St Patrick’s clinch league and cup double

St Patrick’s GFC celebrate their league triumph yesterday

St Patrick’s GFC complete the league and championship double after seeing off the Dreadnots on a 1-10 to 1-6 scoreline at Clan na Gael Park yesterday to clinch the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup.

In what was a repeat of the county final, this result was a lot more comfortable than the scoreline suggests as the Lordship men had led by eight points at the break.

An early Paddy Keenan point was cancelled out by Anthony Williams but that proved to be the Dreadnots’ only score of the half as Pat’s pulled clear with a succession of scores, including a goal and two points from Danny O’Connor, that left it 1-6 to 0-1 at the break.

A Liam Shevlin goal in the 41^st minute gave the Clogherhead men some hope but they never looked likely to turn the game around as the Pat’s clinched a victory that was dedicated to former team-mate Eamon Carroll, who died shortly after their County Final success at the end of September.

St Patrick’s: Barry Corcoran; Kevin Toner, Darren O’Hanlon, Patrick Kirk; Eoghan Lafferty, Dessie Finnegan, Owen Zamboglou; Paddy Keenan 0-1, Colin 0-2, Goss; Aidan McCann 0-1, Karl White 0-3, Evan White 0-1; Danny O’Connor 1-3, Eoin O’Connor 0-1, Ray Finnegan. Sub: Ross Murphy for P Kirk.

Dreadnots: Ciaran Cunningham; Ryan Gargan, Padraig Rath, Brian Gargan; Derek Shevlin, Cian McEvoy, Barry Faulkner; Anthony Williams 0-1, James Califf 0-2; Pat Lynch, Pepe Smith 0-2, Liam Shevlin 1-0; Ronan Fitzpatrick, Peter Kirwan 0-1, Conor Campbell. Subs: David O’Brien for Conor Campbell, Cathal Lynch for J Califf.

Louth claim first victory of 2014 over Westmeath

Liam Shevlin

Louth claimed their first victory of the year after beating Westmeath by 1-14 to 0-10 in the O’Byrne Cup in Drogheda yesterday.

Going off level at the break in the knowledge that the wind would be at their backs on the restart, Aidan O’Rourke’s side never looked back in the second half as they claimed a morale-boosting win ahead of their league opener with Armagh on February 2^nd.

Westmeath had started the brighter with points from Alan Giles and Gavin Hoey but Louth responded well with Adrian Reid and Robert Brodigan firing points either side of a sixth minute goal from Liam Shevlin – the Dreadnots man finding the bottom corner after being picked out by Declan Byrne.

A further Shevlin point on 10 minutes had the hosts 1-3 to 0-2 in front but Westmeath slowly fought their way back into it with three of the next four points, including a brace from Callum McCormack.

Two Dessie Dolan frees either side of a Denis Glennon point then had the Midlanders in front approaching half-time only for a Derek Crilly point – Louth’s first in 25 minutes – in first-half stoppage time leaving the sides level at the break on a 1-5 to 0-8 scoreline.

After losing William Woods to a serious looking injury after the restart, the Wee County then surged ahead with three unanswered points from Kevin Rogers, Declan Byrne and Shevlin.

The sides then swapped two scores at either end before Louth put the game to bed in the closing stages with further unanswered points from Rogers, Derek Maguire, Byrne, Crilly and Stephen Campbell.

Louth: S McCoy; P Rath, D Finnegan, K McLaughlin; A Reid (0-1), D Crilly (0-2), L Shevlin (1-2); P Keenan, R Brodigan (0-1); D Byrne (0-2), G Connolly B Duffy; W Woods, K Rogers (0-3, 3f), D Maguire (0-2). Subs: C Judge for G Connolly, half-time; A McDonnell for R Brodigan, half-time; S Campbell (0-1) for W Woods, 41 mins; R Brennan for A Reid, 61 mins; D Clarke for K Rogers, 61 mins.

Late Watson double sees Dublin sink Louth in O’Byrne Cup

Dessie Finnegan beats Kevin McManamon to the ball in Parnell Park last night

Louth suffered their second defeat of the year after going down to Dublin by 2-6 to 0-8 in the O’Byrne Cup last night.

Daniel Watson was the hero for the home side after he came off the bench to score 2-1 late on to turn the game.

Up until then, Aidan O’Rourke’s side had led for much of the game in what was a low-scoring affair, played in difficult conditions.

The first score didn’t arrive until the 15^th minute when Jason Whelan got the All-Ireland champions up and running.

With wides aplenty at either end, Brian White finally leveled matters with a free in the 26^th minute before a long range effort from Derek Crilly and a fisted effort from Liam Shevlin game gave the visitors a 0-3 to 0-1 lead at the break.

White extended Louth’s advantage to three points a minute after the restart and despite Shane Martin replying for Dublin, White responded with his third point of the game in the 49^th minute to leave it 0-5 to 0-2.

A quick brace from Paul Hudson then cut the deficit back to one before the introduction of Watson turned the game as he scored a goal and a point in quick succession.

The Wee County did manage to reply with three points in-a-row from Crilly, Declan Byrne and Stephem Campbell but a second goal from Watson four minutes from time ensured that it was the Dubs who took the win.

Louth’s final O’Byrne Cup outing is at home to Westmeath in Drogheda on Sunday.

DUBLIN: S Currie; D Nelson, S George, M Fitzsimons; C Guckian, B Cullen, K Nolan; D O’Mahony, S Carthy (0-1); C Walsh, P McMahon, J Whelan (0-1); P Hudson (0-3, 0-1 free), K McManamon, G Sweeney. Subs: J Cooper for Nolan (h-t); E Fanning for Guckian, N McGovern for Walsh (both 47 mins); D Watson (2-1) for Sweeney (53 mins); Cian Mullins for Cullen (64 mins). Black card: L Fletcher for Nelson (deliberate haul down).

LOUTH: S McCoy; P Rath, D Finnegan, K McLaughlin; D Crilly (0-2, 45), G Connolly, D O’Hanlon; P Keenan, R Brodigan; D Byrne (0-1), B White (0-3, one free), B Duffy; L Shevlin (0-1), K Rogers, S Campbell (0-1). Subs: D Maguire for O’Hanlon (h-t); C Doyle for Rogers, P Sheelan for Brodigan (both 47 mins); D O’Connell for White (59 mins).

Referee: F Kelly (Longford).