Knockbridge Hurling Club to host golf classic in Mannan Castle next month

Knockbridge Hurling Club will host their golf classic in Mannan Castle on Friday September 4^th.

Teams, sponsors and donations are being accepted at present with clubman Seán Byrne outlining the plans for the event.

He said: “We are currently working in our local community and beyond with over 150 children to promote the national sport of hurling and promote health and well being through physical activity for young people.

“Through our volunteers’ efforts, we field underage teams from Under 8’s all the way to Minor and leading into our two adult teams. It is also our aim to instill in all of our players a sense of community and to give them a sense of belonging to their locality.

“We need to organise various fundraisers throughout the year in order to raise the funds necessary to keep moving forward with our aims of promoting hurling and well being amongst our youth. Accordingly we have organised a Golf Classic for Friday September 4^th and are at present appealing for sponsors for the event.

“While any amount of assistance would be greatly appreciated, here are some suggested donations which would greatly help our club

1. €120 for a team of four – meal afterwards included.
2. €50 for a tee AND green sponsorship or €30 for a tee OR green sponsorship.
3. Prizes for winners on the day.

“Those interested in sponsoring a tee or green should provide us with a contact number or graphic so we are able to place an advertisement for your organisation at the tee box or green in the hope that some of those playing may in turn use your company.”

Anyone who can assists should email Sean.Byrne@louthcoco.ie

Alternatively to sign up for the event you can call 086 333 0331 or 087 793 8940.

There will be prizes on the day for the winning team, longest drive and closest to the pin with a presentation and raffle that night in MacNamee’s in Knockbridge.

Knockbridge reclaim Louth SHC title

Knockbridge clinched the Louth Senior Hurling Championship title for the first time since 2011 when they denied Pearse Óg a third successive title at Stabannon yesterday on a 1-15 to 1-8 scoreline.

Sean Byrne was in immense form for the winners with eight frees throughout. Despite this a Tony Teefy own goal had Pearse Óg ahead midway through the first half but a free from Byrne ensured Knockbridge led by 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.

Three more frees from Byrne inside the first eight minutes then saw the village side pull away from their opponents with the killer blow arriving in the 43^rd minute when Conor Deane found the net to make it 1-13 to 1-5.

That killed the game as a contest, allowing captain David Dunne to lift the Paddy Kelly Cup afterwards.

Knockbridge: Paul Dunne; Ricky McKeown, Tony Teefy, Conor Kerrigan; Mark Wallace 0-1, Ronan Byrne 0-1, Conor Deane 1-0; Shane Kerrigan, Gavin Kane 0-1; David Dunne 0-1, Peter Brennan, David Kettle; Shane Fennell 0-1, James Costelloe 0-2, Sean Byrne 0-8. Subs: Stephen Kettle for R McKeown, Andrew Smith for S Byrne, Gavin Kerrigan for P Brennan, Michael Lundon for J Costelloe.

Pearse Óg: Barry Myles; Matthew Myles 1-0, Noel Callan, Richard Scanlon; Andrew McCrave, Shane Callan, Aidan Callan; Donnach Callan, Mike Lyons; Gary O’Brien 0-2, Brian Minogue 0-1, Brian McCabe 0-1; Brian Hassett, Gavin Hartnett, Gerard Smith 0-4.Subs: David Mulholland for A Callan, Kenneth O’Hagan for D Callan.

Controversial late Towell penalty earns Dundalk narrow win over Athlone Town

A controversial stoppage-time penalty from Richie Towell earned Dundalk a 1-0 victory against Athlone Town at Lissywoollen yesterday evening.

It looked for long stretches of the game as if the hosts were going to pick up their first points since being promoted, but referee Graham Kelly deemed that Declan Brennan impeded Darren Meenan and Towell made no mistake with his spot-kick in the third minute of added time.

Seán Byrne was dismissed for dissent immediately after the decision to compound Athlone’s misery as Dundalk recorded their sixth league win of the season.

Kelly left the field to a round of boos from the home supporters after his sending off decision, while Dundalk too felt aggrieved that Darren Meenan had earlier been hauled back by Declan Brennan only for play to be waved on.

At the end of a low-quality encounter, where scoring chances were rare and those that were created were wasted, it looked as if Athlone had done enough to secure the first league point of the new campaign in their ninth attempt.

Despite playing without their three first-choice centre-backs and their regular goalkeeper due to injury and suspension, they defended manfully and certainly wouldn’t have been flattered if the game ended in a stalemate.

Athlone’s James O’Brien blasted the ball into the side-netting from 12 yards out in the first minute, while Philip Gorman saw his curling effort midway through the second half loop narrowly wide. Dundalk netminder Peter Cherrie was also forced into an unorthodox save from Seán Byrne late on.

Towell, Meenan and Patrick Hoban all had opportunities to test Craig Sexton in the Athlone goal but spurned their chances. Ruiadhrí Higgins did manage to direct his 25-yard free on target but Sexton easily smothered the tame effort.

Long balls over the top were the primary source of these half-chances and Dundalk rarely looked like title challengers.

James O’Brien and Meenan were the main creative influences but both teams struggled to get sufficient support for their solitary strikers and failed to pick holes in their opponents’ defensive alignments.

Kelly’s decision not to award a penalty for the pull on Byrne’s jersey in the 76th minute drew plenty of ire from the sizable body of away supporters in the ground, but old cliche about contentious decisions evening themselves out certainly was rendered apt when Kelly pointed to the spot in the final minute of injury-time for what looked like legal and minimal contact between Brennan and Meenan.

Athlone’s disbelief at the decision was obvious as their players crowded around the arbiter, which in turn resulted in Byrne being sent off on a straight red card for dissent.

In the final decisive act of the game, Towell struck an immaculate penalty low to the bottom corner of the Athlone Town net, a strike that brought Dundalk back level with Cork City and broke the hearts of the home side.

Athlone Town: Craig Sexton; Stephen Quigley (Ian Sweeney 86), Conor McMahon, Declan Brennan, Barry Clancy; Mark Hughes; Kealon Dillon, Seán Byrne, James O’Brien, Sean Brennan (Jason Marks 73); Philip Gorman.

Subs not used: Graham Rusk.

Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Seán Gannon, Mark Rossiter, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Ruaidhrí Higgins; Darren Meenan, John Mountney (David McMillan 60), Richie Towell, Daryl Horgan (Kurtis Byrne HT); Patrick Hoban (Mark Griffin 82).

Subs not used:  Brian Gartland, Chris Shields, Simon Kelly, Gabriel Sava (GK).

Referee: Graham Kelly

Source: RTÉ Sport