Poor shooting costly as Louth exit U20 Championship

Leinster U20 Football Quarter Final

LOUTH 1-6 KILDARE 0-12

Louth under 20s season came to an end in Darver after holders Kildare showed exactly why they have possession of the trophy with a resilience display away from home.

Christy Grimes and Derek Walsh’s side twice held leads they could not hold on to as the Lilies dug deep to progress to the semi finals. What will annoy the duo most was the fact the game was there for them.

A sloppiness in Louth’s final pass, caused most of the damage and an unwillingness to shoot also became a factor as the minutes wore on. Kildare countered attacked superbly and in Callum Bolton, a shooter on the periphery, they could only dream of.

Again, what will vex the Louth camp is how well they defended and kept the ball for long spells. Louth’s defence only looked vulnerable when out of shape due to a turnover. But when set up, the full back line of Fionn Tipping, Cillian Taaffe and captain Mark Holohan can hold their heads high on a solid outing.

The frustration with wrong options and poor shot selection will grate and could grate even further depending on how their opponents do in the weeks ahead.

Rattling the future Leinster champions could see this bunch’s stock rise. Kildare play Laois next Tuesday so the easier side of the draw was also there for the young reds.

The match was supposed to be in Stabannon and that loss of venue could have been where they lost the game. Although they did start well and trained on hallowed Darver turf all winter, you felt this outfit were primed for another good showing in Stabannon.

The opening half was beyond cagey. A turgid affair for the neutral with both sides literally throwing caution to the wind in favour of staying in the game. Louth kept the ball for a passage of over three minutes that amounted to nothing. Only to then see Callum Bolton superbly penetrate the other end with a terrific long range shot.

Louth were set up well at the back and caused Kildare to slow their play down and get caught in possession. Harry Butterly cut in from the right wing to curl over with the left as Louth looked really promising in that period. The young reds landed the next two scores from a pair of Kieran McArdle frees.

The first free was for a trip on Butterly, which surprisingly didn’t amount to a black for Kildare. Butterly had just scored a point and it was a clear goalscoring opportunity. It was ascertained that he had tripped but the fact he was given a free by David Hickey was incomprehensible.

This cynicism worked for the visitors and something Louth did not adhere to in the second half when they were caught on the counter. With Louth two up and squeezing Cormac Barker’s restarts, they were on top, but Kildare were about to reel them in.

Bolton again fired off a missile and Fanning levelled after Kyle McElroy clipped over a free. The O’Raghallaigh’s man was emboldened by his first start. And better came from him early in the second half.

Liam Flynn sent Tom Mathews straight through but again he was pushed. Once more there was no card of any description. That lack of disciplinary action would prove costly because Kildare were rewarded by the cynical play in the finish and Louth naively didn’t adopt the same negative edge to their play.

So, Adam Fanning and a Ryan Sinkey free levelled 0-4 to 0-4 before half time that in itself was a huge psychological blow for the home side. Sinkey added another free upon the resumption, although Louth were about to find the net.

James Rogers got on the ball around the middle of the field and drove down the left hand side of Kildare’s defence. Interestingly, Kildare's Jack McKevitt, with seven on his back, but playing on Roger's side of the field, is a grandson of Cooley Kickhams great James McKevitt, who won Leinster and All-Ireland Junior titles with Louth in 1961.

Anyway with Rogers bursting through the gap, the move was building at pace and inside he found Cameron Maher who slipped it to Kyle McElroy. He lashed it home at the near post. Louth were now now firmly in the ascendancy, just five minutes into the second half.

Alas it was Kildare that got the response Louth didn’t need. Midfielder Shane Farrell bookended a four point run with two frees. Bolton whipped over a beauty and it was 15 minutes before Louth scored again.

In that period alone the game was won. With Louth chasing, Kildare punished and The Wee County didn’t adopt their opponents' fouling ideals, which was to their detriment. With that, the opportunity presented to them slipped out of their grasps.

Two late Seán Reynolds and Callaghan points would not be enough. Those hard earned efforts were cancelled out straightaway by lively substitute Eoin Cully. Kildare would hold firm with no real scares and await another final four day on Tuesday next. Another what might have been for Louth. 

LOUTH: Josh Finlay; Fionn Tipping, Cillian Taaffe, Mark Holohan; Liam Flynn, Tadhg McDonnell, Cameron Maher; Dara McDonnell, Seán Callaghan (0-1); James Rogers, Seán Reynolds (0-1), Harry Butterly (0-1); Tom Mathews, Kieran McArdle (0-2, 0-2 free), Kyle McElroy (1-1,0-1 free). SUBS: Darragh Dorian for Mathews (45), Daniel Reilly for Butterly (56).

KILDARE: Cormac Barker; Harry O’Neill, Ryan Burke, Tim Ryan; Jack McKevitt, James McGrath, James Harris; Luke Killian, Shane Farrell (0-3, 0-2 frees); Colm Dalton (0-1), Niall Dolan, Callum Bolton (0-3); Adam Fanning (0-1), Ryan Sinkey (0-2 frees), Oisín O’Sullivan. SUBS: Fionn Cooke for Killian (29), Ethan Moutaine for Harris (42), Eoin Cully (0-2) for Dolan (52), Daire Guerin for Bolton (55), Shane Hanafin for O’Sullivan (59).

REF: David Hickey (Carlow)