Round Up: Leinster Intermediate & Junior Football Championship Round 1

It proved a heartening afternoon for Naomh Mearnóg as they pipped Dundalk Gaels by 0-8 to 0-7 in their AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship 1^st round clash in Haggardstown last Saturday.

The visitors struggled throughout the first-half, only showing glimpses of their true form towards the end of the half as they entered the break facing a deserved 0-4 to 0-3 deficit.

Mearnóg were far like their true selves upon the restart with Cian Madden a hugely influential figure at centrefield and impressive full-back Gavin Nangle came up with the winning score two minutes into added time.

Dundalk dominated the early exchanges, forcing numerous turnovers and they deservedly pushed two points clear by the 9^th minute following scores by captain Dylan McKeown and David McComish.

With the Portmarnock side offering little threat in attack, Gaels doubled their lead through a brace of McKeown frees before Shane Kavanagh finally opened the Mearnóg account when converting a 25^th minute free.

That score helped settle the Dublin champions and they kicked two further scores soon after through Fintan O’Connor and Kavanagh (free) and they could well have netted in injury-time but Michael Gibbs was denied by a brave block by Dundalk goalkeeper Aaron Culligan.

Despite McKeown adding to the home lead within a minute of the resumption, Naomh Mearnóg dominated the third quarter and they managed to restore parity by the 43^rd minute thanks to Karl Lynch Bissett (free) and Seán Hawkshaw.

A Kavanagh free six minutes later handed them the lead for the first time but Dundalk Gaels fought back admirably to regain the advantage through substitute Gary Shevlin and a Tom O’Connell ‘mark’.

It required Lynch Bissett to level matters in the 59^th minute and with extra-time a distinct probability, Nangle sauntered through unopposed before splitting the posts from thirty metres, to clinch the victory in dramatic fashion.

Unfortunately, Craobh Chiaráin came out on the wrong side of a one-point defeat as they succumbed to Kilcavan by 0-5 to 0-4 at Laois Hire O’Moore Park in their AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Championship 1^st round clash.

The Donnycarney side led by 0-2 to 0-0 at half-time in a cagey, defensive encounter that may have lacked scores but was never less than fully committed.

Billy Ryan scored the two Craobh points in the first-half as Chiaráin’s impressed through the efforts of Darren McCarthy, Mark Hayes, Sean Brennan, Gary Warren, Robbie Mahon and Gary Kelly.

Kelly and Ryan added to their tally after the break but the Laois champions improved sufficiently to eke out the narrow win by the final whistle.