“Maguire the Match-Winner as Louth Minors Strike Late”
Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship
Group 1 Round 1
From Skryne GAA, Meath
Louth 0-14
Meath 2-7
Louth Minor Footballers made a winning start to their Electric Ireland Leinster Championship campaign with a dramatic one-point victory over Meath in Skryne on Thursday evening.
In a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, Louth showed tremendous composure in the closing stages, with a late two-pointer from Pauric Maguire proving decisive.
Louth settled quickly into the game and opened the scoring inside the opening minute through Rian McDonnell. The sides traded scores during a lively opening quarter, with Conor Marron and Connell Kelly keeping the Wee County narrowly in front.
A superb long-range two-pointer from Maguire helped stretch the advantage before Meath responded in kind through Cormac Walsh, whose effort levelled proceedings midway through the half.
Further scores from Cillian Duff and Brian O’Neill ensured Louth finished the half strongly to carry a 0-7 to 0-5 lead into the interval.
Meath emerged with real intent after the restart and were handed a major boost when Walsh struck for a goal just two minutes into the second period to swing momentum in their favour.
Louth responded well to that setback, with Joseph Lynch and substitute Mark Smith finding the range before Kelly converted a free to edge his side back in front. A well-worked team move finished by Duff pushed Louth further ahead as they began to take control.
However, the Royals refused to go away and Walsh struck for his second goal of the afternoon in the 48th minute, putting Meath back in the driving seat. The hosts briefly moved a point clear soon after as the game entered a tense final quarter.
Maguire steadied Louth with a converted free before Meath replied once more to maintain their slender advantage.
With time running out, Maguire produced the decisive moment of quality, confidently splitting the posts from distance for a superb two-pointer that ultimately secured victory for the visitors.
Louth held firm in the closing minutes to see out an impressive opening round win in difficult conditions.
Louth team: Aaron O’Donoghue; Matthew Kieran, Jack Ruane, Oliver Walsh; Finn McEneaney, Calvin Winters, Conor Marron (0-1); Tadhg McDonnell, Ronan Duggan; Pauric Maguire (0-5, 2tp, 1f), Connell Kelly (0-2, 2f), Joseph Lynch (0-1); Brian O’Neill (0-1), Cillian Duff (0-2), Rian McDonnell (0-1).
Subs: Mark Smith (0-1) for Ronan Duggan (Half-Time), Cillian McDonnell for Rian McDonnell (51’), Anthony Traynor for Finn McEneaney (56’), Tadhg Rooney for Cillian Duff (59’).
Meath team: Cormac Fitzsimons; Ben Browne, Tomas Clarke, Niall Rogan; Liam O’Donoghue, Harry McGuirk (0-1), Niall Smyth; Tomas Proudfoot, Alex Keane; Cormac McKenna, Thomas Dillon (0-1), Conn Brennan; Cormac Walsh (2-3, 1tp), Milo Stafford (0-1), Daire Loughran (0-1).
Subs: Jake Loughran for Alex Keane (44), Harry Keating for Harry McGuirk (58), Caolan Comey for Thomas Dillon (59).
