A welcome boost for Wee County
Louth Meath 1-9 0-10
FOLLOWING the defection of a number of prominent names from his panel Louth boss Wayne Kierans will welcome any sort of boost at this time of the year so he will likely embrace this O’Byrne Cup win at Pairc Tailteann last Sunday with open arms.
It was a fully merited victory for the Wee County and it would have been much more convincing had they taken a few more of the goal and point opportunities that they created.
However the win will have Louth in a positive frame of mind ahead of the visit of Offaly this weekend as they continue their build up for what will be their most important ever Division 3 NFL campaign starting against Longford at the end of January.
Both sides were very much experimental with the respective managers handing first starts to several newcomers. And as well as having to familiarize themselves with new team mates players also had to battle the elements, win and rain blowing directly towards the town goals, as well as the new rules.
Those new rules didn’t have a major impact on proceedings but the value of the advanced mark was highlighted by Meath on three occasions resulting in scores.
Louth had one late change to their starting 15 with Sam Mulroy an indirect replacement for James Craven and it proved a significant one as the Naomh Mairtin club man contributed 1-4. All of those scores came from placed balls on a day where it wasn’t easy to hit the target.
The goal, 10 minutes into the second half came from the penalty spot following a foul on Tommy Durnin as the Westerns man was about to pull the trigger. That left Louth leading 1-7 to 0-7 and they eventually went four clear following a Paul Matthews point.
They came under some pressure in the final quarter as Meath began to gather momentum and were outscored three points to one but they dug deep to hold on in what was a tetchy finish.
Both sides finished with 14 following a brief flare up close to the 70 minute mark. Referee Gary Hurley singled out Meath’s Jason Scully and Louth substitute Paul Matthews. The Oldcastle man was shown a black card and then a red, he had been booked earlier, while the St Fechin’s club man received a second yellow.
Louth had the advantage of the elements in the opening half but squandered chances and only held a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead. They tallied eight wides in the half including a goal effort from Mulroy which hit a post and ended the wrong side of the target on 24 minutes.
Mulroy accounting for three of their points with midfielder Tommy Durnin booming over a great effort from all of 55 metres while half-backs Andrew Mooney and Cathal Bellew also found the mark from distance.
Four different players contributed to the Meath tally, newcomer Jordan Morris (free), Scully, Bryan Menton and Darragh Campion (mark).
Matthew Costello (mark) and Jack O’Connor (free) had Meath level within six minutes of the restart and when Thomas O’Reilly pointed them ahead with a fine effort from out near the sideline it looked as if Meath would kick on for the victory.
Louth might have had two goals in the opening passages of that second half but both Mulroy and Gerry Garland had efforts well blocked by debutant keeper Dominic Yorke.
The visitors were unfazed by those missed chances and after taking a return pass from Paul
Matthews Liam Jackson hit the equalising point on 44 minutes.
The penalty goal came at just the right time and took some of the sting out of an improved second half showing from Meath.
Meath eventually began to show some urgency after going four points in arrears and they closed the gap with scores from substitute Oisin O’Brien and Matthew Costello.
Mulroy accounted for Louth’s final point on 69 minutes and in the five minutes of added time all the hosts could manage was a long range point from Thomas O’Reilly. LOUTH: Fergal Sheekey; Niall Sharkey, Daniel Corcoran, Oisín Murray; Liam Jackson 0-1, Cathal Bellew 0-1, Andrew Mooney 0-1; Tommy Durnin 0-1, Conor Early; Matthew Corcoran, Declan Byrne, Conall McKeever; Sam Mulroy 1-4 (3f, 1 ‘45), Conor Grimes, John Gallagher. Subs: Paul Matthews 0-1 for Grimes (8), Gerry Garland for Gallagher (h-t), Craig Lynch for Sheekey (h-t), Dermot Campbell for Bellew (44), Jack Murphy for M Corcoran (61).
MEATH: Dominic Yorke; Robin Clarke, Brían Conlon, David Toner; Gavin McCoy, Eoin Lynch, Seán Reilly; Bryan Menton 0-1, Donal Keogan; Jack O’Connor 0-1f, Darragh Campion 0-1m, Jason Scully 0-1; Jordan Morris 0-1f, Thomas O’Reilly 0-2, Matthew Costello 0-2 (1m). Subs: Oisin O’Brien 0-1m, for Morris (48), Harry Hogan for Yorke (54), Ben Brennan for Reilly (55), Shane Walsh for Conlon (61), Donal Lenihan for Costello (73).
• Before the throw-in a minute’s silence was observed for Mary Gillic, mother of Meath 1987 and 1988 All-Ireland winner PJ, who died earlier in the day.