Naps facing fierce fight as Clans stroll into quarter-finals
ONLY one outcome was expected from this Dundalk derby at Dowdallshill and so it proved, as Clans sailed into the quarter-finals at Na Piarsaigh’s expense on Saturday night.
Even without talisman Billy Smith, the Castletown men were just too strong for their town rivals who face a fierce fight to hang onto their intermediate status when the action resumes next month.
Naps first assignment in the dreaded relegation play-offs is a daunting duel with St Fechin’s, who were pipped to a quarter-final place by St Mochta’s and Hunterstown in this year’s group of death.
Oliver Plunkett’s and another town side, Dundalk Young Irelands will fight it out on the other side of the draw, ensuring the Holy Family men are likely to be warm favourites to slip down to junior.
If there is a kick left in Na Piarsaigh, they didn’t even get a chance to show it on Saturday, as Clans ruthlessly picked them off from the opening whistle.
The scoreboard read fournil inside four minutes as Clans’ inside forwards Newell and McGeown made their ‘Mark’.
Newell and Paul Crewe made it six without reply, before Ciaran Murphy eventually got Na Piarsaigh off the mark in the 19th minute, but the die was cast.
That was to be Na Piarsaigh’s only score of the opening half as McGeown, Robbie Curran, from a free and JJ Quigley sent Clans in at the break sporting a handsome 0-9 to 0-1 cushion.
The half-time cuppa failed to revive Na Piarsaigh as Clans kicked off the second-half with four more points without reply with Drew Duffy, Quigley, Crewe and McGeown all on target.
Gerard Smyth doubled Na Piarsaigh’s tally, but Quigley cancelled that out before Stephen Fitzpatrick sent Mark McGeown clar for Clans’ opening goal, 1-14 to 0-2.
It was only then that Na Piarsaigh really got their teeth into the contest, and their brief rally probably owed as much to Clans taking their foot off the gas as anything.
Nonetheless they managed to outscore their opponents by five points to to one over the ensuing 15 minutes.
Alan McCartney kicked their third point and Mark Larkin chiped in wioth the next three.
JJ Quigley and Michael Woods traded scores, but Clans inflicted one last sucker punch when a Conall McKeever strike was tipped onto the post by Damien McCrink, only for Quigley to turn in the rebound.
CLAN NA GAEL: Sean Smyth; Ian Carr, Leo Martin, Donal Boyle; Craig Long, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Michael McDonnell; Robbie Curran 0-1f, Ray McCabe; JJ Quigley 1-4, Paul Gore 0-1, Paul Crewe 0-2; Mark Newell 0-2, Mark McGeown 1-4, Conall McKeever. Subs: Drew Duffy 0-1 for M Newell (ht), Stephen Coleman for M McGeown (44), Conor Noonan for P Crewe (48).
NA PIARSAIGH: Damien McCrink; Fearghal Mulholland, Conall Shields, Stephen McGuinness; Ciaran Murphy 0-1, Ronan McCartney, Joe Woods; Michael Woods, Mark Larkin; Eamonn McAuley, Alan McCartney, Gary O’Hare; Robbie Murphy, Gerard Smyth, David Boyle. Subs: Gavin McGee for G Smyth (46), Damien McGeeney for R Murphy (46), Mark O’Hare for A McCarthey (53), John Galligan for C Murphy (53), Stephen Arrowsmith for F Mulholland (57).
REFEREE: Paul Finnegan.