Byrne inspires Saints to victory
ST MOCHTAS O’CONNELLS 0-23 1-14
A Declan Byrne inspired St Mochtas team had six points to spare over the O’Connell’s in a good high scoring game at Louth village on Tuesday night.
In a tight first half the teams shared the first six points of the game, Gavin Breen and a brace from Byrne for the home side and Conor Culligan and a brace from Niall Conlon for O’Connells.
The visitors went two ahead with points from Paul McKeever and Sean Connolly but they were quickly cancelled out with another brace from Byrne.
The teams again shared the next six points before a Conlon free put his side one in front but points from Darren McMahon and Eamon O’Neill had the home team one up a minute before half time. Another Conlon free left it honours even at the break 0-10 each.
Points from Conlon and Stuart Osborne put the Bellingham boys two ahead but the Louth village men replied with four unanswered points from O’Neill, Gareth O’Reilly and another two from Byrne to leave the score 0-15 to 0-13 going into the last ten minutes. O’Connells got the only goal of the game on their next attack through Dean Corrigan who side footed to the net.
However keeping with the run of the game the lead did not last long as Byrne levelled the game a minute later from a free and he put his team ahead with another point just after that.
Corrigan got what was to be the O’Connells last score of the game to level it 0-17 to 1-14 going into the last five minutes.
The remainder of the game was dominated by the home team and Byrne and O’Neill kicked some great long distance points to take their combined tally on the night to 19, with Byrne scoring 12.
ST MOCHTAS: Fergus English; Thomas Kindlon, David Lennon, Cormac Callan; Barry Mulholland, Darren McMahon 0-2, Stephen McCooey; Emlyn Clerkin, Shane McMahon; Gavin Breen 0-1, Gareth O’Reilly 0-1, Conor Lynch; Liam McGranaghan, Declan Byrne 0-12 (2f), Eamon O’Neill 0-7. Subs: Ken Meegan for E Clerkin (BC), Ciaran Sunderland for S McCooey (BC).
O’CONNELLS: Stuart Reynolds; John McLoughlin, PJ Tuite, Liam Kiernan; David Hoey, Salem Rifaie, Micheal Cairns; Dean Stanfield, Sean Cairns; Stuart Osborne 0-1, Paul McKeever 0-3 (1f), Dean Corrigan 1-1; Conor Culligan 0-1, Sean Connolly 0-1, Niall Conlon 0-7 (6f). Sub: Conor McGill for D Hoey.