WICKLOW CHAMPIONS TINAHELY have produced a shock result in the Leinster SFC club championship as they overturned Portarlington of Laois in the first round.
Goals from Matthew Ging and Eoin Darcy proved crucial as the side who ended a 40-year wait for a county title last weekend prevailed with a narrow victory over the Laois champions.
Portarlington were forced to play without the services of Robbie Pigott, Eoin McCann, Paddy O’Sullivan and Colm Murphy who were all away travelling. And Tinahely capitalised on their losses in personnel to book their place in the provincial quarter-final against Tullamore.
Goal-scorer Ging scored two vital points late in the game to seal the win. And although Rioghan Murphy reduced the gap to one in the dying moments, Portarlington couldn’t find the equaliser to send the contest to extra-time.
Mathew Ging BLASTS it into the back of the net😮💨
— Clubber (@clubber) November 3, 2024
Weaving his way in and out of the defense, Ging makes no mistake🔥
Tune in NOW to the @gaaleinster Senior Football Championship on Clubber TV📺https://t.co/QU7uPhpieW🔗 pic.twitter.com/GAmXNJ9dlL
Naas were comprehensive winners of the Kildare SHC final against Maynooth, storming their way to six-in-a-row success.
Their footballers captured their fourth senior county title on the bounce last weekend, and the hurlers completed the double with a 16-point victory. Cousins Brian Byrne and Jack Sheridan combined for an impressive 2-10 while Cathal Dowling helped himself to 1-1 and Cian Boran finished with three points from play.
In the Sligo SFC, Coolera Strandhill became back-to-back champions for the first time in their history after narrowly holding off the challenge of Molaise Gaels in a gripping replay.
In what was a low-scoring affair, it was the Coolera Strandhill captain Peter Laffey who produced two crucial points in the final 10 minutes to retain their county crown.
Alan McLoughlin finished with 0-6 for Molaise Gaels but it was not enough to dethrone the champions.
Meanwhile, Ardee St Mary’s of Louth booked their place in the Leinster SFC quarter-finals after seeing off Longford champions Abbeylara.
Ardee progress with a nine-point win after their opponents were dealt a double blow in early stages of the second half as Jason Kelly was dismissed with a straight red card while Cathal Gilligan was given a black card.
The Louth outfit were 1-4 to 0-3 in front after 20 minutes following a goal from Liam Jackson, but Cathal Gilligan found the net on the other end to leave Frankie Dolan’s side trailing by just one point.
Ardee built up a three-point lead through scores from Kian Moran and Carl Gillespie but again Abbeylara responded as Ciarán Scanlon provided their second goal to level the tie at half-time.
Ardee made the most of their numerical advantage in the second half as Tom Jackson and Karl Faulkner added two more goals to ensure a strong finish to victory.
Sam McCartan ➡️ Danny McCartan @StLomansGAAClub unlock the defence with a perfectly weighted pass that's finished in the roof of the net 🔥@gaaleinster | https://t.co/QU7uPhpieW 📺 pic.twitter.com/djP12MOeVz
— Clubber (@clubber) November 3, 2024
Danny McCartan and Fola Ayorinde 1-2 combined for 2-5 as St Loman’s powered their way into the Leinster quarter-finals with a compelling victory over Dunshaughlin of Meath.
Ayorinde’s goal helped the Mullingar side race into a 1-9 to 1-1 half-time lead and they built on that advantage in the second period as Westmeath star John Heslin kicked five points in all. Wexford’s Castletown await for St Loman’s in the quarter-final.
After losing the last three finals, Adare ended a four-year wait to win the Limerick senior football championship after defeating Fr Casey’s. Hugh Bourke grabbed an early goal to help build up a 1-5 to 0-0 lead and Adare maintained control of proceedings for the rest of the contest.
On Saturday, Castletown-Geoghegan became Westmeath senior hurling champions for the 15th time after getting the better of last year’s finalists Lough Lene Gaels. The final was originally scheduled for last weekend but was abandoned in the opening minutes due to unplayable conditions.
Castletown were two points in front at the break, with David O’Reilly netting for Castletown-Geoghan in the opening minutes before Aaron Kennedy lifted a green flag at the other end on 19 minutes.
Castletown-Geoghan shifted gears in the second half to put some distance between the sides but a goal from Lough Lene Gaels substitute Jason Malone kept the deficit at four points coming into the final stages. But Castletown-Geoghan held firm for victory, with Niall O’Brien finishing with 10 points.
Limerick SFC final
Adare 1-10 Fr Casey’s 0-8
Sligo SFC final replay
Coolera Strandhill 0-8 Molaise Gaels 0-7
Kildare SHC final
Maynooth 0-12 Naas 3-20
Westmeath SHC final
Castletown-Geoghegan 1-27 Lough Lene Gaels 2-17
Leinster SFC
Ardee, St Mary’s 3-14 Abbeylara 2-8
Portarlington 0-10 Tinahely 2-5
Dunshaughlin 2-4 St Loman’s Mullingar 2-17
Great roundup, thanks