Hurlers hope to bounce back against Tyrone

DONEGAL 2-23 LOUTH 1-14

LOUTH will be hoping to bounce back from an opening round defeat when they host Tyrone in Darver this Sunday (2.00).

The Reds endured a 12-point defeat in Letterkenny last Sunday after failing to take advantage of a strong breeze in the opening half.

The opening exchanges were even until Cathal Doherty netted the first goal of the game to make it 1-2 to 0-2 with less than six minutes gone.

Louth rallied and trailed by just a single point at the end of the opening quarter, 1-5 to 0-7.

However, a Kevin Campbell goal on 22 minutes left Donegal leading by 2-6 to 0-8 and the signs weren’t good for Louth at that stage.

But to their credit the Reds finished the half strongly, firing over the three points to trail by 2-6 to 0-11.

Declan Coulter extended Donegal’s lead after the break, but Louth briefly took the lead when Seaghan Connelly netted a fine goal to make it 1-11 to 2-7.

Points from Lee Henderson and Enda McDermott put Donegal back into the lead with 48 minutes gone, but the game ebbed and flowed with the sides level on several occasions.

However, Donegal then scored six points without reply - four of them from Lee Henderson - to build up a 2-16 to 1-13 lead with 12 minutes left.

Donegal continued to pick off the scores and they enjoyed a real purple patch hitting 13 points unanswered, before Louth added a late consolation. DONEGAL: Paul Burns; Dara Grant, Jamsie Donnelly, Padraig Doherty; Joe Boyle, Jack O’Loughlin, Niall Cleary; Danny Cullen 0-2, Richie Kee 0-1 Enda McDermott 0-2, Davin Flynn 0-4, Lee Henderson 0-8 (7f), Cathal Doherty 1-0, Kevin Campbell 1-1, Declan Coulter 0-5. Subs: Colm Melaugh for McDermott (54), Aidan Stokes for Grant (59), Paul Nelson for C. Doherty (71), Ciaran Rami for Flynn (71).

LOUTH: Shane Nolan; Brian Minogue, Roger Maher, Ricky McKeown; David Stephenson, Paddy McCormack, Donal Ryan; Andrew McCrave, Shane Callan; Gavin Kerrigan, Liam Dwan 0-6 (4f), Paddy Lynch; Gerard Smyth 0-1, Seaghan Connelly 1-0, Diarmuid Murphy 0-6 (4f). Subs: Darren O’Hanrahan 0-1 for Kerrigan (29), Stephen Kettle for Smyth (47), Darren McDonnell for Lynch (67)

REFEREE: Aidan Ferguson (Fermanagh).