Stunning McEneaney Point Sends Pats’ Through In Dramatic Tie

Anchor Tours Senior Football Championship – Group 2, Round 3
Venue: Protection and Prosperity Louth GAA Training Centre, Darver
Referee: Colm McCullough (Naomh Fionnbarra/St Annes)
Result: St Patricks 0-15 : 0-16 St Mochtas

Intro

Group 2 came down to a thrilling finale as St Patricks and St Mochtas clashed in PPFS Darver with qualification on the line. The stakes could not have been higher: St Patricks needed at least a draw, or to lose by a single point, while St Mochtas required a win by a margin of two or more to advance. That was of course, down to Dreadnots defeating St Mochtas by two points and then, St Patricks overcoming Dreadnots by the single point.

What followed was a game full of tension, skill, and last-minute heroics — a genuine cliffhanger that had the crowd on thoroughly engrossed.

First Half

The opening exchanges were tense and measured. Declan Byrne opened the scoring for Mochtas from a free in the fifth minute, and added another two minutes later. St Patricks responded through Leonard Gray and Barry Dunne, who combined clever movement and composure to level the game at 0-2 apiece by the 13th minute.

Mochtas then began to find their rhythm. Byrne converted a two-pointer free on 16 minutes and added another free two minutes later. Pats’ came close to conceding a goal when Ben Goss Kieran struck the post on 19 minutes, narrowly missing an opportunity to stretch Mochtas’ lead. Shane Lennon added a precise point on 20 minutes to make it 0-6 to 0-2.

St Patricks fought back with points from Jack Murphy and Joseph Connor, and Ciaran Byrne’s sweet left-footed strike in the 29th minute stretched the lead back out. By halftime, Mochtas held a slender advantage: 0-4 to 0-7, leaving everything to play for in the second period.

Second Half

The second half began with high tension. A three-up breach from Mochtas allowed Marty McEneaney to convert a 2-pointer free, bringing Pats’ closer. Both sides traded points — Craig Lennon, Gerry Garland, Shane Lennon, Jack Murphy, and Declan Byrne all adding to the scoreboard — in a tight, tactical, and intense battle. Indeed, the second half was a typical championship affair. There was periods of patient play and also, moments where both teams coughed up possession to one another.

With 55 minutes on the clock, Jack Murphy landed a stunning 2-pointer to cut Mochtas’ lead to 0-10 to 0-14. It was a simply sublime score as Murphy took the ball on the loop from his younger brother (Ciaran) and unleashed an immense strike into the Darver nigth sky. The drama ratcheted up in the final minutes: Danny O’Connor, who has a telling impact from the bench added a point, setting the stage for a heart-stopping finish.

Now – stoppage time – to set the scene.

St Patricks 0-11 : 0-15 St Mochtas. This would leave St Mochtas topping the group and condemning the Lordship men to a relegation playoff.

However, as true Louth Championship greats – they always have a say.

60:24 – Darren Connor lands an important point to narrow the gap to 3, St Mochtas make a sub which means the ball is on Daire O’Shea’s tee for a bit longer.

62:00 – Leonard Gray solos up the clubhouse side, shooting into the far end of Darver’s main pitch. He reaches a point where he has to make a decision. Either dip and go further or use the yard, he has been given – to go for a TWO!.. He opts for the latter, and how right he was. Unleashing a spectacular strike that drew a huge roar from the Pats faithful both sides of the ground. They now trailed by 1, that is enough.

62:54 – St Mochtas work the ball up in a typically composed way. The ball eventually finds it’s way to the explosive Shane Lennon who steadies himself and curls a beautiful points over. Again, a massive roar – Louth Village’ men lead by 2.

63:00 onwards; Marty’s Time.

He clips a quick kickout to Sean Holland who goes on a solo run to halfway, he lays it off to Darren Connor where he opts to go sideways and kick cross-field to Joseph Connor who draws a foul. Eoin O’Connor and Brian Commins both have half efforts at the posts as Colm McCullough indicates an advantage, both of which come to no avail. It then comes back to the 65′ for the original free. Up comes Marty McEneaney, places the ball down and takes his steps back. St Patricks’ people are encouraging him to go short and work a score… But McEneaney backed himself, took a run and unleashed an almighty kick which sailed into the Mochtas area and looked to be deflected over via a Mochtas hand. However, that was enough. Elation among the Pats’ contingent and agony for the Mochtas – who had given absolutely everything to their credit. A moment of courage and conviction from McEneaney kept his sides dreams alive and dashed another’s. That is the joys of sport.

The place erupted — St Patricks advance by the slimmest of margins, a thrilling conclusion to a tense contest. It can be certain that St Patricks may never celebrate a 1-point defeat in that way again. But tonight, it was enough!

The Bigger Picture

St Patricks’ resilience under pressure earned them progression despite a narrow loss on the scoreboard. Their ability to deliver under extreme tension, particularly in stoppage time, highlights both their composure and mental toughness.

For St Mochtas, it was a bitterly disappointing finish after a strong performance throughout the game. Despite leading at key moments and playing well for large periods, they fell agonizingly short.

This result secures St Patricks’ place in the knockout stages, while St Mochtas are eliminated, underscoring just how fine the margins can be in championship football. Dreadnots prevail as the table toppers.

Player of the Match

Marty McEneaney (St Patricks) – Nudges it from Barry Dunne. A brilliant performance between the post but an even better moment at the end. He has sent his side through to the knockout stage. The decision he took to go for it was extremely brave, but the manner in which he backed himself – must be admired. An outrageous kick, fair play to him.

Notables

• Barry Dunne (St Patricks): The St Patricks captain has been a warrior throughout both games for them. He commands his defence so-well and sniffs out danger incredibly well. Went toe-to-toe with Craig Lennon at important stages and disrupted the All-Star. Brilliant defender.

• Shane Lennon (St Mochtas): Mochtas’ best player throughout. Dangerous in attack, drifting in behind and hitting key points to keep his team in contention. Between club, Louth 20’s and winning Lennon Cup Player of the Tournament for his school – he has had an excellent year.

• Jack Murphy (St Patricks): Crucial 2-pointer in the second half and multiple accurate frees throughout. Provided leadership and calm under pressure, particularly as the game approached its dramatic finale. Great to see him thriving, at his best – he is a top player.

Teams

St Patricks:

Marty McEneaney (0-3); Sean Holland, Kevin Toner, Darren O’Hanlon; Conor Grogan, Barry Dunne (0-1), Darren Connor (0-1); Leonard Gray (0-3), Thomas McCann; Micheal O’Shaughnessy, Joseph Connor (0-1), Aidan McCann; Eoin O’Connor, Padraig Duffy, Jack Murphy (0-5).

Subs: Ciaran Murphy for Darren O’Hanlon (26 Mins), Danny O’Connor (0-1) for Padraig Duffy (33 Mins), Sean Fearon for Thomas McCann (48 Mins), Brian Commins for Aidan McCann (57 Mins).

St Mochtas:

Daire O’Shea; Liam Lawlor, Ben Goss Kieran, Daniel Craven; Shane Lennon (0-4), Andrew English, Craig Lennon (0-1); Sean Flynn, Darren McMahon; Gerry Garland (0-2), Daire Quinn, Dylan Farrell; Jamie Farrell, Declan Byrne (0-8), Ciaran Byrne (0-1).

Subs: Liam O’Flaherty for Jamie Farrell (45 Mins), David Lennon (47 Mins), Philip Englishby for Ciaran Byrne (48 Mins), Cormac Smyth for Dylan Farrell (51 Mins), Owen Lennon for Darren McMahon (60 Mins).