Morale-boosting win for Moninne in hurling league

MONINNE rounded off their senior league campaign with a morale-boosting win over Mattock in this encounter played in Collon on Thursday evening. These two sides will meet again in round three of the senior championship in three weeks time.

Goals from experienced full forward Eddie McArdle and a Diarmuid Murphy penalty had the Dundalk team leading by 2-2 to no score after ten minutes. The home side struck back with three successive points from Shane Maguire before a Liam Blundell point and a third goal from Nigel Stanley had nine points between the teams.

Maguire replied with another brace of points before a pointed 65 metre free from Diarmuid Murphy had Moninne leading by 3-4 to 0-5 at half time.

Mattock reduced the arrears on the restart through another Maguire point (free) only for the visitors to extend their lead with the next three points in a row from Stanley, Blundell and Stephen Rafferty.

Maguire took his teams and personal tally to nine points with the next three scores, 3-7 to 0-9 but they failed to add to it over the closing period as Moninne finished the game on top adding points from Collins Connolly (2), Stanley and Niall Cafferkey before they sealed the victory with a fourth goal scored by Eddie McArdle. NAOMH MONINNE: Paul Delaney; Donal Lee, Ger Collins, Mark McGuinness; Paul Channoller, Diarmuid (1-1), Liam Blundell (0-2); Darren O Hanrahan, Oisin Drumm (0-1); Nigel Stanley (1-2), Niall Cafferkey (0-2), Stephen Rafferty (0-1); Collins Connolly (0-2), Eddie McArdle (2-0), Aidan Hyland. Subs: Dean Carolan for M McGuinness, Tommy McArdle for A Hyland.

MATTOCK RANGERS: Ruairi O Reilly; Dominic Maguire, Kevin Conway, Darren Reid; Ciaran Maguire, Declan Madden, Michael Callan; Edward Condon, Johnny Matthews; Shane Maguire (0-9), Gary Rellis, Peter Mullen; Johnny Galway, Graham Condon, Niall McEneaney. Sub: Aidan Carter for P Mullen.