New boys keep good start going

CLAN NA GAEL COOLEY KICKHAMS

CLAN na Gael maintained their unbeaten start to the league season when they returned from Fr McEvoy Park with a two-point win over Cooley Kickhams on Friday night.

Scoring bursts either side of half time proved decisive for the Dundalk side in a game that was in the balance right up to the final whistle.

Mark McGeown and Billy Smith led the way in terms of scoring as they finished with four apiece, while Brian White’s personal tally of 1-5 wasn’t enough to rescue the game for Cooley.

The game was evenly balanced at two points apiece after 11 minutes before the Clans reeled off five in a row from JJ Quigley, Robbie Curran, McGeown and Smith (2) to see their side lead by 0-7 to 0-2 after 21 minutes.

Cooley fought back through White (2) and Emmet Rogan but McGeown had the final say of the half to send his team in leading by 0-8 to 0-5.

That advantage was wiped out within two minutes of the restart when White scored the only goal of the game, but the Clans responded in fine style.

Curran, McGeown, Smith and Conall McKeever all raised white flags to put the visitors back in command, but again White led the revival and when he pointed on 52 minutes, there was just a point between the teams at 0-13 to 1-9.

In a tense finale it was the Clans who held their nerve and a point from Curran saw the Dundalk side complete the victory.