SF Tournament: Offaly goals see off Louth
December 01, 2012
Offaly's Sean Pender and Louth's Rory Moore contest the high ball during the Fitzsimons Cup semi final at Grangegodden.
Louth 1-15
New Offaly senior football manager Emmet McDonnell got his managerial career off to a winning start when his experimental side defeated Louth in the semi final of the Fitzsimons Cup at Grangegodden outside Kells, in the tournament organised by Gaeil Colmcille.
New Louth manager and former Armagh footballer Aidan O'Rourke also gave starts to many new faces.
It was all square at the end of the first half, Offaly 1-7 Louth 0-10. The Wee County raced into a two point lead with fine efforts from Kevin Rogers and Paddy Sheelan. Anto Sullivan and star man Niall McNamee levelled the game for Offaly before Louth went three ahead through Sheelan, Andy McDonnell and Jim McEneaney. McNamee was giving the Louth full back line all sorts of problems. A well executed goal and a brace of points from the full foward along with fine scores from Sullivan, Richie Brady and Rory Moore left the teams all square at the break.
Offaly dominated the second half as both managers introduced a host of subs. McNamee got his second goal, Sullivan kicked two fine points and Offaly were five ahead. Louth had to wait till the 15th minute for their opening score. Jim McEneaney pointed and this was followed up with a fine goal from Kevin Rogers. Bryan Connell, who was impressive at midfield for the Midlanders got his teams third goal. McNamee followed this up with two more points and when Eoin Carroll got his sides fourth goal the game was as good as over as a contest.
Offaly will play the winners of Cavan and Meath (on tommorrow at the same venue at 2pm) in the final.
Offaly starting XV: Alan Mulhall, Michael Verney, Paul McConway, Sean Pender, David Bradley, Derek Kelly, Rory Allen, Richie Dalton (0-1), Brian Connell (1-0), Willie Mulhall, Anto Sullivan (0-4), Eoin Carroll (1-0), Bernard Allen (0-1), Niall McNamee (2-6), Nigel Dunne.
Louth starting XV: Kevin Brennan, Gary Conneely, Bernard Mulligan, Jamie Faulkner, JJ Quigley, David O'Brien, Conor Rafferty, Ronan Carroll (0-1), Brian White, Andy McDonnell (0-1), Jim McEneaney (0-4), Paddy Sheelan (0-2), Rory Moore (0-2), Kevin Rogers (1-2), Ciaran Byrne (0-3).
Referee: Joey Curley Meath Tweet
