BOYNE VALLEY… 1-08
TARA… 0-09
Football in Slane is on the up once again as evidenced by the emergence of players like Tadhg Martyn and Brayden Colfer on county underage teams and the fact was underscored still further when the Louth-border club’s Matt Tully turned in an outstanding display in the opening round of the Regional Football Championship at Dunganny.
The encounter was a repeat of the final of last season’s Richie Barry Cup decider and, typically, there was little between the sides here again. David Gallagher’s Tara side led by 0-07 to 0-05 at the break with Dunshaughlin’s Luke Mitchell in fine shooting form.
However, the decisive moment in the game arrived half way through the second half when Syddan’s deadly duo, Sean Claire and Daire Rowe, combined to set Tully up for a tap-in goal.
That left John McCarthy’s charges to the good by 1-06 to 0-08, then Tully pointed, and though Mitchell’s magnificent seventh score cut the gap back to the minimum quickly thereafter, Walterstown’s Adam Quinn clipped over a fine score to ensure the holders held on.
Boyne Valley – Cathal Dardis (Syddan); Evan Murray (Slane), Ronan Mooney (Syddan), Jack Doyle (Walterstown); Mark Fedigan (Syddan), Darren Brennan (Moynalvey), Conor Farrelly (Walterstown); Sean Clare (Syddan), Michael Brady (Moynalvey 0-1); Matt Tully (Slane 1-2), Barry O’Connell (Walterstown 0-1), Michael Fedigan (Syddan); Daire Rowe (Syddan), Podge McGowan (Slane 0-1), Adam Quinn (Walterstown 0-1). Subs – Alan Wall (Walterstown) for Clare 12mins, Clare for Tully 23m, David McLoughlin (Moynalvey 0-2 one free) for Michael Fedigan 26m, Tully for McGowan 37m, Jim Marry (Slane) for Mark Fedigan 40m, Jack Wilson (Walterstown) for Wall 43m, Ross Reynolds (Walterstown) for Doyle 50m, Michael Fedigan for Rowe (58).
Tara – Niall Flynn (Dunsany); Conor Harkin (Dunsany), Ciaran McCarrick (Dunshaughlin), Jack Grant (Bective); Pauric Burke (Dunsany), Sean Ryan (St Peter’s), Mark Dowdall (Bective 0-1); James Cahill (Dunsany), Matthew Cully (Bective); Paul Kelly (Blackhall), Cathal Murphy (Dunsany), Con Smith (Bective); Eoin Harkin (Dunsany), Marty Mulhall (Bective 0-1), Luke Mitchell (Dunshaughlin 0-7 five frees). Subs – Neil Dowdall (Bective) for M Dowdall 37 mins, Jack Cottrell (Dunsany) for Kelly 42m, Mark O’Brien (Bective) for Murphy 50m, Shane Whitty (Blackhall) for Cully 52m.
Referee – Sean Gahan (Ratoath)