Young Reds are o Ut-classed
ANOTHER day to be added to the ‘one-to-forget’ list at underage level for Louth.
A chastening experience for Aaron Hoey’s minors in Newbridge on Saturday last will be hard to shake, but Kildare are the standard bearers at this grade with four Leinster titles in the last seven.
That pedigree will provide some solace, but it also highlights exactly where Louth would like, and need, to be at this grade.
But there was no denying the fact that young Reds were outclassed. The simple stat of 1-1 from play over the hour backs that up.
Despite the result being known from a long way out Louth made the Lilywhites sweat in the opening quarter. Some stout defending and hard work across the half back line forced Kildare to panic and take the wrong options.
Louth inside forward Kyle McElroy landed three frees at the other end, to give the visitors an early 3-1 lead.
However, Kildare’s pressure was all the while building, forcing goal chances and clocking up the wides at a rapid rate.
McElroy and Tom Mathews formed a dangerous two man threat but Louth were unable to give them the required platform to take advantage. Lorrying in high ball from distance was the ploy and its economy wasn’t worth the effort as Kildare came away with the ball time after time.
Kildare fretted with all this possession and once the water break came, their coach Johnny Doyle inevitably settled his side down and provided them with the answers to Louth’s defensive questions.
With Doyle’s instruction in their ears Kildare were more composed from that point onwards and rattled off 1-5 to no reply to make it 1-7 to 0-3 at half time. Full forward Daragh Sloane finished a well worked counter attack after Louth coughed up cheap possession in the half forward line.
That goal sunk Louth’s belief and centre back Paul Brennan had to be substituted in that period to compound matters further.
Mathews landed the first score of the second half, but it didn’t spark a comeback. Kildare introduced Shane Farrell in the middle of the field and his impact was telling. Farrell caught wonderful high balls and
kicked two scores in a devastating cameo.
Louth introduced Fionn Meagher at half time and the Nicks player threaded the needle with a sublime foot pass to Mathews who rounded his man to fire low to the net to make it 1-10 to 1-4.
Dual star Mathews, along with half back Cameron Maher, would play for the minor hurlers the next day.
The young reds simply couldn’t build on that goal. Instead, Kildare responded with a goal themselves, half back Fionn Ó’Giolláin, following up a short effort from Adam Fanning, found the net and sealed the game there and then with twenty minutes to play.
With a semi final place secured, Kildare were happy to rotate their squad and ease up towards the end, McElroy closed the game with Louth’s only point from play, in injury time.
Dylan Cassidy; Ruairi O’Hagan, Conn O’Donoghue, Cian Murphy; Cameron Maher, Paul Brennan, Sean Flanagan; Brian Cafferty, Béanon Corrigan; Cian Connor, Enda O’Neill, Lee Griffrerty; Sean Reynolds; Tom Mathews 1-2 (2f), Kyle McElroy 0-5 (4f). Subs: Cormac Malone for Brennan (31), Fionn Meagher for Grifferty (h-t),Killian McDonnell for O’Hagan (40), Daniel Reilly for Reynolds (42), Emmet Murray for Connor (50).