LOUTH SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP : ST FECHINS 2-18 NAOMH MONINNE 1-14
The adult championship season kicked off in earnest at Dowdallshill on Thursday evening (July 10) where St Fechins opened up the defence of their Senior Hurling Championship title with a hard earned victory over Naomh Moninne.
The team managed by Ray Delaney this year are looking to lift the ‘Paddy Kelly’ Cup for a fifth year in a row and based on this performance it will take a good team to deny them doing just that.
The performance of the Dundalk side in the opening seven minutes of this encounter matched the warm sunny conditions as they rattled off 1-4 without reply.
The ever reliable Darren Geoghegan struck over an early free added to by one from play from Conor Murphy out on the right wing.
Equally adapt from open play Geoghegan added another before a long delivery from midfielder Michael O Shea was misjudged by the Fechins keeper Dan O Neill as Eoin Murphy pounced on his error to net from close range.
Geoghegan added his third point before the Fechins responded with their opening point on 8 minutes.
Having featured on Trevor Hilliard’s county team during the League and Nicky Rackard campaigns Offaly native Leon Fox recently completed his transfer to the Wee County and was starting his first match for the South Louth outfit.
Fox grabbed his sides opening point from play and would go on to score six in total over the hour.
Geoghegan fired over a 65m free in reply before the Fechins struck 1-3 without reply, which included a brace of points from David Stephenson and a goal from Sean Kerrisk who caught a huge puck out from his keeper and in the blink of an eye fired past keeper Conor Whyte, 1-5 to 1-4.
The sides shared the next two points before the Fechins showed just what they can do if given the space as they accounted for the next five points between the 20th and 25th minutes.
Louth footballer Paul Mathews was also making his first appearance of the season and he pointed from the left wing which was soon added to by further points from Kerrisk, Fox and Ryan Walsh (2).
They added two further points before Sean Kerrisk picked up a breaking ball following a melee on the edge of the square to grab his second goal of the half to leave the holders in front by 2-12 to 1-7 at the break.
Moninne were denied a goal in the first serious attack of the second half when Conor Murphy’s kicked effort was blocked out for a 65m free which Darren Geoghegan duly despatched.
The sides then shared the next four points all from frees and Moninne would rue another missed goal opportunity as Eoin Murphy was wide of the target with a good effort.
Geoghegan and Kerrisk once again exchanged frees before a point from play from Ryan Walsh had the Fechins eights points up with under ten minutes remaining, 2-16 to 1-11.
To their credit the black and amber outfit kept the pressure up and they were rewarded with three further points from Geoghegan (2 frees) and a good score from the left wing by Mark Gahan.
Leon Fox completed the scoring from a free on the half way line while at the other end Conor Murphy was again denied by the heroics of keeper Dan O Neill.
Moninne will be disappointed with the result but if they had taken more of their chances the margin of defeat would have been much smaller, a positive they can take into their match with Knockbridge in round 3.
The Fechins can seal their place in the final by beating Knockbridge when the sides clash in the second round, again at Dowdallshill this Thursday night (July 17) at 7.30pm.
ST FECHINS: Dan O Neill; Patrick McCarthy, Conor Higgins, Cormac McAuley; Sean Hodgins, Peter Fortune, Cathal Moynagh; Seán McConnell, Leon Fox (0-6, 3f); David Stephenson (0-2), Ross Berkery (0-1), Sean Kerrisk (2-5, 4f); Paul Mathews (0-1), Seaghan Conneely, Ryan Walsh (0-3). Subs- Thomas McCreesh for S McConnell (37), Shane Curtis for R Berkery (48), Danny Cleary for R Walsh (60).
NAOMH MONINNE: Conor Whyte; Conor English, Darren O Hanrahan, Cathal Azzopardi; Kyle Rafferty, Gavin Baxter, Aaron McGuinness Smith; Michael O Shea, Tadhg Dowdall; Conor Murphy (0-1), Tom O Dwyer, Darren Geoghegan (0-12, 10f); Mark Gahan (0-1), Eoin Murphy (1-0), Sam Phelan. Sub – James Byrne for S Phelan (52).
REFEREE: Declan Carolan.
Report by Maurice Murphy
Photos : Bob Doheny (Louth GAA) & Michelle Mooney (St Fechins GAA)
