At a glance

Man-of-the-Match

Tommy Durnin (Louth) Eoin O’Connor and Bevan Duffy ran the Westerns man close, but Durnin was outstanding throughout, carrying the fight to Wicklow when so many others were off their game. Two superb catches in the second half set the tone for Louth’s late rally and he persistently had Wicklow on the back foot with surging runs from deep.

Talking point

Every game is different, but this type of performance wouldn’t trouble Meath in the slightest. On the plus side it did halt a worrying slide of three competitive defeats in four outings, which was six in seven when challenge matches are factored in.

Stats

WIDES: Louth 16 (4 in first-half); Wicklow 9 (7 in first-half) FREES: Louth 21 (9); Wicklow 18 (8) YELLOW: Louth - Kevin Carr (15), Eoin O’Connor (23). BLACK: Louth - Anthony Williams (12) RED: None

What next?

Louth have two weeks to fine-tune for a derby date with Meath back at Parnell Park, which is sure to draw a bumper crowd on a bank holiday Sunday. The Royals have been kicking their heels since the end of the National League, relying on challenge matches and training to keep them ticking over. Wicklow follow a familiar road to the first round of the qualifiers, which will see them return to action on June 17th.