“Grimes Inspires Glen Emmets to Hard-Fought Win Over St Kevins”

CTI Business Solutions Louth Intermediate Football Championship – Group 1, Round 2

Glen Emmets 1-15 St Kevins 0-15

Venue: Páirc Baile Fiach, Hunterstown

Referee: David J McArdle

Glen Emmets continued their strong run of form with a win in their opening game in the Intermediate Football Championship with a hard-fought three-point victory over St Kevins in Hunterstown on Sunday afternoon. The Tullyallen side built their success on a blistering first-half display where they simply blew the opposition away, before surviving a spirited second-half comeback from the Philipstown men.

First Half Dominance

Playing with the aid of the wind, Glen Emmets made the perfect start when talisman Conor Grimes clipped over a neat point inside the opening minute. St Kevins responded with a brace of frees from Danny Crosbie to briefly edge in front, but the Emmets soon found their stride and hit a devastating purple patch.

In the space of just ten minutes, Andrew Mooney (2), Conor Grimes, James Butler and remarkably goalkeeper Ian O’Reilly all landed long-range efforts worth two points apiece. These booming scores, taken with confidence and precision, gave Emmets the kind of cushion that allowed them to dictate the game’s tempo.

Further points from Jacob Morgan and Callum Wogan only added to St Kevins’ woes, with the Tullyallen men leading by a commanding 0-14 to 0-3 at the break. At that stage, Glen Emmets looked set to cruise to victory.

Kevins Fight Back

The restart, however, saw a transformation in St Kevins. With the wind now at their backs and Crosbie leading the charge, they began to claw their way back into contention. Scores from Tom Matthews, substitute Jack Stokes and Crosbie himself cut into the lead, before the game turned on a crucial moment.

Just as Kevins threatened to reduce the gap, Glen Emmets struck a crucial blow. In the 43rd minute, Danny Grimes latched onto a perfectly placed pass from James Butler, shrugged off Niall Gregory, and drilled the ball to the net – his shot taking a slight deflection on its way past goalkeeper Josh Finlay. The Kevins defence protested furiously, but in truth it was a perfectly good goal, and the referee rightly allowed it to stand.

Yet, credit to Kevins, they refused to fold. Crosbie continued to punish ill-discipline with three frees, including two superbly struck two-pointers, while Cameron Maher capped the fightback with a stunning late effort from distance. Despite their late flurry, the damage had been done in that ruthless first half, and Glen Emmets held out for a deserved, if nervy, victory.

Key Performers

For Glen Emmets, Conor Grimes was immense throughout, constantly driving at the defence and providing an outlet up front. Andrew Mooney and James Butler also played key roles in attack, while goalkeeper Ian O’Reilly not only pulled off important saves but also contributed memorably on the scoreboard.

St Kevins will take heart from their second-half fightback, where Crosbie’s accuracy and Maher’s late brilliance gave them momentum heading into the knockout stages.

What It Means

The result leaves Glen Emmets in a strong position ahead of their crucial clash with Dundalk Young Irelands next weekend – a fixture that will likely decide top spot in Group 1. For St Kevins, despite the defeat, qualification for the knockout stages is secured, and their spirited finish in Hunterstown will give them confidence going forward.

Scorers

Glen Emmets: Danny Grimes 1-0, Andrew Mooney 0-2 (2x 2-pointers), Conor Grimes 0-3 (1x 2-pointer), James Butler 0-3 (1x 2-pointer, 1f), Callum Wogan 0-1 (1x 2-pointer), Ian O’Reilly 0-1 (1x 2-pointer), Jacob Morgan 0-1.

St Kevins: Danny Crosbie 0-10 (3x 2-pointers, 4f), Cameron Maher 0-2 (1x 2-pointer), Tom Matthews 0-1, Jack Stokes 0-1, Brian Callaghan 0-1

Teams

Glen Emmets: Ian O’Reilly; Alex Blakemore Fowler, Keith Boylan, Emmet Delaney; Jacob Morgan, Callum Wogan, Danny Grimes; Conor Grimes, Shane Curtis; James Butler, Evan English, Cathal Maguire; Andrew Mooney, Eoghan Maguire, Keelan O’Neill.
Subs: Diarmuid Cullen for Eoghan Maguire.

St Kevins: Josh Finlay; Caoimhin Prout, John Callaghan, Darren McMullen; Cameron Maher, Donnacha Boylan, Ciaran King; Seanie Crosbie, Brian Callaghan; Tom Matthews, Niall Gregory, Jacob Finlay; Robbie Matthews, Cian Callan, Danny Crosbie.
Subs: Aaron Khan for Seanie Crosbie, Jack Stokes for Darren McMullen, Joe McArdle for Jacob Finlay.

Man of the Match: Conor Grimes (Glen Emmets) – his work rate, leadership and scoring made all the difference