Louth hurlers turn on the style to claim a famous win

Roscommon 0-15
Louth 2-16

On the long way home, Louth hurlers could bask like bandits in the glow of a wonderful raid. Dr. Hyde Park was the setting as Paul McCormack’s side put on a show against winless Roscommon to take the first two points of their Allianz NHL Division 3A League campaign.

As the locals scratched their heads afterwards, Louth lapped it up, taking in one of their most famous results in years.
Fully deserved, hard earned and true to form they absorbed a scare in the finale too.

It didn’t take the visitors long to sense that their opponents were there for the taking, and led by half backs Conall Shaw and Seán Hodgins, Peter Fortune, around the middle and Mark Gahan, Ryan Walsh and Padraig Fallon they were brave and went for the jugular.

Even when they lost Andrew Mackin, who had hit 0-2, to injury, substitute Conor Murphy stepped up to the plate with an unanswered 1-2 soon after his introduction. It was that kind of afternoon when all 18 players used were prepared to roll up their sleeves and get the job done.

By half time, Louth were pretty much out of sight, and with Roscommon down to 14 players following the dismissal of Eoin Fitzgerald after two yellow cards in quick succession, Louth didn’t need to take too many risks in the second half.

From the opening exchanges, it was clear that Louth were the hungrier side. They were quicker to the breaking ball, but they were allowed far too much latitude to engineer the space for a variety of eye catching scores.

Roscommon wing-forward Cormac Mulry did his best to respond to adversity, but he was ploughing a lonely furrow and his four points from play couldn’t prevent the house of cards from falling down around him.

After the Four Roads player opened the scoring, Mark Gahan got Louth up and running from a free, and two points quickly followed from the same player and full-forward Ryan Walsh. Walsh linked up expertly with his clubmate Seán Kerrisk all afternoon but especially early on.

Cllr Reilly welcomes clean-up at the water works site outside Dundalk

Clean-up at the water works site in Ravensdale in Dundalk

€304k for upgrade works on rural roads and laneways in Louth

Local Improvement Scheme

Mulry responded with a score off his left side, but Louth continued to probe, with Shaw, Hodgins, and sweeper McDonnell winning their collisions further back the field.

Andrew Mackin gathered a sideline cut and pointed on the turn before Walsh flicked a Fortune delivery from distance to the net in the 14th minute to embellish Louth’s excellent start.

Walsh athletically leapt in front of his marker James Dillon and goalkeeper Enda Lawless to majestically boost all those in red around him.

And that’s the way the half continued. Louth utterly dominant, with Gahan, Walsh, Mackin and Padraig Fallon looking dangerous every time they were furnished with possession. Even when Mackin departed injured, youngster Conor Murphy stepped into the firing line seamlessly.

That second goal highlighted Roscommon’s inability to bring their ‘A’ game to the table. Hodgins was allowed to run through the home side’s defence and the supporting Murphy supplied an emphatic finish. What an impact the young Moninne man is having so far at inter county level.

Darragh Finn finished off a rare move of enterprise from the hosts with a lovely score on the run but two yellow cards in quick succession for Eoin Fitzgerald rounded off a disastrous opening half as Roscommon trailed by 2-10 to 0-7 at the break.

With Brendan Mulry picking up more ball in the second half, Roscommon improved but they needed their captain closer to goal. To Mickey Joe Egan’s credit, he tried to lift the troops, but confidence levels around him remained on the floor.

Louth funnily enough are well versed at being in the lead in games so they didn’t need to be as gung-ho in the second half, and with Roscommon looking increasingly probing, trying to find a way back into the game, the visitors just kept the scoreboard ticking.

Half time substitute Egan, will start the next day for Francis O’Halloran’s side. The lively forward cracked over five frees to force his side back into the contest.

Louth looked vulnerable at times but held out thanks to excellent Danny Morgan at full back and McDonnell sweeping in front of him. Crucially midfielder Liam Molloy would pick the home side off with a crucial brace when things were starting to slip for Louth.

Case in point Louth’s first point of the second period arrived, thanks to the Knockbridge man in the 51st minute. Jack Dowling landed a brace and Mulry added to their side’s tally but a hat-trick of frees from winger Gahan was welcomed too.

The win now see’s Louth looking up the table rather than down. With three games remaining and two of them at home in Protection and Prosperity Training Centre at Darver, it certainly looks more positive but regardless of the points, the performance is really what can propel Louth further this season.

ROSCOMMON: Enda Lawless; Thomas Fleming, James Dillon, Eamon Mulry; Pádraig Brennan, Conor Cosgrove, Mark Ward; Darragh Finn 0-1, Jack Dowling 0-2; Brendan Mulry, Joe Brennan, Conor Mulry 0-5; Paddy Fallon 0-1 (1f), Eamon Flanagan, Eoin Fitzgerald 0-1. Subs: Darragh Mullen for Cosgrove (29), Michael Brennan for Fallon (HT), Mickey Joe Egan 0-5 (5f) for Flanagan (HT), Jack Naughton for P Brennan (48), Gearóid Egan for E Mulry (56).

LOUTH: Ricky McKeown; Ben Goss-Kieran, Danny Morgan, Adam Plunkett; Conall Shaw 0-1 (1f), Stephen Stafford, Seán Hodgins 0-1; Peter Fortune, Liam Molloy 0-2; Seán Kerrisk 0-1, Pádraig Fallon 0-1, Mark Gahan 0-5 (4f); Andrew Mackin 0-2, Ryan Walsh 1-1, Jamie McDonnell. Subs: Conor Murphy 1-2 for Mackin (19), Aaron McGuinness for Goss-Kieran (45), Jack Murray for Fallon (70).

REFEREE: Brian Keon (Galway).