Louth Exit Leinster MFC After Defeat to Kildare
Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship Semi-Final
Louth 0-10 Kildare 1-11
Páirc Baile Fiach, Hunterstown
Louth were sent crashing out of the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship after a four-point defeat to a well-rounded Kildare side on Tuesday evening at Hunterstown.
Eoghan Lyons opened the scoring for Kildare after a cagey start, not helped by an extremely difficult cross-breeze in Hunterstown on what was quite the blustery evening. Páidí Ryan and Jack Reilly (f) added points for the Lilywhites before Donnacha Reidy sent over Louth’s first score on the 16th minute after a series of missed chances from Eamon McEneaney’s men.
Connell Kelly (f) and Greg Kelly traded points, before Kelly struck over a two-point free from a challenging angle to level proceedings. Jack Reilly added another point from a free before Reidy levelled for Louth just before the interval. Half Time, Louth 0-5 Kildare 0-5.
Lyons and Cian Kehoe stretched Kildare’s lead back out to two after the break, in a spell that proved fruitful for Kildare as Louth centre-half Mark Smith was denied a goal through a super block at the back. Kelly knocked over the resulting 45′ to narrow the gap back to the minimum.
Kelly superbly manufactured a goal chance for himself on the 40th minute and was extremely unlucky not to see his effort land a major for Louth. Once again, Kildare calmly responded with a well-worked point from Aidan Tobin. Tobin added another moments later to leave the visitors 0-6 to 0-9 ahead with 18 minutes remaining.
The Fechins duo of Cillian Duff and Brian O’Neill brought Louth back into the contest with a point apiece before Duff drew the game level with a brilliant point on the 51st minute, 0-9 all.
However, just as Louth started to get into their groove, Kildare struck a hammer blow as Jack Doran held his composure to loop the ball in over Aaron O’Donoghue. In such a tightly contested game, this goal was always going to be the difference as scores were hard to come by.
Kelly (f) narrowed the gap back to two but Kildare finished the stronger. Logan Tennyson (f) and Fiachra Martin hit over late points to ensure Kildare prevailed from a tight game. Full Time, Louth 0-10 Kildare 1-11.
Aaron O’Donaghue; Matthew Kierans, Calvin Winters, Oliver Walsh, Finn McEneaney, Mark Smith, Conor Marron; Tadhg McDonnell, Pauric Maguire; Brian O’Neill 0-1, Connell Kelly 0-5 (1tpf, 1’45, 2f), Joseph Lynch, Donnacha Reidy 0-2, Cillian Duff 0-2, Rian McDonnell. Subs: Anthony Traynor for O’Neill, 56; Tadhg Rooney for Reidy, 59.
Joe Crotty; Luke Shanahan, Eoin Markey, Ryan Crawford, Jack Doran 1-0, Charlie Doran, Liam Mescal; Fionn Lawlor, Páidí Ryan 0-1; Jamie Flood, Greg Kelly, Eoghan Lyons 0-2, Cian Keogh 0-1, Jack Reilly 0-2f, Aidan Tobin 0-2. Subs: Rory Cooke for Mescal, b/s 5-11; Logan Tennyson 0-1f for Flood, 53; Fiachra Martin 0-1 for Lawlor, 53.
Alan Coyne (Westmeath)
PHOTO: Ciaran Culligan
