Champs Louth in seventh heaven

7-21 0-7

LOUTH’S romped to Leinster Ladies Minor B Shield glory with a thumping 35-point win over Wicklow in Termonfeckin on Wednesday night.

After overcoming Wexford in the semi-final, the Wee County were favourites to land the trophy and they lived up to the tag, hitting a magnificent tally of 7–21 on the night.

Leading 2–12 to no score, the game was as good as put to bed by the half-time interval, thanks to a first-half blitz on the Wicklow goal.

It was started by Cooley Kickhams’ Lauren Boyle, who hit a brace of scores inside the opening five minutes before Rachel McNally set up Bronagh McArdle for Louth’s first goal of the evening shortly after.

Clan na Gael’s Ciara Woods added to further scores from Boyle and McNally before Aoife Russell hit 1–1 before the short whistle to leave Louth with one hand on the trophy.

Wicklow’s cause wasn’t helped when they lost captain Leona McGettigan to a yellow card in the latter stages of the first-half.

McArdle and Woods both fired over for Louth at the beginning of the second-half before the visitors got off the mark in the 34th minute.

They added another point shortly after but Louth opened up with Boyle squeezing an effort inside the post to raise the green flag again.

The goals started to rain down and Seoda Matthews and substitute Laura Downey hit two quickfire efforts to put the seal on the win.

Bronagh McArdle hit Louth’s sixth goal of the night to take her tally to 2–4 before Player of the Match Aoife Russell hit the magnificent seventh late on to cap a wonderful display and give the Sonia Gernon, Adele Woods and Gerry Callan managed side a comfortable win.