Keenan earns St Patrick’s second chance

PADDY KEENAN turned in an all-star performance to earn St Patrick’s a draw in a dull Louth SFC final at Drogheda yesterday.

The Louth midfielder’s seventh point equaliser came four minutes from the end. Both sides had late chances of a winner from frees but St Pat’s Eamon Carroll and the Blues’ John Kermode’s efforts dropped short.

Playing against a strong wind, the Blues, helped by a John Kermode penalty, went in at the break leading 1-4 to 0-5.

Pat’s were a more determined side after the break, and four Keenan points and another from Carroll had them in front for the first time in over 30 minutes. Substitute Hugh McGinn and John Kermode put Blues back in front, but then came Keenan’s equaliser.

Scorers for St Patrick’s: P Keenan 0-7, E Carroll 0-2, E O’Connor 0-1.

Scorers for Newtown Blues: J Kermode 1-2, J Murray, K Lynch, A McDonnell, C Judge, H McGinn 0-1 each.

ST PATRICK’S: S Connor; D MacArtain, D Finnegan, D O’Hanlon; R Finnegan, E Breen, O Zamboglou; C Goss, P Keenan; P Mallon, S Hynes, A McCann; E Carroll, E O’Connor, D O’Connor.

Sub: C White for Mallon.

NEWTOWN BLUES: S McCann; T Costello, C Reynolds, A O’Brien; S Moonan, J Carr, E Judge; J Kermode, K Lynch; B Kermode, B Sharkey, C Branagan; J Murray, C Judge, A McDonnell.

Subs: I McManus for Sharkey; H McGinn for Branagan.

Referee: M Craven (Dundalk).