McArdle rolls back the years for Mals

NAOMH MALACHI ST NICHOLAS 3-10 0-6 ST KEVINS NAOMH MAIRTIN B

NAOMH Malachi claimed their second victory of the campaign with a comfortable win over St Nicholas in Rathmullen. Played in damp conditions, the visitors eased to the two points, following a solid opening half performance. Collie Rooney continued his good early season form finishing with a total of 1-4 while veteran Francis McArdle rolled back the years with a brace of goals and really ought to have claimed a hat-trick.

The border club were coasting at halftime, turning with a 1-10 to 0-1 lead.

After the breakthe home side’s performance improved with Declan Heeney and Arnold contributing to the score-sheet. A well-taken goal from Rooney got the Mals off the mark but the Drogheda side responded with points from Heeney, Arnold and wing forward, Nathan Murphy. However, McArdle had the final say with an accomplished finish for his side’s third goal of the contest. Mitchels team play in front of the Tones goal that brought the Ballybailie side back into the game.

A point by Brian Coyle left the game drawn with five minutes to go, but with the result in the balance it was the Tones who struck the final point to win by the bare minimum. ST KEVINS recovered from a slow start to score a comfortable victory over Naomh Mairtin B in the Kevin Mullen Shield on Sunday morning.

Cian Callan was the scoring hero for the Philipstown side as he bagged two goals to help his side record a second successive victory in the competition.

The first-half strikes from the Louth pannellist proved the difference between the sides at the interval as they led by 2-6 to 0-6.

The second half was a low-scoring affair by comparison and although the Mairtins worked hard and created a lot of chances, they forgot their shooting boots and had at least 10 wides. As a result the Monasterboice side only able to add two further points to their tally, the Kevins went on to win by ten. TWO matches into the campaign and the Louth hurlers are already in a relegation battle following this comprehensive defeat at the hands of Tyrone in this NHL Div 3A clash played out in front of a small crowd in Darver on Sunday afternoon.

With both counties having lost their opening matches the previous weekend a win here was imperative and it was Tyrone manager Mattie Lennon who will have gone home much the happier having watched his side find the net on five occasions over the seventy minutes.

He would also have been pleased to see nine different players getting on the scoresheet in a good all round team performance. Louth for their part struggled in most areas of the field with a tally of just four points from play something that will not have pleased the new management set up.

They had some good personal performances from the likes of midfielder Paddy McCormack, defenders Andrew McCrave and David Stephenson, with the experienced Diarmuid Murphy doing all that could have asked of him scoring eight points, all from frees.

Another difficult challenge awaits them next Sunday afternoon in round 3 when table toppers Monaghan are visitors to Darver (2pm).

Playing with aid of a stiff breeze it was the visitors who created the early opportunities and they had already accounted for a brace of wides before centre half Damien Casey rounded off a strong solo