Saints hang on to send Irelands down

ST. FECHIN’S DUNDALK YI 0-15 2-8

AMONG the favourites for intermediate glory at the start of the campaign, St Fechin’s clung to their status by the skin of their teeth under the lights at Monatserboice on Friday night.

The Termonfeckin outfit were stunned by Na Piarsaigh in the first play-off and they very nearly came a cropper against another Dundalk side in this last-chance tussle.

For Young Irelands there was a sense of a journey coming full circle. Their 2007 junior success sparked a rise all the way to the senior ranks, but a decade on they find themselves back in the basement grade.

Not for the first time, the Termonfeckin men had to Ronan Holcroft to thank for racking up the scores with a personal tally of eight, but they were pushed to the pin of their collar by Irelands who scored goals at crucial stages in each half.

A brilliantly executed Johnny Breen strike ensured their trailed by the minimum at the break and a second goal from Dean Maguire edged them in front in the second period.

However, to their credit St Fechin’s kept they composure in trying circumstances with Holcroft edging them over the line.

ST. FECHIN’S: Niall McDonnell; Leo McGrane, David Collier, Donal Ryan; Niall Carolan 0-1, Niall McCabe, Eoghan Duffy; Dermot McConnell, Bevan Duffy; Harry McArdle, Colm O’Neill, Ryan Sheridan; Joe Corrigan 0-4, Ronan Holcroft 0-8, Niall Devlin 0-2.

DUNDALK YOUNG IRELANDS: Fergal Sheeky; Peter McCourt, Ciaran Murray, Robbie Farrell; Kevin Keelan, Peter Nixon, Shane O’Connell; Peter Rogers, Andrew Nixon; Dermot Mone 0-1, Jordan O’Donoghue 0-5, 4f, Johnny Lynch, Aaron Rogers, Johnny Breen 1-0, Dean Maguire 1-2.

REFEREE: Stephen Murphy. DIVISION 1/2 PLAY-OFF

NEWTOWN BLUES ST JOSEPH’S 0-17 1-4

NEWTOWN Blues survived the first leg of their Division 1 survival bid with a comfortable victory over SFC semi-final opponents St Joseph’s last Tuesday night.

Just three days after their championship quarter-final win over the Geraldines the Joes kept it tight in the opening half, adjourning just a point in arrears, 0-4 to 0-3.

However, they played the first period with a strong wind at their backs and there was an inevitability about the second-half exchanges as the hosts took advantage of the elements.

The Blues opened the scoring with a Ross Nally free, but the Joes responded with points from Conall Smyth and an Alan McKenna free to take the lead.

Ciaran Downey equalised for the Blues and the sides then traded points with Nally converting a 40m free for the Blues on 18 minutes and Conal O’Hanlon equalising.

The Blues regained the lead before the break when Downey kicked his second point of the game.

But that was as good as it got for the Joes as the Blues upped their game after the break, dominating most areas of the field.

With the aid of the elements they struck some excellent scores from Robert Carr and Connor Branigan, while Ross Nally was unerring over frees.

The hosts recorded eight unanswered points in that third quarter to leave them in complete control on a scoreline of 0-12 to 0-3.

The Joe’s first score of the second half came from a 20m Alan Quigley free, but Nally and Carr added further points for the Blues before Robert Sansom dived full length to deny them a goal.

The Blues continued to hit the target with the sole response from the Joes coming on 57 minutes when a David Mernagh shot somehow found the net.

The Blues finished the scoring to run out deserving winners and will now face Hunterstown Rovers to determine who operates in Division 1 in 2018.

NEWTOWN BLUES: Jason Lowney; Ronan Levins, Fergal O’Donoghue, Niall Costello; Stephen Moonan, Cormac Reynolds 0-1, Paul Moore; Andy McDonnell 0-2, John Kermode 0-1; Conor Brannigan, Ciarán Downey 0-4, Robert Carr 0-5; Colm Judge, Ross Nally 0-4, Conor Moore. Subs: Hugh McGinn, Aidan O’Brien, Jimmy Murray, Lorcan McQuillan

ST JOSEPH’S: Robert Sansom, David Kieran, Shane McQuillan, Stefan Pots, David Mernagh 1-0, Killian Staunton, Daire Smyth, Cian McGuinness, Peter Brennan, Jack Mulligan, Conall Smyth 0-1, Adam O’ Connor, Craig Doherty, Conal O’ Hanlon 0-1, Alan McKenna 0-1, Subs: Alan Quigley 0-1, Alan Lynch, Oisin McGuinness, Ben Mulligan.