“Cooley Cling On in Breathless Shootout with Dundalk Gaels”

Anchor Tours Senior Football Championship – Group 1, Round 2

Dundalk Gaels 2-13 : 0-20 Cooley Kickhams

Venue: Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdalshill
Referee: Colm McCullough (Naomh Fionnbarra/St Annes)

Introduction

Group 1 of this year’s Anchor Tours Senior Football Championship has a fascinating balance, with teams of similar quality and recent pedigree contesting every round. It contains the last three Intermediate champions: Cooley Kickhams (2022), Roche Emmets (2023), and Dundalk Gaels (2024).

After dismantling Roche last week, Dundalk Gaels entered this clash brimming with confidence. But in Dowdallshill they faced the seasoned Cooley Kickhams, a side with pedigree, physicality, and threats across the pitch. What unfolded was a high-quality, breathless encounter filled with scores of the highest calibre, capped by a dramatic finish that left neutrals enthralled.

First Half

Dundalk Gaels wasted no time in stamping their authority. Dylan McKeown, sharp from the off, slotted two frees before Luke Murray and another McKeown placed ball pushed the Gaels four clear. It took Cooley Kickhams ten minutes to register their first score through Michael Rafferty.

From there, the contest caught fire. Cian Connor, nerveless from the ground, kicked a trio of frees to bring Cooley back into it. Then came a thunderous two-pointer from Fearghal Malone on 24 minutes — hitting the ball on the half-turn and landing it straight over, sparking huge roars from the Kickhams faithful.

Scores flowed freely on both sides: Chris Sweeney replied for Gaels before Malone and Carron added to Cooley’s tally. Padraic Tinnelly pushed forward from defence to grab a fine score of his own, bravely competing for a loose ball in front of the Cooley dugout before turning inside and bringing the ball in with the wind in classy fashion.

As halftime approached, Michael Carron struck two-pointer outside-the-boot, giving Cooley momentum. But in the blink of an eye, McKeown nailed a stunning two-pointer off the left boot and Tom O’Connell buried a superb goal. In a half packed with quality, it was Gaels who went into the break narrowly ahead. It was hard to know who deserved to be ahead at this stage and even more difficult to predict a winner.

Half-Time Score:
Dundalk Gaels 1-9 : 0-11 Cooley Kickhams

Second Half

Cooley came out strongly after the interval. A Connor free and an Enda O’Neill point quickly erased the deficit, before Tony McDonnell responded for Gaels. The game became end-to-end, with scores traded relentlessly.

At 38 minutes, Rafferty’s free edged Cooley ahead, while Tom O’Connell almost found his second goal only for Niall Brady to deny him with a fine save. McKeown converted the resulting free, but Connor’s long-range placed ball reasserted Cooley’s edge.

As the half wore on, Connor’s frees and Malone’s leadership drove Cooley clear. On 57 minutes, Connor landed a magnificent two-pointer from distance, followed by Malone’s classy strike on 60 minutes that looked to have sealed the deal at 0-20 to 1-13. Or so we thought.

But the Gaels weren’t finished. In stoppage time, Tom O’Connell delivered a moment of brilliance, crashing home his second goal to leave just one point between the sides. The town outfit pushed desperately for an equaliser but squandered two good chances in the dying moments. Cooley held on by their fingernails as a huge gasp of relief came after Colm McCullough sounded the final whistle.

Full-Time Score:
Dundalk Gaels 2-13 : 0-20 Cooley Kickhams

The Bigger Picture

This group is shaping up to be fiercely competitive, with all three sides operating at a very similar level. For Gaels, back-to-back performances against Roche and Cooley prove they belong at senior level. Their ability to create and take goal chances keeps them dangerous.

For Cooley, this was a statement of resilience. With Connor unerring from the dead ball and extremely good ball players all over the field, they showed experience and composure to withstand the Gaels’ late rally. They now turn their focus to Roche in Round 3, knowing victory would secure top spot in the group — a prize they will be desperate to claim.

Player of the Match

Fearghal Malone (Cooley Kickhams) – Floated between full forward and midfield, dictating play with intelligence and power. Kicked four superb long-range points and was pivotal in winning dirty ball when Cooley most needed it.

Notables

• Dylan McKeown (Dundalk Gaels): Outstanding display, finishing with 0-9 and constantly driving Gaels forward.

• Sean Hoey (Cooley Kickhams): Creative spark, unlucky not to bag a goal in the second half. Plays a lovely give and go type of game.

A Battle: Padraic Tinnelly v Cian Connor

This was as fascinating a matchup as you’ll see all championship. Cian Connor finished with 0-10, but almost all of that tally came from frees and long-range efforts — a testament to how well Padraic Tinnelly marshalled him in open play. Tinnelly was teak-tough, sticking close, competing for every ball, and never letting Connor dictate the game inside. What stood out was that Tinnelly also had the energy to drive forward, clipping over a fine point of his own. It was an old-school tussle: Connor’s class and accuracy versus Tinnelly’s physicality and relentless discipline. Both men emerged with huge credit.

Teams

Dundalk Gaels:
Aaron Culligan; James Lynch, James O’Connell, Padraic Tinnelly (0-1); Luke Murray (0-1), Alan Jumbo, Tom Murphy; James Stewart, Jordan Keating; David McComish, Dylan McKeown (0-9), Tony McDonnell (0-1); Cain Bromley, Tom O’Connell (2-0), Chris Sweeney (0-1).
Subs: Shaun Duffy for Tom Murphy (41), Jack Mullen for Cain Bromley (43), Tomas Kavanagh for David McComish (54).

Cooley Kickhams:
Niall Brady; Ronan McBride, Dean McGreehan, Ian Arnold; Gerry Malone, Darren Marks, Sean Hoey; Paul Brennan, Fionn O’Reilly; Enda O’Neill (0-1), Michael Carron (0-3), Gerard Hanlon; Michael Rafferty (0-2), Fearghal Malone (0-4), Cian Connor (0-10).
Subs: Patrick Johnston for Gerard Hanlon (46), Richard Brennan for Fionn O’Reilly (54), Jason Brady for Michael Carron (54), Niall Morgan for Ian Arnold (56).

Photos thanks to Ciaran Culligan