Early exit for Minors as Louth take spoils
Lack of attacking punch tells in defeat away to Louth
LOUTH 0-15 WEXFORD 1-6
FAILING TO score for 32 minutes of an extended second-half was never going to be sufficient for the visiting Wexford team as they bowed out of the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor football championship at the first hurdle in Darver on Saturday.
While Louth didn’t pull away from their game rivals until the final quarter, it was clear from a much earlier stage that they had one key advantage that the opposition lacked: namely a couple of marquee forwards in Kyle McElroy and Tom Mathews who were both able to win their own possession as well as taking quality scores from play.
When corner-forward Michael Mackey earned and converted a free in the 35th minute after a good interception by Saul McGirr, that first point of the second-half left Wexford trailing by 0-7 to 0-6.
However, that was as good as it got, with the side failing to score from play for the remainder of the tie as their occasional moves forward broke down repeatedly around the hosts’ 45-metre line.
Some of the foot passing from Wexford was aimless around that area, while credit is also due to Louth in the tackling department as their determination in closing down rivals was a carbon copy of how manager Aaron Hoey played the game himself during a distinguished playing career.
He came up against his opposite number on Saturday, David Murphy, on the field on several occasions in the past, and while the St. Mary’s (Rosslare) boss will be disappointed with this display, it’s a big plus to see him involved at this level and long may it last.
Wexford had an early let-off when Louth corner-forward Kyle McElroy palmed a delivery by Jamie Lee on to the crossbar after a mere 55 seconds, but it was the first indication of the big threat he posed.
Lee Grifferty pointed a free in the follow-up, with Mathews doubling their lead after Paul Brennan’s free from outfield was won and distributed by Kyle McElroy.
With Cian Hughes drifting out from corner-forward, Wexford sought to exploit the space created by a two-man inside line, and they got off the mark from an Alan Mahoney free after Jack Higgins was fouled in the seventh minute.
The pace, ball control and direct style of running from Higgins offered by far the biggest attacking threat for Wexford, but they struggled to put further scores on the board.
Mahoney had been exceptional from placed balls for Glynn-Barntown in their recent Premier county final win, but it didn’t happen for him on this occasion as he hit all four of the team’s first-half wides in the opening twelve minutes, with the first three from frees taken off the ground.
Louth were more economical with no greater than an equal share of the ball, and they added another three points from McElroy (free), Cameron Maher and McElroy (play) before left-footed free-taker Michael Mackey pulled one back after a push on Mahoney just before the water break (0-5 to 0-2).
Wexford’s most productive spell arrived on the re-start when they rifled over three points without reply to draw level.
Joint captain Rían Fitzpatrick came forward from centre-back to kick a high, left-footed score after good work by Mackey and Seán Hughes in the 20th minute.
Mackey converted another free earned by Cian Hughes, and the equaliser had a stroke of luck about it as a Jack Higgins effort dropped short, but the bounce deceived netminder Dylan Cassidy and it hopped over the bar.
However, Wexford couldn’t hit the front, with Louth going on to lead by 0-7 to 0-5 at the break after points from Tom Mathews and Kyle McElroy, with Rían Fitzpatrick hitting the post from another high kick from the left corner in between.
Liam Doyle – one of four survivors from last year along with Rory Tubritt, Leigh Newport and Brian Cushe – was introduced on the ’40 for the second-half after recovering from a recent injury, and he kicked the first of Wexford’s four wides after the break with 34 seconds elapsed.
That pointed free followed from Michael Mackey nearly for minutes later to reduce arrears to the minimum, but the Wexford attack was well contained thereafter despite some promising runs made by Kyle Rankin after his introduction at full-forward.
Kyle McElroy – who had joint captain Conor Lyne for close company – pointed from a mark to settle the hosts, while an interception by centre-back Paul Brennan led to a one-two with Cian Connor and a very well-taken score.
A McElroy free left Louth clear by 0-10 to 0-6 at the water break, and they closed out the game with relative ease.
Four points were added on the bounce – one of which wasn’t recorded on the electronic scoreboard – with the damage to Wexford’s already fast-fading hopes done by Seán Reynolds, McElroy (two frees) and Enda O’Neill (free).
Even allowing for the stop for refreshments and a few injuries, it was hard to see how otherwise efficient referee Shay Farrelly felt the need to play ten minutes of added time.
However, it did give Wexford the opportunity to pull back a consolation goal, after a hit-and-hope delivery in around the square by Rían Fitzpatrick.
The ball was gathered by Kyle Rankin who was fouled as he prepared to kick, and Fitzpatrick came forward to tuck the penalty away with a tidy finish.
That goal arrived in the sixth added minute, but a breakaway point by Cian Connor closed the scoring for Louth whose reward is a quarter-final clash with Kildare.
Speaking of the Lilywhites, this unfortunate result means that this crop of Minors are the first from Wexford to play just one championship game since the team of 2003 lost at the first hurdle to Kildare by 1-14 to 2-2.
That side featured Brian Malone as captain and corner-back, P.J. Banville at right half-forward, and Graeme Molloy at full-forward, so if this current crew yields three players of the same calibre for the Seniors, then all the hard work they put in for this sole outing will have been well worth it.
Four of those who played, plus two unused substitutes, will get a second chance at least, since Conor Kelly, Seán Hughes, Cian Hughes, Kyle Rankin, Eoin Blanchfield and Tomás Mythen are eligible for Minor again in 2021.
Wexford: Rory Tubritt (Naomh Eanna); Conor Lyne (Glynn-Barntown, joint capt.), Leigh Newport (Our Lady’s Island), Conor Kelly (Naomh Eanna); Corben Brown (Glynn-Barntown), Rían Fitzpatrick (Naomh Eanna, joint capt., 1-1, 1-0 pen.), Brian Cushe (Naomh Eanna); David Hennebry (Ballyhogue), Seán Hughes (Kilanerin); Conor Murphy (Taghmon-Camross), Alan Mahoney (Glynn-Barntown, 0-1 free), Jack Higgins (Castletown, 0-1); Michael Mackey (Glynn-Barntown, 0-3 frees), Saul McGirr (Castletown), Cian Hughes (Kilanerin). Subs. - Liam Doyle (Ballyhogue) for Mahoney (HT), Kyle Rankin (St. Fintan’s) for McGirr (38), Shane Culleton (Gusserane) for Hennebry (42), Bill Peare (Starlights) for Higgins, inj. (55), Luke Darley (Naomh Eanna) for Murphy, inj. (58), also Eoin Blanchfield (Kilanerin), Tomás Mythen (Naomh Eanna), Conor Jones (Kilanerin), Barry Cloake (Shelmaliers).
Louth: Dylan Cassidy; Rúairí O’Hagan, Con O’Donoghue, Cian Murphy; Cameron Maher (0-1), Paul Brennan (0-1), Jamie Lee; Brian Cafferty, Beanon Corrigan; Enda O’Neill (capt., 0-1 free), Fionn Meagher, Lee Grifferty (0-1 free); Kyle McElroy (0-7, 4 frees, 1 mark), Tom Mathews (0-2), Callum O’Hanlon. Subs. - Cian Connor (0-1) for O’Hanlon (35), Seán Reynolds for Grifferty, temp. (45-52), Reynolds (0-1) for Meagher (52), Seán Flanagan for O’Hagan, inj. (60+1).
Referee: Shay Farrelly (Dublin).