Naomh Moninne advance to Louth SHC

Louth Senior Hurling Championship Round 3
NAOMH MONINNE 1-21 KNOCKBRIDGE 1-13

Report by Maurice Murphy

This year’s ‘Anchor Tours’ Louth Senior Hurling Championship Final will be a repeat of the 2023 final after Naomh Moninne saw off the stubborn challenge of last year’s beaten finalist Knockbridge in this winner takes all round 3 clash at Dowdallshill last Thursday night.
St Fechins had secured their place in the final thanks to a hard earned draw against Knockbridge a week earlier, so the Dundalk side knew that only a win would clinch their place in the hurling show piece decider on Sunday August 10.
The side who last lifted the Paddy Kelly Cup in 2019 are this year managed by Aidan Carter and they laid the foundations for this victory with a strong first half performance at the end of which they led by eight points.
They did not get things all their own way in the second half as Knockbridge certainly put it up to them and managed to half the deficit ten minutes from the final whistle.
Once again when called upon Darren Geoghegan played a captains role with his fifteen points crowning not only a terrific personal performance but that of the whole team.
The influential Geoghegan opened the scoring for the Dundalk side with a point from a long range free and he soon added another from a 65m free after Aaron McGuinness Smiths goal bound effort was well saved by keeper Mark Wallace.
Stephen Hoey responded with Knockbridge’s first point from play on 4 minutes added to shortly after by one from midfielder Sean Flynn from the right wing.
Moninne gained the upper hand grabbing four successive points, three from Geoghegan alongside one from Mark Gahan from 40 metres.
Adam Plunkett struck over a welcome point for Knockbridge before another Geoghegan brace which included one direct from a sideline cut out on the left wing had his side now five to the good on 13 minutes 0-8 to 0-3.
The village outfit then struck for the games opening goal when Gareth Hall got the vital touch from close range from a Sean Flynn long delivery.
Aaron McGuinness Smith started in the forward line for this match and scored a good point from close range before his fellow county colleague Conor Murphy smashed home the winners only goal from outside the box on 22 minutes, 1-9 to 1-3.
In the time that remained in the half Geoghegan took his tally to ten points with three more pointed frees which included one from the half way line with Liam Molloy accounting for one of his own to leave Knockbridge trailing their opponents by 1-12 to 1-4 at the break.
Sean Flynn picked up possession straight from the throw in to reduce the deficit to seven with a good point.
John Casey was starting his first match for Moninne following his recent transfer and he restored their lead with a point from play.
The next four points all came from frees with Flynn and Geoghegan accounting for two a piece.
Adam Plunkett then fired over his second point of this encounter and a foul on David Kettle presented Flynn with another opportunity which he took from the left of the post to leave six between the teams 1-15 to 1-9 with a quarter hour remaining.
The next two points were shared but Knockbridge managed to impose further pressure on their opponents and they were rewarded for their efforts with successive points from open play from the experienced Ronan Byrne and Stephen Hoey 1-16 to 1-12.
However Moninne showed the desire required to reach a final and raised their game over the closing ten minutes. Firstly Conor Murphy set up substitute Fionn Cumiskey for a good point and following a foul on Sean Magill, Darren Geoghegan added to his impressive tally.
Sean Flynn struck over a 20 metre free for the village outfit as the clock went over 60 minutes.
The black and amber men sealed their win with late points from Conor Murphy, a terrific score from distance, a Mark Gahan effort from the right of the post and Geoghegan’s 15th point.
Mark Wallace denied the winners a second goal with a good double save as Moninne supporters welcomed the referees final whistle that confirmed their place in the final after an absence of two years.
Moninne also had good performances from the likes of keeper Conor Whyte alongside Michael O Shea, Darren O Hanrahan, Mattie Fee and James Murphy.
NAOMHMONINNE: Conor Whyte; Darren O Hanrahan, Mattie Fee, Cathal Azzopardi; Sean Magill, Gavin Baxter, James Murphy; Darren Geoghegan (0-15, 13f), Michael O Shea; Conor Murphy (1-1), Tom O Dwyer, John Casey (0-1); Mark Gahan (0-2), Aaron McGuinness Smith (0-1), Sam Phelan. Subs- Fionn Cumiskey (0-1) for S Phelan (46), Coran Trainor for J Casey (55), Kyle Rafferty for D O Hanrahan(60), Eoin Murphy for T O Dwyer (60).
KNOCKBRIDGE: Mark Wallace; Ben Goss Kieran, Jake McNamara, Andrew Smith; Stephen Kettle, Liam Molloy (0-1, f), Daire McKiernan; Sean Flynn (0-7, 5f), Adam Plunkett (0-2); Robert Wallace, James Costello, Stephen Hoey (0-2); Gareth Hall (1-0), David Kettle, Dara Toner. Subs- Ronan Byrne (0-1) for G Hall (25), Ricky McKeown for D Toner (46), Conor Kerrigan for D McKiernan (51), Gavin Kerrigan for A Plunkett (58).
REFEREE: Martin McGann.