Plate glory for Louth in Fr Manning tournament
LOUTH U16s ended their season in fine style at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park with a six-point victory over Leitrim to add the Fr Manning Plate trophy to the Gerry Reilly Shield trophy that they picked up back in July.
Louth were quickest out of the traps with points from wing back Cathal Fleming and team captain Daire Nally inside four minutes.
Leitrim’s first score was replied to with a Nally free on nine minutes after a foul on Mícheál Begley. Leitrim then scored a free before Louth’s first major of the day arrived in the 14th minute. Great play from Nally saw him pick out Jonathan Commins who played a one-two with Craig Lennon, before the Ardee sharp-shooter powered to the back of the Leitrim net to put the Wee County 1-3 to 0-2 in front.
Nally then replied from play to another Leitrim point and the Shannon-siders tagged on another score before their goalkeeper saved a Sean Healy goal attempt in the 24th minute.
Leitrim were soon only a point behind, but Louth re-established some daylight in the 30th minute when Cian Rogan’s kickout found centre half back Ruairi Hanlon who made a surging run before sending a delivery into Nally who off-loaded to Ryan Walsh bursting through from midfield. Walsh ran on before firing an emphatic finish to the bottom corner of the Leitrim net to leave it 2-4 to 0-6 to Louth at the break.
Ryan Walsh pointed from a free at the start of the second half, before Leitrim replied with one of their own.
But in the 38th minute Louth delivered another hammer blow when Nathan Buckley turned the ball over in the right-full back position and off-loaded to midfielder Joe Mee who traded passes with Hanlon before finding wing forward Craig Lennon. Exceptional throughout, the Mochta’s man lit the after-burners to leave Leitrim men trailing in his wake before finishing off a superb move with a scorching finish to make it 3-5 to 0-7.
Louth were now rampant and extend- ed their lead to 3-9 to 0-9, but they four scores from play from Adam Harper, Hanlon, Walsh and Lennon.
The Leitrim goalkeeper made a fine savefrom substitute Eoghan Ryan on 54 minutes but he had no chance a minute later. Paul McEvoy turned over a Leitrim attack in his own half before releasing his Fechin’s teammate Walsh, who passed on to Healy. The Monasterboice man then rifled an unstoppable shot into the bottom right hand corner of the keeper’s net to leave the Wee County 12 points in front, 4-9 to 0-9.
Leitrim to their credit fought to the end and replied with three points and then a consolation goal deep into added.
In addition to those mentioned, Louth had outstanding performances from Finbarr Lynch at full-back and all substitutes introduced acquitted themselves well.
Team captain Dáire Nally collected the Fr Manning Plate trophy at the postmatch presentation to end a memorable season following the team’s three-day trip to Kerry back at Easter and their Gerry Reilly success in July. The squad will now go on to represent their county in the new Minor grade in the 2018 and have been drawn in Group 1 of the Leinster Championship alongside Dublin, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath and Wicklow.
LOUTH: Cian Rogan (Cooley Kickhams), Jamie Winters (Naomh Máirtín), Finbarr Lynch (St Kevins), Nathan Buckley (Ardee St Marys), James Harper 0-1 (St Kevins), Ruairí Hanlon 0-1 (St Colmcilles), Cathal Fleming 0-1 (Mattock Rangers), Ryan Walsh 1-2 (1f) (St Fechins), Joe Mee (Cooley Kickhams), Craig Lennon 1-1 (St Mochtas), Dáire Nally 0-3 (Newtown Blues), Conor Faulkner (Dreadnots), Mícheál Begley (Kilkerley Emmets), Seán Healy 1-0 (Naomh Máirtín), Jonathan Commins 1-0 (Ardee St Marys). Subs: Paul McEvoy (St Fechins) for Winters BC, Eoghan Ryan (St Fechins) for Commins (ht), Adam Harper (St Kevin’s) for Begley, Gabriel Bell (St Joseph’s) for Faulkner, Conor Quigley (Kilkerley Emmets) for Lennon, James McGillick (Ardee St Marys) for Mee.Not used: Martin McEneaney (St Patricks), Caolán McCabe (Dundalk Young Irelanders), Rian Aikpitanyi (Dreadnots), Patrick Johnston (Cooley Kickhams), Padraig Duffy (St Patricks), Jay Crawley (Ardee St Marys), Ewan McEnteggart (Kilkerley Emmets), Craig Callan (Clan na Gael), Bobby Butterly (Stabannon Parnells), Gerard White (Cooley Kickhams), TJ Doheny (St Kevins), Adam Fee (Roche Emmets), Joe Gordon (Naomh Máirtín), Aaron McDonnell (Dreadnots), Darragh McCoy (Ardee St Marys), Joseph Connor (St Patricks), Andrew Lennon (St Mochtas), Tiernan Corrigan (Ardee St Marys), Aaron McArdle (Kilkerley Emmets). Ben Goss-Kieran (St Mochtas), Tom Jackson (Ardee St Marys), Conor McGowan (Geraldines), Conor Soraghan (Geraldines).