Reds draw comfort from ‘War’ stalemate
BEFORE the game a point against previously unbeaten Warwickshire may have sounded like an attractive proposition to the Louth management team, but given the way the game panned out you can’t help but feel that this was a missed opportunity for home side.
Philip O’Brien’s improving Reds were coming off the back of a morale boosting victory over Tyrone two weeks previously and there was a quiet confidence in the camp that they could back that up with a victory against Division 3A leaders Warwickshire.
However, despite putting themselves in a match winning position against a Warwickshire side who played the final four minutes with thirteen men, Louth relinquished their lead at the death as Paul Hoban sent over a free to level the game.
It was a cruel ending for Louth who had played well for much of the game but ultimately the fact that they could muster just one score from play in the second half proved to be their undoing.
Once again new Louth recruit Niall Arthur, who hails from Clare, was the focal point up front and once again he showed that manager Philip O’Brien has a top
Louth Warwickshire 1-16 1-16
quality forward on his hands with another man of the match performance up front.
Arthur did miss a couple of frees which he will have been disappointed with but he was a constant thorn in the side of his marker Michael O’Regan who was eventually sent off for persistent fouling of the Kilnamona clubman.
Warwickshire came into the game with a 100% record having recorded victories over both Tyrone and Longford and they got off to a solid start awith five points in the opening ten minutes compared to just a single score from Louth courtesy of Arthur.
Louth fought back well however and thanks to a run of four unanswered points, including a wonderful score from way out on the right from Seaghan Conneally, they were level ten minutes before the break.
Warwickshire hit back with a well struck goal from Ian Dwyer who flicked the ball past Stephen Hackett in the Louth goal following a high ball which was dropped in by the impressive Niall McKenna.
Louth bounced back immediately with a goal of their own as Paul Matthews showed great strength to get past his marker before laying the ball off to Conneally who rifled the ball into the top corner of the net. Louth finished the half strongly with two Niall Arthur frees sending them in 1-9 to 1-7 clear at the break.
A red card for striking for Warwickshire’s Colm McBride fifteen minutes into the second half seemed to swing what was a very competitive match back into Louth’s favour and they were looking good value for their lead as two Arthur frees in quick succession sent them two points clear with ten minutes remaining.
Paul Hoban responded with a monster free from distance to leave the minimum between the sides but once again Niall Arthur’s strength won a free for Louth right in front of the posts to allow the Clareman to restore his side’s two-point cushion.
A second red card for Warwickshire saw Michael O’Regan walk to the line for yet another foul on Arthur and at that point it looked like game over for the visitors. However, there was to be late drama as two frees from Niall McKenna levelled the game with just a minute of injury time remaining.
Despair turned to joy for Louth as Arthur nailed a free wide on the right to seemingly win it for Philip O’Brien’s charges. However, there was one final twist remaining in what was a dramatic finale as Warwickshire won a free in midfield at the death to give themselves a chance to draw level. Up stepped Paul Hoban and the big number 6 made no mistake as he split the posts to break Louth hearts. LOUTH: WARWICKSHIRE: REFEREE:
DIVISION 3A
Roscommon Warwickshire Monaghan Louth Tyrone Longford P 3 3 3 3 3 3 W 2 2 1 1 1 0 D 1 1 1 1 0 0 L 0 0 1 1 2 3 SD 32 11 0 -13 -5 -25 Pts 5 5 3 3 2 0