Louth hurlers suffer defeat to Sligo

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A

Sligo 5-19

Louth 3-17

Louth's survival in Div3A of the National Hurling League it would appear will now come down to the last round of fixtures over the St Patrick's weekend when they travel to take on neighbours Armagh.

Before that they will make the long trip west to Castlebar to take on table toppers Mayo the weekend after next where the home side would be expected to pick up maximum points.

Sligo inflicted this second successive defeat on Trevor Hilliard's charges when four goals in the opening quarter hour did the damage at a well turned out St Brigid's Park, Dowdallshill on Sunday afternoon. 

Many a team might have crumbled under the pressure of conceding so many early goals but not this Louth team who displayed spirit and resolve to certainly make a game of it under the circumstances.

Trailing by eleven points at the interval, the Louth management will take plenty of heart from the teams second half performance where they actually outscored their western opponents, who played in Div2B last season, by three points.
The first Sligo goal came after just two minutes when Thomas Cawley fired low into the corner of keeper Conor Clancy's net. 
The home side replied with a goal of their when Darren Geoghegan's initial shot was blocked out by the keeper with George

Allen picking up the rebound and firing home from close range.
The visitors responded with a point before top scorer Gerard O'Kelly Lynch was pulled down in the square by Andrew Smith, with Rory McHugh firing home the resultant penalty on six minutes.

Knockbridge man Smith was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes as the referee judged him to have denied Lynch a clear goal scoring opportunity. Louth responded with a brace of points from James Costello and Darren Geoghegan (free) after which the sides shared the next two points. 

The Yeats County then struck 2-2 without reply between the 11th and 15th minutes with Conor Hannify and Lynch accounting for the goals, both from close range, 4-4 to 1-3.
The Louth full back line were being run ragged and Kyle Rafferty was called ashore to be replaced by Adam Plunkett after just 17 minutes. 

The sides shared the next six points, which included a good score from range from Conor Quigley who was making a welcome return to the home team following a period out with a hip injury. 

Sligo extended their lead to twelve points on 25 minutes with a quick brace of points from O'Kelly-Lynch.
Geoghegan responded with another customary free before points from Hannify and Cawley had 13 between the teams 4-11 to 1-7.

Louth had the better of the exchanges in the closing minutes of the half with two pointed frees from Geoghegan and one from play from Conor Murphy seeing their side making their way to the dressing rooms trailing by 4-12 to 1-10 at the break. 
Darren Geoghegan opened the scoring on the resumption with a pointed free from inside his own half before adding another good point from play well set up by Conor Quigley. 

The first 20 minutes of this second half was essentially a shoot out between top scorers Geoghegan and O'Kelly- Lynch as they exchanged the next two points again from frees.

From a foul on Cawley the Sligo ace marksman grabbed his 9th point of the encounter before grabbing the winners fifth goal on 52 minutes from close range despite the suspicion of being a square ball infringement which was ignored by the referee. 
His 10th point soon followed before Conor Hannify grabbed another good point from the right wing, 5-17 to 1-14.

Louth wasted a couple of clear goal scoring chances before the next four points were shared as Sligo led by 15 points with just minutes remaining. 

There was still time however for the Wee County to make a dent on their scoring difference figures as Geoghegan took his tally to 14 points following a foul on George Allen. 

Substitute Seaghan Conneely then played Conor Murphy in to net a second goal from close range and the Moninne man added a third late in the game as he soloed through before firing past keeper Declan Reidy with aplomb. 
Others deserving mention in this brave Louth performance were Peter Fortune, Stephen Kettle, Thomas McCreesh, James Costello and substitute Mattie Fee. 

SLIGO: Declan Reidy; Donal Keaveny, Gavin Connolly, Kevin O Kennedy; Joe McHugh, Rory McHugh (1-0 pen), James Weir; Fionn Connolly, Tony O Kelly Lynch; Michael Munnelly (0-2), Eddie O Donoghue (0-2), Liam O Kelly Lynch; Thomas Cawley (1-2), Conor Hannify (1-1), Gerard O Kelly Lynch (2-12, 0-10 frees).

Subs: Niall Feehily for R McHugh (39), Shane Brennan for E O Donoghue (56), Eoghan Rua McGowan for J Weir (59), Daragh Flynn for L O Kelly Lynch (68).

LOUTH: Conor Clancy; Stephen Kettle, Andrew Smith, Kyle Rafferty; Thomas McCreesh, Peter Fortune, Jake McNamara; Paddy Lynch, James Costello (0-1); Aaron McGuinness Smith, Darren Geoghegan (0-14, 13 frees), Conor Quigley (0-1); John Casey, George Allen (1-0), Conor Murphy (2-1).

Subs: Adam Plunkett for K Rafferty (17), Mattie Fee for A Smith (36), David Stephenson for A McGuinness Smith 51), Seaghan Conneely for J Costello (56), Sean Hodgins for J McNamara (64).

REFEREE: Matthew Farrell (Roscommon).