St Pat’s retain senior status

St Patrick’s 1-14 O’Connell’s 0-7

ST PATRICK’S finally shook off the threat of relegation at the very last attempt on Friday night, condemning O’Connell’s to intermediate football with a 10-point victory.

The margin flattered the 2014 and 2015 champions somewhat, but it was all about the result under the lights in Darver and Jim Holland and his players left HQ breathing a little easier.

They had to graft for the victory, however, as O’Connell’s stubbornly hung in until the final quarter.

The Lordship men were quick out of the blocks and led by 0-3 to 0-1 following a bright start.

Salem Rifaie reduced the gap to one but after a superb double save by Sean Connolly, Paddy Keenan was on hand to stroke home the only goal of the game, making it 1-3 to 0-2.

Keenan added a point from a free straight after, but O’Connell’s didn’t wilt and had the better of the rest of the half as scores from Doyle, Rifaie and Robert Quigley left them two behind, 1-4 to 0-5.

They started the second-half well too and Doyle and Quigley levelled the scores with the first two scores.

But Quigley’s free that was to be O’Connell’s last score of the game as Pat’s seized control.

Successive points from Keenan, White and Aidan McCann put three between the teams and White and Darragh Lafferty increased the margin to a commanding five.

The ‘Bellingham men simply couldn’t stem the tide and further points from O’Connor, White, Lafferty, Keenan and McCann ensured a comfortable finale for the Pat’s who earned the right to re-group for the senior ranks in 2017. ST. PATRICKS: Sean Connor; Kevin Toner, Darren O’Hanlon, Owen Zamboglou; Ray Finnegan, Dessie Finnegan, Eoin Lafferty; Paddy Keenan 1-4(1f), Eamonn Breen; Aidan McCann 0-2, Karl White 0-4, Ross Murphy; Daniel O’Connor 0-2, Darragh Lafferty 0-2, Thomas McCann. Subs Conor Grogan for E. Lafferty, Jason Woods for K. White, Cathal Grogan for R. Murphy.

O’CONNELL’S: Sean Connolly; PJ Tuite, Keith Woods, Jason Carroll; Salem Rifaie 0-2, Jackie Agnew, John McLoughlin; Dean Stanfield, Conor McGill; John Flanagan, Robert Quigley 0-2(1f), Paul McKeever; Emmet Byrne, Sean Cairns, Cian Doyle 0-2(1f). Subs David Hoey for K. Woods (BC), Ciaran O’Brien for J. McLoughlin.