By James Rogers
Newtown Blues 2-10 Dundalk Gaels 0-05
The Newtown Blues are the kingpins of the Wee County for a 21st time after running out comfortable 2-10 to 0-05 winners over the Dundalk Gaels in the Louth SFC final at the Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda on Sunday afternoon.
Goals in either half from Conor Moore and Ross Nally helped Ronan Phillips’ side run out 11 point winners in the end with Nally - son of former county goalkeeper Colm - outscoring the opposition with a personal tally of 1-05.
Drogheda hasn’t had many bragging rights over Dundalk on the sporting front in recent years but it was clear from an early stage that the Blues’ experience would tell. The county’s most successful club were always on top against a Dundalk Gaels side who were aiming to win their first senior title in 65 years and who hadn’t been in a final since 1992.
The game itself will not live long in the memory with Malachy O’Rourke’s side failing to ever really get going on the day.
There was a low scoring start to the game with a Robert Carr point on five minutes the only time the scoreboard was changed before his brother Kevin added another on 16 minutes.
Dundalk Gaels, who had five wides at this point, eventually got off the mark two minutes later when Éanna McArdle fired over a free.
However, their task was made all the more difficult a minute later in the 19th minute when Moore collected Fergal Donohoe’s pass to fire off the underside of the crossbar. Full back Donohoe was there to apply the finish from close range but umpires adjudged that the initial effort from Moore had already crossed the line to leave it 1-02 to 0-01.
McArdle and Nally would swap frees at either end before the break with the Gaels unlucky not to pull a goal back on the stroke of half-time when Oisin Murray played Derek Crilly in on goal. The captain was denied by a superb block from Colm Judge, however, and then couldn’t get any purchase on his follow up as goalkeeper Jason Lowney gathered with ease to leave the Blues ahead on a 1-03 to 0-02 scoreline at the interval.
Things didn’t improve greatly on the restart with a Ciaran Downey point adding to the Blues’ lead before they scored a second goal in somewhat fortunate circumstances on 39 minutes.
Nally’s pass in from the right was missed by Gaels goalkeeper Stephen Faulkner under pressure from Moore with the ball going straight into the top left hand corner to leave it 2-04 to 0-02.
The Gaels did briefly cut the lead back to six with two points in quick succession from Crilly and Barry Watters - the latter their first from open play - to leave it 2-04 to 0-04 on 48 minutes.
Nally and David Moloney then swapped scores at either end before the Gaels’ missed a glorious chance to cut the deficit in half on 55 minutes. Jamie Faulkner’s punt forward was spileld by Lowney with Sean McCann backheeling the loose ball into the side-netting.
Nally then added a couple more frees either side of another guilt-edged miss for the Gaels by Gerard McSorley - their 13th wide of the afternoon - before the Blues wrapped up the victory with two points from Downey and another from Nally in stoppage time as the Blues claimed their first Joe Ward Cup triumph since 2013 in comfortable fashion.
Newtown Blues: J Lowney; C Reynolds, F Donohoe, P Moore; K Carr 0-01, E Carolan, S Moonan; A McDonnell, J Kermode; C Branigan, C Judge, R Carr 0-01; C Downey 0-03, R Nally 1-05 (4f), C Moore 1-00.
Subs: H McGinn for Branigan (40), R Levins for Judge (BC)(54), K Lynch for Kermode (59).
Dundalk Gaels: S Faulkner; D McComish, J Faulkner, P McGinnity; O Murray, J Stewart, D Moloney 0-01; D Crilly 0-01 (1f), S McCann; E Kenny, S Murray, B Watters 0-01; E McArdle 0-02 (2f), G McSorley, C Sweeney.
Subs: J Clarke for McArdle (39), E Boyle for Sweeney 50, G Fee for Kenny (60)
Referee: D Fedigan.
