Ruthless Roscommon leave Louth in a ‘spin’
No need to panic just yet
LAST weekends glorious sunshine persuaded me to resurrect the lycra from winter storage and unearth my bicycle from the garage rubble.
While the bike was easily located in the first trawl, the helmet and pump required a search party to be formed before both were eventually located beneath the rather hastily stowed away Christmas decorations.
With my usual new year fitness recovery programme rendered almost obsolete for the last nine or ten weeks due to a painful heel spur, my expanding waistline was in dire need of some cardio activity.
I really enjoy cycling but my love of the sport is very similar to my relationship with golf.
Hands up. I’m a fair weather participant of both sports and don’t enjoy either activity in the cold or the wet.
Although Sunday was very chilly, the magnificent morning sunshine was more than sufficient enticement to get me up and at it from an early hour.
Wrapped up to the nines and armed with a packed breakfast I set off at eight bells for the South Louth Riviera on my maiden voyage of 2018.
However only a few kilometres in I was forced to pull in at the Pope’s Cross for a unscheduled pit-stop to remove a family of stowaway spiders who’d nested for the Winter in the roof of my helmet. Cobwebs and dead insects removed, the journey resumed up Tullyesker Hill amidst lots of puffing, blowing and black smoke.
At first conditions appeared quite benign but a sneaky onshore breeze ensured my resolve was tested all the way to the coast through Mullary, Grangebellew and Togher.
With 20km on the clock and reserves running low I dropped anchor at Port beach and devoured breakfast.
The Cooley mountains and rolling white horses had me captivated for a while but the biting wind soon had me on my way.
Clogherhead was next up and there wasn’t a sinner in sight as I flew down through the village at break neck speed climbing again up past the Dreadnots football pitch. The coastline was majestic up ahead of me and I could make out Bettystown and Laytown in the distance.
My toes felt as though frost bite had already set in but the lure of a warm cup of coffee at the splendid Forge Field in Termonfeckin kept me going.
Early mass goers swelled traffic at the bridge outside Flynns where a sleepy 4x4 driver almost upended me coming out from the Strand Road. I bid him a warm good morning and pedalled onwards for the coffee shop on the outskirts of the village.
My only dilemma now, I thought, as I signalled right into the car park, was the choice of a fruit or plain scone but to my shock/horror the place was shut. No Sunday morning opening until the end of March, the handwritten sign read. I could have cried.
With the onboard computer now registering 30km and my spirits low, it was time for home. With the wind at my back I took the slightly longer route through Beaulieu Cross into Drogheda and then onwards to Tullyallen and home.
The Hill of Rath is always a challenge at the end of a spin so I was delighted and relieved to disembark at the front gate. Just a few kilometres shy of 50k - not bad for a first outing.
I was knackered but the feeling inside was magic. It’s good to be back. the board by the time Ryan Burns landed Louth first score from a 15th minute free.
We then steadied the ship and gave as good as we got for the remainder of the half to trail 0-10 to 0-06 at the break. The opening five minutes apart, I wasn’t impressed with Roscommon and thought we were in reasonable shape to push on in the second period with the aid of the breeze to claim our first point of the campaign.
Although substitute Gerard McSorley reduced the deficit to three in the early exchanges it was Roscommon who took hold of proceedings.
Kevin McStay’s charges stretched their lead out to eight points thanks to a cracking goal from Diarmuid Murtagh and were in complete control for the remainder of the contest.
They weren’t at all flattered by their double scores victory. Pete McGrath’s men are now firmly staring relegation in the face in a division where we appear to be a little out of our depth. NOBODY is reaching for the panic button just yet but Dundalk drew another blank in Tallaght on Friday night against Shamrock Rovers as holders Cork City eased to their second win of the campaign against Waterford.
The Lilywhites are in league action twice this week with the visit of Limerick to Oriel Park on Tuesday followed by the Friday night trip to Derry. It’s much too early in the season to talk about must-win fixtures but Stephen Kenny will know he can’t allow Cork to build a lead similar to what they did in the early part of last season.
Drogheda were due to start their First Division campaign with the visit of Finn Harps to United Park however the game was postponed shortly before kick off due to a problem with the floodlights. Apparently the referee decided that the pitch wasn’t adequately lit as it appears that there weren’t enough bulbs in the floodlights!