Raghs hang on to senior spot

ANCHOR TOURS SFC O’RAGHALLAIGHS KILKERLEY EMMETS 1-21 1-20

FOR the second weekend running O Raghallaigh’s enjoyed play-off success over Kilkerley Emmets as the Drogheda men ended their season in dramatic circumstances at the Grove.

The Raghs were impressive winners when the sides met in the Division 2 promotion play-off the previous week, but Sunday’s SFC relegation scrap was a much tighter affair, going all the way to extra-time.

That didn’t seem likely when Kilkerley opened a 1-6 to 0-0 lead after just 13 minutes, with James Fegan bagging 1-1.

However, O Raghallaigh’s recovered well and were just three behind by the interval as Olan Walsh netted a vital goal for the Drogheda men.

The scores continued to flow after the break and the sides couldn’t be separated at full-time as a 1-16 to 1-16 scoreline triggered extra-time.

Kilkerley again seized the initiative in the first period of extra-time opening a three-point cushion, but O Raghallaigh’s finished strongly as Eoin Moore kicked three points, ‘keeper Joe Flanagan converted a ‘45’ and Ben Rogan fisted the winner.

Darren Meehan; Cormac Bellew, Alan McGeough, Ciaran Clarke; Shaun McElroy, Fintan Clarke, Ciaran Bellew; James Fegan 1-1, Andrew McGuill 0-1; Rian Hand, Sean Hand 0-1, Ciaran McGlynn 0-1; Tadgh McEneaney 0-4, Shane Lennon 0-9, Dan McKeown 0-1. Sub: Killian Kampes for McElroy, Conal McEneaney for McKeown, Cillian Quigley for Meehan; Ciaran Murtagh for S Hand; James Bellew for R Hand; Sean Hand for McGlynn, Niall Mulholland for McGuill.

O’RAGHALLAIGHS: Joe Flanagan 0-1; Stephen Murphy, Ciaran Brassil, Tomas Callan; Eoin Moore 0-3, Chris Smith, James Moonan; Alan Doyle 0-1, Robert Mulroy; Jack Carr, Barry Flanagan 0-7, Daniel Morgan 0-3; Olan Walsh 1-0 Ben Rogan 0-2, Ruairi Moore 0-4. Subs: Andrew Rogan, Sean Grennan, Cillian Curran, Kevin McGee, Emmet King, Ciaran Reilly, Cameron Griffin, Matthew Moore, Conor Higgins.