Kilkerley return to senior ranks with victory over Clan na Gael

Kilkerley celebrate their win on Saturday night in Haggardstown

Kilkerley Emmets can look forward to senior football next year after beating Clan na Gael 3-10 to 0-11 in Saturday night’s Intermediate Championship final replay in Haggardstown.

Kilkerley needed a stoppage time point from Shane Lennon to secure a second bite of the cherry in the initial game but were much more comfortable second time around with the former county forward giving a man of the match display on the night to sink the Dundalk side.

With the Clans quickest out of the blocks, Kilkerley needed a goal from Lennon to bring them level and that’s how it remained at the break as Sean Hand cancelled out Conall McKeever’s point to leave it 1-4 to 0-7 at the break.

There was little to choose between the sides in the early stages of the second but but on 41 minutes Lennon set Daniel McKeown up for a goal that made it 2-5 to 0-9 and Kilkerley never looked back after that as Lennon and Tadgh McEneaney quickly added further points to extend their leade to four.

A late Conall McEneaney goal then made sure of the victory – the club’s first in the intermediate grade since 1978.

Scorers – Kilkerley Emmets – Shane Lennon (1-4), Tadgh McEneaney (0-5), Daniel McKeown (1-0), Conall McEneaney (1-0), Sean Hand (0-1).

Clan na Gael – Conall McKeever (0-4), Billy Smith (0-4), Robbie Curran, Mark McGeown, Stephen Coleman (0-1 each).

Late Lennon point earns Kilkerley second bite of the cherry against Clan na Gael

Shane Lennon

A stoppage time point from Shane Lennon earned Kilkerley Emmets a replay against Clan na Gael in yesterday’s Louth Intermediate Championship final in Haggardstown.

The Dundalk side had been leading by a point for the closing 12 minutes before former county star Lennon popped up in the 61^st minute with the crucial equaliser to leave it 0-10 to 1-7 at full-time.

The sides will now meet again on Saturday at 6pm, once again in Haggardstown.

Both sides held the lead in the early stages with Billy Smith opening the scoring on five minutes before Lennon and James Fegan responded for Kilkerley.

Robert Curran then brought the sides level for the second time in the 11^th minute at 0-2 apiece before Mark Newell hit the net for the Clans a minute later to put them in the ascendancy.

A subsequent point from Kevin Carroll then had the Dundalk side 1-3 to 0-2 ahead but two Lennon points, either side of another from Tadgh McEneaney had the deficit back to two by the break on a 1-4 to 0-5 scoreline.

Within five minutes of the restart Kilkerley were back on level terms courtesy of another point from Lennon and an equaliser from Cathal Bellew.

Conal McKeever then briefly fired the Clans ahead only for Lennon to equalise almost immediately.

Daniel McKeown then fired Kilkerley 0-9 to 1-5 in front in the 43^rd minute but McKeever equalised three minutes later before Mark McGeown put the Clans back in front in the 48^th minute.

That looked like it would be the winner for a long time but up popped Lennon in the first minute of stoppage time to earn Kilkerley a second bite at the cherry.

Scorers: Kilkerley Emmets – Shane Lennon (0-6), Cathal Bellew (0-1), James Fegan (0-1), Tadgh McEneaney (0-1), Daniel McKeown (0-1).

Clan na Gael – Mark Newell (1-0), Conal McKeever (0-3), Billy Smith (0-1), Robert Curran (0-1), Kevin Carroll (0-1), Mark McGeown (0-1).

Dundalk Schools lose out to Wicklow

Dean Maguire, pictured here in action for Louth, found the net for Dundalk Schools on Friday

Dundalk Schools suffered a disappointing 1-17 to 1-10 defeat at home to Wicklow Schools in the first round of the Leinster Post Primary Senior Football A Championship in Pairc na nGaeil this afternoon.

The home side had made a good start to the game with three points from Tadgh McEneaney, two from Dara Hamill and another from Daniel McKeown helping them to go off level at the break on a 1-6 to 1-6 scoreline. The goal came from Dean Maguire, son of former Louth Minor manager Kieran and brother of inter-county star Derek, who celebrated his 18^th birthday only a few days earlier.

Wicklow upped the ante in the second half though with five unanswered points at the start of the second half.

Despite their best efforts, Dundalk never recovered from that setback with the visitors going on to record an easy win in the end.