seans face St Kevin’s this weekend in what will now be effectively a group decider.