Battling Blues sink Pats
THE odds on all four Louth SFC quarter-finals finishing level would have been over 2,000/1, and the opening clash of the weekend looked as likely as any to finish all-square.
Newtown Blues hardly bust any accumulators with their narrow victory over St Pat’s, but had a late wide from Eoin O’Connor found its way over the bar, the unthinkable might just have transpired.
The Drogheda outfit managed to hold on, kicking the last four scores of the contest and holding Pat’s scoreless for the final 24 minutes to become the first - and only - team to reach the semi-finals.
These sides shared five Joe Wards between them from 2011 to 2015 with Pat’s claiming four titles, but they have looked a shadow of their former selves for some time now.
They only managed two second-half scores, a goal from Eoin O’Connor and a Paddy Keenan free and over the hour they only carved out four points from open play, three of which came in the first quarter.
Their old foes were better in most sectors for long periods, but despite dominating possession, Ronan Phillips’ men didn’t enjoy their most productive evening in front of the posts, and in the end scraped through without playing particularly well either.
It was a typically cagey affair between two sides that have grown very familiar with each other since the turn of the century, and while it never quite boiled over, that familiarity has breeded contempt.
There was no love lost in the first-half exchanges in particular, but Jonathan Conlon kept a lid on things with plenty of early bookings.
It took the Blues 27 minutes to score a point from play, but there was nothing wrong with their free-taking.
Ross Nally got the scoreboard ticking with a couple of early frees from almost identical positions on the left.
Pat’s looked more dangerous up front off less possession and Danny and Eoin O’Connor got them back on terms with a point apiece.
Nally and Judge replied with a free apiece, but a well-worked move involving Paddy Keenan, Aidan McCann and Eoin O’Connor carved out an opening for Daniel O’Connor to slot under the body of Blues’ ‘keeper Dean Martin.
Keenan followed up with a fine point to make it 1-3 to 0-4, but that was pretty much as good as it got for Davy Nelson’s men.
A minute after Keenan’s point John Kermode powered through in the left corner and fired an unstoppable shot in off the underside of the crossbar, giving Sean Connor no chance.
Keenan converted a free to level Paddy Keenan holds off Derek Kierans to clear his lines for St Pat’s. Pictures: Jimmy Weldon
it up again and with Nally and Evan White trading late points, it was all square at the interval, 1-5 apiece.
A sixth minute goal from O’Connor, very similar to his namesake’s first-half strike, appeared to put Pat’s in the driving seat as they enjoyed their best spell of the game.
They led by 2-6 to 1-6 by the 40th minute, but inexplicably the men from the peninsula failed to register another score.
The Blues finally started to make their possession count with scores from Colm Judge, Andy McDonnell and Hugh McGinn, who had a big influence after entering the fray for Derek Kierans.
It seemed unlikely at the time, but Robbie Carr popped up with the winning point in the 54th minute.
The Blues had to play the last five minutes without Andy McDonnell who was dismissed on a second yellow in the final minute of normal-time, but Pat’s couldn’t capitalise and in the end made a
tame and disappointing exit.
The Blues will feel they have left plenty of room for improvement, but on a weekend when everyone else found victory so elusive, a semi-final spot - against either the Joes or Geraldines - will certainly do for now.
NEWTOWN BLUES: Dean Martin; John Connolly, Fergal Donohue, Niall Costello; Kevin Carr, Cormac Reynolds, Paul Moore; Andy McDonnell 0-2, John Kermode 1-0; Ciaran Downey, Colm Judge 0-2 (1f), Robbie Carr 0-1; Derek Kierans, Conor Moore, Ross Nally 0-4 (3f). Subs: Emmett Carolan for N Costello (27), Hugh McGinn 0-1 for D Kierans (39), Conor Branigan for C Downey (49), C Downey for R Nally (60+).
ST. PATRICK’S: Seán Connor; Jason Woods, Darren O’Hanlon, Aaron Rogers; Conor Grogan, Dessie Finnegan, Rory Duffy; Paddy Keenan 0-3 (2f), Thomas McCann; Evan White 0-1, Cathal Grogan, Aidan McCann; Ray Finnegan, Eoin O’Connor 1-1, Daniel O’Connor 1-1. Subs: Kevin Toner for R Duffy (29), Darragh Lafferty for E White (34), Daniel Rice for Cathal Grogan (52), Ross Murphy for J Woods (57).
REFEREE: Jonathan Conlon.