A LENGTHY WAIT of disappointment and frustration has come to a close for Louth football.
The Delaney Cup will be transferred to them from Croke Park for the first time in 68 years after their success this afternoon, holding off rivals Meath in a frenetic finish and prevailing by two points.
Meath appeared to have made a decisive break in the 62nd minute, they stripped Louth of possession around the middle and counter-attacked as Jordan Morris raced clear, before offloading to Mathew Costello who drilled a right-foot shot to the net.
That nudged Meath back in front, 1-18 to 3-11, but instead of kicking on, they critically didn’t manage to score again. Louth were awarded a key decision in the 65th minute when referee Martin McNally judged that Conall McKeever had been fouled.
Sam Mulroy stepped up and nailed his shot from outside the 40-yard arc, a two-pointer that propelled Louth into the lead. They ran down the clock impressively as they held onto possession with composure and coped with Meath pressure. Craig Lennon tapped over the insurance point after being released by Ciaran Downey, and Louth won the resultant Meath kickout to ensure they shut down the game.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Louth’s last Leinster final meeting with Meath was defined by a goal that never should have been awarded and an outcome which sparked years of regret for their football fraternity.
Their opening-half display here was characterised by the three goals they scored themselves. Sam Mulroy calmly tucked away a penalty in front of a vociferous Hill 16 in the 20th minute after Kieran McArdle had been fouled beforehand by Donal Keogan.
Ryan Burns fired in a low shot three minutes later after Craig Lennon’s break prised the Louth defence apart, Billy Hogan getting a hand to the ball but unable to prevent it spinning up into the roof of the net.
And the third crucial score arrived from Lennon on the cusp of half-time, as he accelerated into a gap in between Keogan and Jack Flynn, passed up on the straightforward option to clip over a point, and unleashed a stunning drive to the net.
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Meath's Donal Keogan and Jack Flynn tackle Louth's Conal McKeever. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Louth needed those moments of inspiration. It left them trailing 0-13 to 3-3 at the interval and within touching distance. Meath had tapped into a brilliant point-scoring run. Ruairi Kinsella struck four first-half points, a tally matched by Eoghan Frayne. Goalkeeper Hogan confidently knocked over a two-pointer free in the opening period and backed that up with another effort early in the second half.
After the Ryan Burns goal left them trailing by three, Meath notched seven points without reply to surge ahead by four. It was an impressive turnaround, and while the Lennon goal knocked them back, they registered early second-half scores from Costello, Hogan, Keogan, and substitute Jordan Morris, a surprise inclusion off the bench after injury issues this year.
That left Meath ahead 0-18 to 3-6 and seemingly in command.
Louth's Sam Mulroy kicks a score. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
But Louth reeled them in as the second half progressed. A Conor Grimes point and two from Mulroy left the teams tied by the end of the third quarter, Downey and Mulroy kept the momentum going to push them two clear.
The Costello goal could have derailed Louth’s ambitions but they kept their nerve, found a way to get their hands on the ball, land the points that made the difference, and make the breakthrough in magical fashion to land the Leinster crown.
Scorers for Louth: Sam Mulroy 1-7 (0-2f, 0-1 ’45, 1 2pt free, 1-0 pen), Ryan Burns 1-3 (1 2pt play), Craig Lennon 1-0, Conor Grimes 0-1, Ciaran Downey 0-1, Bevan Duffy 0-1.
Scorers for Meath: Mathew Costello 1-1, Eoghan Frayne 0-4 (0-2f), Ruairí Kinsella 0-4 (1 2pt play), Billy Hogan 0-4 (2 2pt frees), Donal Keogan 0-1, Séan Coffey 0-1, Keith Curtis 0-1, James Conlon 0-1, Jordan Morris 0-1.
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Louth claim first Leinster senior title in 68 years after dramatic victory over Meath
Louth 3-14
Meath 1-18
A LENGTHY WAIT of disappointment and frustration has come to a close for Louth football.
The Delaney Cup will be transferred to them from Croke Park for the first time in 68 years after their success this afternoon, holding off rivals Meath in a frenetic finish and prevailing by two points.
Meath appeared to have made a decisive break in the 62nd minute, they stripped Louth of possession around the middle and counter-attacked as Jordan Morris raced clear, before offloading to Mathew Costello who drilled a right-foot shot to the net.
That nudged Meath back in front, 1-18 to 3-11, but instead of kicking on, they critically didn’t manage to score again. Louth were awarded a key decision in the 65th minute when referee Martin McNally judged that Conall McKeever had been fouled.
