GAA | Loughran’s goal proves vital as Moninne inflict more senior hurling final misery on St Fechin’s
Naomh Moninne 1–13 St Fechin’s 0–14
Louth Senior Hurling Championship final 2019
The decisive goal arrived early, after just six minutes in fact, from the stick of Naomh Moninne’s Odhran Loughran in Sunday’s Louth Senior Hurling Championship decider with St Fechin’s in Dunleer.
The final, a repeat of the 2017 encounter when the black and amber also prevailed, proved to be a closely fought affair which Paul Drumm’s side edged by two points in the end.
Moninne were well-served by some eye-catching performances, notably from the man of the match Darren ‘Owie’ O’Hanrahan and sharpshooter Darren Geoghegan, who finished with a tally of nine points to his name.
With Paddy Lynch and John Crosbie nerveless from dead balls, St Fechin’s shaded the opening period and recovered well from Loughran’s strike. The sides went in all square at the break, though, with Geoghegan restoring parity with a free to make it 1–6 to 0–9.
Moninne netminder Donal Connolly also made a big contribution, making a number of fine saves in the early stages of both halves and they proved to be vital as Graham Harrington sent the Dundalk side clear with a brace of scores.
Crosbie added to his haul to keep the Fechin’s in it but Geoghegan stepped up to the mark to score his first from play before finding himself in the right place at the right time to divert Stephen Hackett’s last-gasp free over the top to secure Moninne the Paddy Kelly Cup and condemn the Fechin’s to their third final defeat on the spin.
NAOMH MONINNE: Donal Connolly; Paul Challoner, Oisin Drumm, Stephen Rafferty; Matthew Fee, Brian Carter, Diarmuid Murphy; Feidhelm Joyce (0–1), Darren O’Hanrahan; Tadhg Moore, Padraig Fallon, Connor Clancy; Odhran Loughran (1–0), Graham Harrington (0–3), Darren Geoghegan (0–9, 8f). Subs: Daire Flanagan for P Challoner; Stephen Ryan for C Clancy.
ST FECHIN’S: Stephen Hackett (0–1, 1f); Cormac McAuley, Conor Matthews, Robert Moynagh; Paddy McCormack, Oisin Byrne, Liam Ryan; Paddy Lynch (0–3, 1 ’65, 2f), Donal Ryan; Vincent Hynes, John Crosbie (0–5, 4f), Paul Matthews (0–1); Robert Grace (0–2), Seaghan Conneely (0–1), Michael Ryan (0–1). Subs: Jamie McDonnell for C McAuley; Michael Byrne for V Hynes; Ryan Walsh for R Grace.
REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford).
