Lack of a clinical edge costs Louth hurlers dearly

NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A ROUND 3

MONAGHAN 1-19 LOUTH 1-15

The contrast of representing your county as a Louth hurler and a Louth footballer could not have been more overstated as on Sunday afternoon. 

A huge crowd witnessed the footballers recording a famous victory over Meath in Navan, while earlier in the day the hurlers suffered a defeat to neighbours Monaghan in front of 100 spectators at the Monaghan Centre of Excellence in Cloghan, a venue that did not even have a scoreboard.

The visitors could not build on their terrific victory over Roscommon a fortnight earlier, but they certainly had their chances to take the scalp of the previously unbeaten Farney men, who now sit on top of Div3A with full points from three games.

Two terrific goal opportunities in the first half were not taken and a total wides tally of 11, in comparison to just five for the home side paints its own picture. 

One positive for manager Paul McCormack was that he was able to welcome back Darren Geoghegan to the team, with the Waterford based student having missed both opening round games through injury.

He certainly continued from where he left off in his award-winning season last year, top scoring for the Wee County here with 12 points. On the day he was just outdone by Monaghan sharpshooter Fergal Rafter, who accounted for 1-11.

Louth had accounted for two wides before Ryan Walsh forced a terrific save out of keeper Hugh Byrne low to his left. Geoghegan opened the scoring from a long range free on six minutes and he should’ve added another from just 25 metres out but miscued his effort wide of the post.

A foul on full forward Conor Gernon presented Rafter with the chance from a 20-metre free to open his side’s account on 10 minutes. A rare mistake from Peter Fortune gifted possession to Thomas Hughes, who fired over from close range.

Geoghegan tied up matters on 13 minutes, firing over from play from a tight angle left of the post. Monaghan then accounted for three unanswered points, two from play from centre half Declan Hughes, in-between which Rafter fired over a 55-metre free.

Louth had their own period of dominance between the 18th and 28th minutes, grabbing six points in a row. Four of them came from Geoghegan placed balls, another was scored from the right wing by Sean Kerrisk and from the resultant puck out Geoghegan grabbed another from play to leave Louth 0-8 to 0-5 in front.

They lost their focus in the time that remained to the break as the home side built themselves an interval lead of two points with scores from Rafter (3), Declan Hughes and Niall Garland to leave the half time score at 0-10 to 0-8.

The Louth management made two changes at the start of the second half with Liam Molloy and Conor Murphy both introduced. After the home side had extended their lead with two early points they made a third change with Seaghan Conneely replacing Padraig Fallon. 

These chances did not appear to have the desired effect as Monaghan added four more unanswered points, two from Thomas Hughes and another brace of Rafter frees, which it at 0-16 to 0-8.

To their credit the team in red got themselves right back into this match when a good point from play from midfielder Peter Fortune was added to by another free from Geoghegan, awarded for a foul on Sean Kerrisk. 

They reduced the deficit to just three on 51 minutes when two of the substitutes combined, with Conor Murphy laying the sliotar off to Conneely, who netted a three pointer from close range. 

Rafter added to his ever-increasing tally with another brace of points before Kerrisk fired over a good point from 50 metres to leave the visitors trailing now by four with 15 minutes remaining. 

The game turned on 57 minutes when Monaghan were awarded a penalty which Rafter fired past Ricky McKeown with aplomb.

Darren Geoghegan managed to keep the 'missing' scoreboard ticking over with another four points from frees, but it was Rafter who had the final say to seal a third win in a row for Monaghan with a point from the right wing. 

Both of Louth's two remaining games in this campaign are at home, with the first of them against Fermanagh on Sunday March 12th in Darver at 2PM.

MONAGHAN: Hugh Byrne; Jack Guinan, Paddy Finnegan, Cathal McAnespie; Aaron O Coinnaith, Kevin Crawley, Conor Flynn; Colin Merrick, Niall Garland (0-1); James Slevin (0-1), Declan Hughes (0-3), Fergal Rafter (1-11, 0-9 frees, 1-0 Pen); Thomas Hughes (0-3), Conor Gernon, Conall McHugh. Subs: Ciaran Guinan for Gernon (41), Stephen Lambe for Slevin (52), Cormac McNally for Merrick (60), Pauric Malone for McHugh (66).

LOUTH: Ricky McKeown; Adam Plunkett, Danny Morgan, Ronan Mulholland; Conall Shaw, Sean Hodgins, Aaron McGuinness Smith; Peter Fortune (0-1), Feidhelm Joyce; Jamie McDonnell, Darren Geoghegan (0-12, 0-10 frees), Mark Gahan; Padraig Fallon, Ryan Walsh, Sean Kerrisk (0-2). Subs - Liam Molloy for S Hodgins (half time), Conor Murphy for M Gahan (half time), Seaghan Conneely (1-0) for P Fallon (38).

REFEREE: Aidan McAleer (Donegal).