St Patrick's (Louth) 1-9
Rhode (Offaly) 1-7

St. Patrick's produced a terrific performance to knock Rhode out of the AIB Leinster club SFC at O'Connor Park, Tullamore.

Former All Star Paddy Keenan turned in a man of the match display as the Louth champions - who came within a whisker of beating Portlaoise last year - won more comfortably than the scoreline suggests.

Niall McNamee netted three minutes from the end to leave just two points in it, but the Lordship men held on for a home quarter-final against Kildare champions Sarsfields in a fortnight's time.

Referee Joey Curley brandished nine yellow cards in what was a niggly affair. The sides were deadlocked on 0-3 apiece at the end of a scrappy opening 30 minutes. Karl White's penalty early in the second half enabled the visitors to take control as the usually clinical Anton Sullivan missed two goal chances at the other end.

The Wee County outfit had opened up a six-point lead entering the final five minutes before McNamee's goal made for a nail-biting finale.

St. Patrick's: S Connor; J O'Hare, D Finnegan, D O'Hanlon; E Breen (0-2), C Goss, O Zamboglou; P Keenan (0-1), P Mallon; E Carroll (0-3, two frees), E O'Connor (0-1), A McGann; R Finnegan, K White (1-1, goal from pen), D O'Connor. Subs: E White (0-1) for D O'Connor (49 mins), M Breen for Carroll (56 mins).

Rhode: K Garry; E Rigney, S Sullivan, J McPadden; B Darby (0-1), E Byrne, C Heavey; A McNamee, C McNamee; P Sullivan, P Keelaghan, M Dunne (0-1); P McPadden, A Sullivan, N McNamee (1-5 (four frees). Subs: S Hannon for Heavey (47 mins), G McNamee for Byrne and C Flynn for P McPadden (both 55 mins).

Referee: J Curley (Meath). Tweet

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