Six see red as St Mary’s stay senior
St Mary’s 1-12 Cooley Kickhams 0-10
2016 runners-up St Mary’s sealed their SFC survival as six saw red in a tempestuous affair at the Grove on Sunday morning.
Cooley are no strangers to relegations scraps in both league and championship in recent years, but they will have one more chance to avoid slipping down to the intermediate ranks against Kilkerley Emmets.
St Mary’s, who sent Kickhams down to Division 2 in a play-off a couple of years ago revert their attention to the league and an O’Donnell Cup bid, but the fallout from Sunday’s clash could see both clubs short on key men over the coming weeks.
That league showdown a few years ago produced some tetchy moments too and tempers boiled again in Castlebellingham as Des McDonnell dished out six red cards, five of which stemmed from a late melee.
Dean Matthews, Niall Eccles and Alan Kirk were all dismissed for St Mary’s, while Patrick Sheelan and Thomas McGuinness were sent off for Cooley.
Keith White was the odd-manout, receiving his marching orders earlier in the second-half.
The trio will miss the relegation showdown with Kilkerley, while St Mary’s will be anxiously awaiting the CCC’s verdict on their dismissals, with match or time bans possible. The
The game had faded out by that stage though, with Ardee having shown far too much for Cooley, who will now plan for their do-ordie game with Kilkerley minus the aforementioned trio.
The late brawl ruined what had been a competitive contest, albeit one that St Mary’s had wrapped up by that stage.
The opening half understandably tense and tight as Ronan Carroll, twice, and Darren Clarke swapped points with Brian White, Ciaran Sheelan and Michael Rafferty to make it 0-3 apiece after 17 minutes.
Cooley then put two between the sides for the first time with two more cracking efforts from Ciaran Sheelan, but Mary’s levelled it up at the break with a brace from Mark Fay.
It remained close after the break,
but White’s red card coupled with Brendan Matthews’ goal on 40 minutes edged Mary’s into the driving seat.
The gap remained at a goal until Alan Kirk added a couple of points prior to the late controversy.
ST. MARY’S: Peter Duffy; Brendan Matthews 1-1, John Bingham, Barry McCoy; Conor Keenan, Éimhín Keenan, Niall Eccles; Ronan Carroll 0-4, Robert Leavy; Mark Fay 0-2, Kian Moran, Mark Fay; Dáire McConnon, Darren Clarke 0-1, Paudy Clarke. Subs: Dean Matthews 0-2 for Darren Clarke, Alan Kirk 0-2 for Leavy, Conor Gillespie for Fay.
COOLEY KICKHAMS: Neil Gallagher; Shane Marks, Conor McGuinness, Patrick Hanlon; Gerry Malone, Alan Page, Peter Thornton; Richard Brennan 0-1, Keith White; Jake McShane 0-1, Michael Rafferty 0-1, Eoin McDaid; Fearghal Malone 0-2, Brian White 0-1, Ciarán Sheelan 0-4. Subs: Dean McGeehan for Marks, Thomas McGuinness for McShane, Paddy Sheelan for Conor McGuinness.
REFEREE: Des McDonnell.