Downey’s wonder strikes help turn the tide for Louth
It was far from pretty at times but Ger Brennan got what he wanted out of Louth’s trip to Portlaoise yesterday with goals proving the difference as his side eventually saw off the stubborn resistance of an improving Wexford outfit.
Brennan came in at the 11th hour as Louth boss after Mickey Harte’s high-profile departure for Derry, and the former Dublin star has helped to keep the Wee train firmly on track with Division 2 league status secured again while successive Leinster final appearances are now firmly in their sights.
He admitted to pre-match nerves as he took to the championship sideline for the first time and the red-hot favourites left plenty to work on in the next fortnight before their date with Kildare.
“It was great to get over the line.Championship is about winning. Was it pretty? It wasn’t, but there were collective moments of very impressive attack play. It was a bit flat and lethargic but the lads know there is a lot more in them and we can’t play at that tempo in Croke Park,” he said.
Glimpses of potent forward play shone like a beacon in an uninspiring contest with Ciarán Downey producing two moments of individual brilliance as he spectacularly fired to the net in either half to help turn the tide in their favour.
Captain Sam Mulroy also expertly converted two penalties in the final quarter to put some daylight between the sides, and Brennan wants his team to be more “adventurous” if they are to swim with football’s big fish under his watch.
Adventurous
“I’d like us to be far more aggressive in the tackle and step up and not let the opposition build the play and not let the opposition get hands on the ball and get themselves into the game. The word I’d use is adventurous where you’re closing the gap between you and the ball carrier.
“The big picture is to try and progress to Division 1 status and that overly structured play doesn’t cut it in Division 1. It’ll certainly get you from four to two and it’ll get you competitive in Division 2.
“If we can evolve to a point where we’re a bit more man-on-man with the ball and without the ball, that’s where we’d like to get to. Will we get there? I’m unsure, but part of what you’ve seen in the league and today is to get fellas to see what’s in front of them and go for it.”
They played second fiddle for long stages, though, with Wexford belying their Division 4 status to open up an 0-8 to 0-4 lead before Louth came to life in the closing minutes of the opening half.
However, the underdogs refused to wilt after the break and they dominated the third quarter despite losing corner-back Eoin Porter to a controversial black card, which their manager John He gar ty described as“very unusual” with referee Séamus Mulhare adjudging him to have used “provocative behaviour”.
Hegarty had little interest in moral victories with disappointment etched all over his face but he is adamant they are on the right road as they head for the Tailteann Cup next month.
“Each one of those second-half goals was a hammer blow. On the positive side of things, look at how we responded each time. Goals win games and they got them at crucial times, that today is the only difference,” Hegarty said.
“I didn’t see any difference in conditioning, ability-wise, fielding, you name it. I thought they were two teams going at it. We’re getting closer, definitely.”
The sides shared the opening eight points but it was Wexford who were far more impressive as they attacked at pace, with Graeme Cullen putting the finishing touches to several moves whereas Louth relied solely on placed balls.
Cullen, the imposing Glen Malone, Energizer bunny Kevin O’Grady and Mark Rossiter then fired four in a row for the Model and Louth were in a spot of bother, but a change of tack on the Wexford kick-out paid dividends.
Rory Tubritt had been getting most of his kick-outs away short to that point, with his side building from the back in efficient fashion, but Louth forced him to go long with an aggressive press and they made hay on the scoreboard.
Tommy Durnin got their first point from play on the half-hour mark as a goal chance was recycled but they had their goal minutes later when Downey rifled the ball to the net in sensational fashion to leave Tubritt with no chance.
Tom Jackson quickly fired over as Brennan’ s men turned a precarious position into a one-point half-time lead, 1-6 to 0-8, and they looked primed to kick on.
That wasn’t how it played out, though, as Louth would go 15 minutes without a score as Wexford controlled the tempo in the third quarter despite being down to 14 men before Durnin levelled affairs, 1-7 to 0-10, and it was then that they hit the turbo boost.
Downey scored another goal-of-theyear contender after an incisive solo run before the lively Ciarán Keenan was hauled to the ground soon after with Mulroy firing the penalty to the top right corner as the game was quickly turned on its head, 3-9 to 0-11.
Credit to Wexford, they dug deep to fire a hat-trick of points and keep Louth honest but Mulroy coolly slotted home another spot-kick late on as they booked their date with the Lilies, with Brennan insisting that Glenn Ryan’s side will be relishing the chance for revenge.
“Kildare will be licking their lips. There were only three points in it when we met in the league, a kick of a ball that night. You’d expect a very close match,” he said.