DKIT Sport Louth Junior Football Championship – Group 2, Round 1

O’Connells 5-15 Annaghminnon Rovers 2-16

The opening round of the DKIT Sport Junior Championship served up a thriller in Darver on Saturday evening, as O’Connells and Annaghminnon Rovers went head-to-head in a high-scoring contest that kept supporters enthralled from start to finish. In the end, the Castlebellingham men had too much firepower, with Robbie Quigley rolling back the years with a devastating first-half hat-trick, while Emmet Byrne’s brace after the break sealed the victory.

Lightning start from Rovers

Annaghminnon could not have wished for a better start. Inside eight minutes they had raised two green flags and a white. Dwayne Markey’s sharp finish after good link-up play set the tone, and moments later Colin Campbell produced one of the goals of the championship so far – collecting possession deep in his own half, charging through the O’Connells rearguard, and rifling past Jonathan Brennan after a fifty-yard solo burst. When Rory Phelan added a point, the Stonetown men were 2-1 to 0-0 ahead, their bench and supporters roaring with delight.

The Quigley Show

It took nine minutes for O’Connells to settle, Niall Conlon getting them off the mark with a steadying score. What followed was pure magic from Robert Quigley. In the space of three minutes, he rattled off two goals and a point, displaying the movement, composure, and clinical finishing that have made him one of the county’s most feared forwards for over a decade.

Rory Phelan responded with two superb points to edge Rovers back in front, but Quigley wasn’t done. On 19 minutes, he completed a stunning five-minute hat-trick, his third goal greeted with gasps from the crowd. Points from Harry Kierans and Jackie Agnew gave O’Connells a four-point cushion.

Still, Rovers refused to wilt. Led by the outstanding Markey, they clawed back with four unanswered points, including efforts from Shane Grimes and captain Conor Russell, to level matters. The half ended with – who else? – Quigley firing over his third point of the game to give O’Connells a narrow 3-5 to 2-7 advantage at the break.

Byrne and Conlon Swing It

Rovers again started brightly after the restart, Colin Campbell levelling with a point. But O’Connells hit them with a killer burst between the 36th and 39th minutes. Emmet Byrne coolly slotted home their fourth goal after a clever build-up, while Conlon and substitute Cian Geeney added points to stretch the lead to six.

From that moment, O’Connells controlled the tempo. Conlon and Geeney were central to their dominance around the middle third, while Agnew’s work-rate and distribution gave their attack a steady supply of possession.

Sealing the Deal

Although Rovers responded with scores from James O’Connor and Ronan McRedmond, O’Connells delivered the decisive blow when Byrne found the net for the second time, finishing emphatically after being set free by a neat Osborne pass. Additional scores from Byrne, Conlon, Agnew, and Bernard Osborne extended the gap to eleven with ten minutes to play.

To their credit, Rovers kept battling. O’Connor clipped over two points, and Markey – who never stopped running – added another brace to bring his personal tally to 1-6. But despite their best efforts, the early goals were long forgotten, as O’Connells’ greater spread of scorers told in the end.

Star Men

O’Connells – Robert Quigley: Simply unstoppable in the opening half. His three-goal burst in a five-minute spell turned the game around and reminded everyone of his class. Even beyond the goals, his link play and leadership in attack set the tone for his side.

Annaghminnon Rovers – Dwayne Markey: The standout performer for the Stonetown men. Scored 1-6, constantly drove at the O’Connells defence, and never stopped working. His energy and accuracy kept Rovers in the contest right until the final whistle.

Turning Point

The game’s momentum shifted decisively in the early stages of the second half. With the sides level after Colin Campbell’s point, O’Connells struck 1-3 in the space of three minutes – Byrne’s goal and points from Conlon and Geeney putting daylight between the teams for the first time. Annaghminnon never quite recovered from that blitz.

Man of the Match

Robert Quigley (O’Connells): A performance for the ages. His hat-trick in the opening half was both timely and sublime, and his overall contribution in attack – including a point, clever passes, and relentless movement – set the foundation for O’Connells’ victory.

Scorers

O’Connells: Robert Quigley 3-3, Emmet Byrne 2-0, Niall Conlon 0-5, Jackie Agnew 0-2, Cian Geeney 0-2, Harry Kierans 0-1, Bernard Osborne 0-1, Andrew Sharkey 0-1.

Annaghminnon Rovers: Dwayne Markey 1-6, Colin Campbell 1-1, James O’Connor 0-3, Rory Phelan 0-2, Ronan McRedmond 0-1, Dylan McArdle 0-1, Shane Grimes 0-1, Conor Russell 0-1.

Teams

O’Connells:
Jonathan Brennan, Adam Flynn, Jack McGeough, Tadhg Kearney, Alan McGovern, Stuart Osborne, TJ Conlon, Jackie Agnew 0-2, Sean Cairns, Harry Kierans 0-1, Robert Quigley 3-3, Evan Kearney, Emmet Byrne 2-0, Bernard Osborne 0-1, Niall Conlon 0-5.
Subs: Cian Geeney 0-2 (for Harry Kierans HT), Andrew Sharkey 0-1 (for Alan McGovern HT), James Walsh (for Tadhg Kearney 36 mins), Conal Clerkin (for TJ Conlon 50 mins), Nathan Carragher (for Bernard Osborne 58 mins).

Annaghminnon Rovers:
Ciaran O’Reilly, James O’Connor 0-3, Paraic Russell, Tomas Byrne, Nathan Buckley, Conor Russell 0-1, Fergal Markey, Colin Campbell 1-1, Tiernan O’Brien, Dylan McArdle 0-1, Ronan Byrne, Ronan McRedmond 0-1, Dwayne Markey 1-6 (1-2-2), Shane Grimes 0-1, Rory Phelan 0-2.
Subs: Diarmuid Murray (for Tiernan O’Brien 16 mins), Michael Martin ( for Ronan McRedmond 50 mins), Helvijus Dougllis (for Thomas Byrne 50 mins), Aidan Lee Martin (for Fergal Markey 50 mins), Seamus McConnon (for Dylan McArdle 54 mins).

Referee: Stephen Johnson (Glen Emmets)