Wee County outwitted by Wexford in cup opener
IF O’Byrne Cup games in early January were to be taken with a pinch of salt, you would need to be armed with a full kilo of the stuff for the new pre-Christmas version of the ‘competition’.
What was already a half-hearted and half-baked warm-up for the National League is now about as valuable as a couple of challenge matches - which is all well and good for managers and inter-county hopefuls, but of little interest or consequence to supporters.
The mighty Dubs don’t even take to the field until the new year and even then they’ll be sending out the ‘kids’, leaving the mere mortals of Leinster football to scrap it out for a trophy no-one really wants to win until they reach the final.
At least when it was staged in January, you could argue that a team should at least be trying to build momentum for the League, but with the turkey, treats and Christmas parties still to be savoured, it’s difficult to make any real case for this premature gesticulation.
The meagre attendance at a rain and windswept Darver confirmed the folly, and were it not for the new experimental rules, you’d imagine even fewer die-hards would have braved the elements.
Wayne Kierans is highly sceptical of the three handpass directive, and while he and everyone else will keep an open mind for the time being, the early indications are that he may have a point.
His counterpart Paul McLoughlin felt players were now merely kicking short to a teammate when their handpasses ran out - and he definitely had a point.
Time and again, players could be heard warning each other to ‘kick’ when the handpass quota was reached, but more often than not the next pass was short and sideways, the only difference being that it was executed with a boot as opposed to a fist.
Perhaps, as the National League progresses, teams will gradually start to be more direct, but the new offensive mark may achieve that aim all on its own.
The advantage gained by winning clean ball within range of the target is obvious, and as the new rules experiment continues, expect to see more and more tactics and ploys designed to win attacking marks.
It will encourage more direct play, but whether bringing the game to a complete standstill just because a forward wins clean ball from a long delivery is a reasonable trade-off, remains to be seen.
Wexford were the first to be caught out in a meaningful way by the rule changes when a slick hand-passing move ended with Paul Curtis tapping home what turned out to be the fourth pass. Referee David O’Connor didn’t seem to be aware of the transgression as he awarded the goal, but something eventually prompted him to consult with his linesman and after a brief exchange they chalked it off.
The visitors were already leading 3-1 at that stage and they were always the more accomplished and purposeful side.
Louth hung in for about 15 minutes, but Wexford slowly pulled away as the half progressed and Curtis should really have made up for his disallowed goal when shooting just over to make it 0-7 to 0-4.
The Yellow Bellies were well on top at that stage and they extended their lead to five points through Kevin O’Grady and Jonathan Bealin, son of former Dublin star Paul.
Then the new rules impacted Louth twice just before the break, as Ryan Burns claimed and converted a well-worked mark, before Tommy Durnin was black-carded and sent to the sin bin for the obligatory 10 minutes.
The sin bin does seem like a more apt punishment for black card offences and it should certainly eliminate the ‘taking one for the team’ approach, with the effect of receiving a black card now very much the opposite.
Ironically Louth enjoyed their best spell when reduced to 14 men.
Sam Mulroy was introduced at half-time alongside Eoghan Callaghan and Anthony Williams and the Naomh Mairtin attacker gave the Reds hope almost immediately, albeit with a lot of help from Wexford goalkeeper Conor Swaine.
The netminder somehow let an ill-advised back pass slide under his foot, letting Mulroy in for a simple finish, reducing the gap to just a point, 0-9 to 1-5.
Wexford didn’t let that mishap de-rail what always looked like a straightforward victory.
Corner back Conor Carthy raided for his second point of the evening, before influential duo Bealin and O’Grady made it 0-12 to 1-5.
Wayne Kierans made another triple substitution on the hour mark and one of the trio, Niall Conlon, converted a free moments later to leave Louth three behind, but back within a single score.
But that turned out to be the Reds’ last contribution and Wexford finished the game on the front foot as substitute Cathal Devereux helped himself to three points in a one-sided finale.
Wayne Kierans was better placed than anyone to assess Louth’s problems under Peter McGrath last term and this outing will underline to the new boss just how much work he needs to do to make the Reds competitive again.
The lack of intensity was his biggest concern afterwards, but the return of a few experienced men should provide some welcome relief ahead of Saturday’s trip to Arklow.
WEXFORD: Conor Swaine; Michael Furlong, Gavin Sheehan, Conor Carty 0-2; Glen Malone, Shane Doyle, Martin O’Connor; Barry O’Connor 0-1, Niall Hughes; Conor Devitt, Jonathan Bealin 0-3 (2f), Kevin O’Grady 0-3 (1mk); Paul Curtis 0-2, Donal Shanley 0-1, Michael O’Regan. Subs: Robert Frayne for M O’Regan (56), Ben Brosnan 0-1 for D Shanley (60), Cathal Devereux 0-3 (1f) for P Curtis (62), David Shannon for C Devitt (63), Sean Barden for M O’Connor (70+).
LOUTH: Alan McGauley; Hugh Osborne, Dan Corcoran, Philip Englishby; Leonard Grey, Darren Marks, John Clutterbuck; Tommy Durnin, Conor Early; Conor Branigan 0-1, Cian Callan 0-1, Conall McKeever; Ryan Burns 0-1mk, Jim McEneaney, Tadhg McEnaney 1-2 (2f). Subs: Sam Mulroy 1-0 for McEnaney (ht), Eoghan Callaghan for J Clutterbuck (ht), Anthony Williams for L Grey (ht), Ronan Holcroft for C Callan (45), Ruairi Moore for C McKeever (51), Niall Conlon 0-1 for R Burns (62), Declan Byrne for C Early (62), Bevan Duffy for D Marks (63).
REFEREE: David O’Connor (Dublin).