Sam Mulroy stepped up and nailed his shot from outside the 40-yard arc, a two-pointer that propelled Louth into the lead. They ran down the clock impressively as they held onto possession with composure and coped with Meath pressure. Craig Lennon tapped over the insurance point after being released by Ciaran Downey, and Louth won the resultant Meath kickout to ensure they shut down the game.
Louth’s last Leinster final meeting with Meath was defined by a goal that never should have been awarded and an outcome which sparked years of regret for their football fraternity.
Their opening-half display here was characterised by the three goals they scored themselves. Sam Mulroy calmly tucked away a penalty in front of a vociferous Hill 16 in the 20th minute after Kieran McArdle had been fouled beforehand by Donal Keogan.
Ryan Burns fired in a low shot three minutes later after Craig Lennon’s break prised the Louth defence apart, Billy Hogan getting a hand to the ball but unable to prevent it spinning up into the roof of the net.
And the third crucial score arrived from Lennon on the cusp of half-time, as he accelerated into a gap in between Keogan and Jack Flynn, passed up on the straightforward option to clip over a point, and unleashed a stunning drive to the net.
Louth needed those moments of inspiration. It left them trailing 0-13 to 3-3 at the interval and within touching distance. Meath had tapped into a brilliant point-scoring run. Ruairi Kinsella struck four first-half points, a tally matched by Eoghan Frayne. Goalkeeper Hogan confidently knocked over a two-pointer free in the opening period and backed that up with another effort early in the second half.
After the Ryan Burns goal left them trailing by three, Meath notched seven points without reply to surge ahead by four. It was an impressive turnaround, and while the Lennon goal knocked them back, they registered early second-half scores from Costello, Hogan, Keogan, and substitute Jordan Morris, a surprise inclusion off the bench after injury issues this year.
That left Meath ahead 0-18 to 3-6 and seemingly in command.
But Louth reeled them in as the second half progressed. A Conor Grimes point and two from Mulroy left the teams tied by the end of the third quarter, Downey and Mulroy kept the momentum going to push them two clear.
The Costello goal could have derailed Louth’s ambitions but they kept their nerve, found a way to get their hands on the ball, land the points that made the difference, and make the breakthrough in magical fashion to land the Leinster crown.
Scorers for Louth: Sam Mulroy 1-7 (0-2f, 0-1 ’45, 1 2pt free, 1-0 pen), Ryan Burns 1-3 (1 2pt play), Craig Lennon 1-0, Conor Grimes 0-1, Ciaran Downey 0-1, Bevan Duffy 0-1.
Scorers for Meath: Mathew Costello 1-1, Eoghan Frayne 0-4 (0-2f), Ruairí Kinsella 0-4 (1 2pt play), Billy Hogan 0-4 (2 2pt frees), Donal Keogan 0-1, Séan Coffey 0-1, Keith Curtis 0-1, James Conlon 0-1, Jordan Morris 0-1.
Louth
1. Niall McDonnell (St. Fechin’s)
2. Daire Nally (Newtown Blues), 3. Dermot Campbell (Dreadnots), 4. Donal McKenny (St. Mary’s, Ardee)
7. Craig Lennon (St Mary’s Ardee), 6. Peter Lynch (Roche Emmets), 5. Conall McKeever (Clan na Gael),
8. Tommy Durnin (St. Mary’s, Ardee), 26. Bevan Duffy (Naomh Feichin),
9. Andy McDonnell (Newtown Blues), 11. Ciarán Downey (Newtown Blues), 12. Conor Grimes (Glyde Emmets)
13. Kieran McArdle (Naomh Bríd), 14. Sam Mulroy (Naomh Mairtín), 15. Ryan Burns (Hunterstown Rovers)
Subs
Meath
1. Billy Hogan (Longwood)
2. Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s, Dunboyne), 3. Seán Rafferty (Na Fianna), 4. Brian O’Halloran (Ballivor)
5. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny), 6. Sean Coffey (Ballinabrackey), 7. Ciaran Caulfield (Trim)
13. Mathew Costello (Dunshaughlin), 9. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore-Ashbourne)
10. Conor Duke (Dunshaughlin), 11. Ruairi Kinsella (Dunshaughlin), 8. Jack Flynn (Ratoath)
12. Keith Curtis (Rathkenny), 14. James Conlon (St Colmcilles), 15. Eoghan Frayne (Summerhill – captain)
Subs
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)
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GAA Leinster Louth Meath The Wee County