St Nicholas Show Their Steel and secure a Quarter Final Spot
St Nicholas 2-8 (14) Glyde Rangers 0-9 (9)
St Nicholas march into the quarter-finals with impressive victory
St Nicholas produced an excellent response to last weekend’s disappointing defeat to the Westerns as they secured their place in the quarter-finals of the DKIT Sport Louth Junior Football Championship with a deserved five-point victory over last year’s beaten finalists Glyde Rangers at Shawport, Sean Mac Diarmada, on Saturday evening.
Karl O’Connor’s side knew that nothing less than a strong performance would be required against a Glyde Rangers team that had plenty of experience and quality throughout their ranks. The Nicks answered that challenge in impressive fashion, producing a performance built on hard work, disciplined defending and some excellent attacking play.
For long periods, St Nicholas were extremely difficult to break down. They defended in numbers, worked tirelessly for one another and were prepared to put bodies on the line when required. When opportunities came at the other end, they showed composure and took some excellent scores.
The victory also showed good character from the Drogheda side. Having suffered defeat to the Westerns the previous week, they could have allowed that result to affect their confidence. Instead, they came into Saturday’s game with a clear determination to put things right and they delivered when it mattered most.
St Nicholas got off to the perfect start when Shane Downey opened the scoring inside the first minute. Glyde Rangers, however, responded almost immediately and began to settle into the contest.
Tadhg Devaney struck a superb two-point free before Olan Crosbie added another from a free. Tadhg Kellett then got his name on the scoresheet as Glyde Rangers moved three points clear by the 15th minute.
St Nicholas remained patient and continued to work their way back into the game. Two well-taken frees from Sam Reilly narrowed the gap to a single point and gave the Nicks a much-needed boost.
The game was developing into a tight and physical contest, with both sides battling hard for possession. St Nicholas were beginning to get more joy going forward and their pressure eventually produced the decisive moment of the first half.
With just two minutes remaining before the interval, the Nicks put together one of the best moves of the game. A sweeping passage of football carried the ball from deep into Glyde territory, with St Nicholas moving the ball quickly and efficiently.
The move eventually ended with the ball in the hands of Alan McCordick, and he made no mistake. McCordick kept his composure before firing a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the Glyde Rangers net.
The goal completely changed the complexion of the game, giving St Nicholas a two-point lead at half-time.
Half-time: St Nicholas 1-3 Glyde Rangers 0-4
If Glyde Rangers were hoping to get back into the game early in the second half, those hopes were quickly dented.
Just two minutes after the restart, St Nicholas found the net for a second time. Con Sheehan produced a brilliant run, breaking forward with real purpose before picking out the run of Roy Kierans.
Kierans timed his run perfectly, took possession and made no mistake as he calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
It was a superb team move and gave St Nicholas a commanding advantage.
The Nicks continued to press and Shane Downey added another point before Ross Brady followed with another excellent score. Suddenly, St Nicholas were seven points ahead and looked to be taking firm control of the contest.
Credit must go to Glyde Rangers, however, as they refused to let the game slip away without a fight.
They began to find space and produced a strong spell of pressure. Shane Byrne landed a class two-pointer to reduce the deficit and give Glyde renewed hope.
Tadhg Devaney then converted a free after St Nicholas were punished for breaching the three-up rule, bringing further pressure onto the Nicks.
Glyde Rangers were now showing plenty of attacking intent and another brilliant two-pointer from Tadhg Kellett reduced the deficit to just two points.
The momentum had suddenly shifted and St Nicholas were facing a serious challenge. Having built a seven-point lead, they now needed to show composure and experience to close the game out.
And that is exactly what they did.
St Nicholas regained their composure and began to take control once again. Substitute Paudie Downey stepped up to convert a free after Glyde Rangers were punished for breaching the three-up rule.
Downey then produced an outstanding point from play, restoring some breathing space for the Nicks and giving the side renewed confidence.
Glyde Rangers continued to push for a way back into the contest, but St Nicholas’ defensive effort throughout the game was outstanding. They worked tirelessly, closed down space and made life extremely difficult for the Glyde attack.
With the clock ticking down, St Nicholas produced the score that effectively put the result beyond doubt.
Man of the Match Fionn Meagher stepped forward and landed another excellent point to put the Nicks four points clear. It was a score that summed up St Nicholas’ performance — calm, composed and clinical when it mattered most.
The final whistle soon followed, confirming a deserved five-point victory for the Drogheda side.
Full-time: St Nicholas 2-8 Glyde Rangers 0-9
For St Nicholas, this was much more than simply a victory that secured their place in the quarter-finals. It was a statement of intent following last weekend’s defeat.
Karl O’Connor will have been particularly pleased with the response of his players. The Nicks showed determination from the opening whistle, defended with huge commitment and, when chances came their way, showed the quality to take them.
The two goals from Alan McCordick and Roy Kierans ultimately proved crucial, while the contributions of Shane Downey, Sam Reilly, Ross Brady, Paudie Downey and Fionn Meagher on the scoreboard ensured St Nicholas always had players capable of taking responsibility.
Glyde Rangers will be disappointed with the result, particularly after their impressive fightback in the second half. They showed character to reduce the deficit from seven points to just two, but St Nicholas regained their composure at the crucial stage and finished the stronger side.
For the Nicks, attention now turns to the quarter-finals. On the evidence of Saturday evening, they will enter the knockout stages with plenty of confidence.
A side willing to work as hard as St Nicholas did, defend with such commitment and show the quality they produced when opportunities arose will certainly not be an easy opponent for anyone.
St Nicholas are into the quarter-finals — and they have every reason to believe they can go further.
Man of the Match: Fionn Meagher
A superb performance from Fionn Meagher, Meagher was outstanding throughout, showing composure, work rate and leadership when his team needed it most. His ability to contribute both defensively and going forward was a key part of the Nicks’ impressive five-point victory over Glyde Rangers.
With the game entering its closing stages and Glyde Rangers pushing hard to get back into contention, Meagher stepped up with an excellent point to help seal the victory.
A deserved Man of the Match award for Fionn Meagher following an excellent all-round performance.
St Nicholas: Shane Finegan, Alex Jordan, Donal Carr, Aaron Flanagan, Cebhan Houshidari, Sam Reilly 0-2f, Dylan Brogan, Hayden Quinn, Shane Downey 0-2, Philip Kirwan, Roy Kierans 1-0, Con Sheehan, Alan McCordick 1-0, Fionn Meagher 0-1, Alex Finegan. Subs: Ross Brady 0-1 for Con Sheehan (37), Ruairi Hanlon for Aaron Flanagan (40), Cian Flynn for Alan McCordick (48), Paudie Downey 0-1 for Philip Kirwan (48), Lee Kavanagh for Hayden Quinn (60).
Glyde Rangers: Oran Matthews, Mark McKeever, Sean Devaney, Tadhg Devaney 0-3 (1x2ptf, 1f), Gerard Bourton, Jack McKeever, Darren McKeever, Tadhg Kellet 0-3 (1×2pt), Aaron Myles, Aaron Devlin, Leigh Byrne, Shane Byrne 0-2pt, Olan Crosbie 0-1f, Cormac Lundon, Jake Stewart. Subs: Oisin Lynch for Cormac Lundon (40), Conor McCauley for Aaron Devlin (44), Andrew Hennessy for Darren McKeever (60).
Referee: Ultan McElroy – Kilkerley Emmets
