NH MAIRTIN 5-16

O’CONNELLS 1-9

Nh Mairtin continued their quest for the Louth Senior Championship crown when they inflicted a crushing defeat on O’Connells at Dunleer on Saturday evening.

While the Monasterboice men went into the game as favourites to advance to the last four, it was expected that they would be tested by an O’Connells side that had been in good form in the competition.

However, it turned out to be a very one-sided contest and the impressive Mairtins had all but secured their place in the semi-finals long before the half time whistle had sounded after posting four goals on the board inside 20 minutes.

If the Jocks were showing any hangover from the disappointment of their Cardinal O’Donnell Cup Final defeat the previous week, there was no evidence from the manner in which they started this encounter.

The Mairtins already had two points on the board when Sam Mulroy fired home the first goal from the penalty spot and Conor Whelan added the second goal to make it 2-4 to no score before the first quarter had elapsed.

Robert Quigley finally got the O’Connells off the mark but it was only temporary respite as the Mairtins continued to pick off their scores with Whelan scoring his second goal of the game before Brian McQuillan continued the goal-fest as his side went in at the break with a commanding 4-6 to 0- lead.

The Bellingham side showed a bit of fight in the second and found the net through Jason Carroll but it really was a case of damage limitation at that stage.

Whelan, Mulroy and Eoghan Callaghan led the charge at the other end as the Mairtins continued to pick off their points and a fifth goal from Stephen Campbell completed a very satisfactory evening for the Monasterboice men.

NH MAIRTIN: Craig Lynch; Paul Berrill, Mick Fanning, Shane Campbell; Padraig McDonagh 0-2, Thomas Sullivan 0-1, Adam Winters; Gavan Mooney, Conor Morgan; Stephen Campbell 1-0, Brian McQuillan 1-1, Conor Healy; Conor Whelan 2-4, Sam Mulroy 1-3, Eoghan Callaghan 0-3. Subs: Eoin Wright 0-1, Jack McCarville, Alan Downey, JP Rooney, Francis McCullough, Jack Murphy 0-1.

O’CONNELLS: Stuart Reynolds; Jason Carroll 1-0, Conor Byrne, James Clerkin; Jackie Agnew, Salem Rifaie, Conor McGill; Sean Cairns 0-1, Conor Kiernan; Emmet Byrne, Paul McKeever, Stuart Osborne; Robert Quigley 0-5, Dean Stanfield, Niall Conlon 0-3. Subs: Stefan O’Hanrahan for C McGill BC, John Flanagan for S Kiernan, John McLoughlin for P McKeever.

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