Louth victorious over Wicklow to claim O'Byrne Cup Shield

Louth 1-18
Wicklow 2-10

Bright skies and a wet slog at noon. The backdrop symbolised the faith of some Louth careers, a chance to impress in Dowdallshill as a number of auditionees staked a claim to a national league place after defeating Wicklow. The win earned the group that long awaited re-fixed O’Byrne Shield at the third attempt.

After winning the free, Kyle McElroy handed the ball over to Jay Hughes. The more experienced panel member eager to stake his claim perhaps, in his first showing in red this season.

Amid the pure opening onslaught from the hosts, Hughes slotted the free but McElroy scored the next point from play off a devastating counter attack.

Despite four men lined up inside, Wicklow pondered with the ball and Conall McKeever showed his strength driving up the field.  Clans man opted not to give it to the Gaels Dylan McKeown in the build up. Tongue in cheek diplomacy but it was the right decision regardless.

Peter McStravick was nominated for the long range frees and out on the left and he found the range before Hughes whipped over the fourth successive point. Scoreless Wicklow at this stage had more turnovers, five, than Louth’s points tally. 

Two points for Wicklow finally settled Oisín McConville’s side. Again, Louth’s fringe men's eagerness to get into the game, tackle and look for work culminated in a couple of needless frees.  Oisín McGraynor could only point one of those but worse was to come for Louth.

Dowdallshill pitch and low angle passes then became a feature of Louth’s play after the bright start. Hughes had a goal chance thwarted but Conal McCaul could have and maybe should have gone himself. The indecision in the extra pass was a sign of the day.

That sloppy malaise extended further when goalkeeper Martin McEneaney let a ball slip and McKeever in covering handled the ball on the ground for a penalty. Eoin Darcy dispatched, and Ger Brennan’s side perplexingly trailed 1-4 to 0-5 after 25 minutes.

Brennan would have been delighted by the response however. McKeown thumped over from range and McStravick stroked a long range free off the deck to level. McElroy ended the half with a palmed point at the back post to give Louth a one point half time lead 0-08 to 1-04.

Craig Lynch confirmed his return to the Louth set up with an expected half time substitution. Both players with seven on their backs opened the scoring for both sides. Conall McKeever first, and Liam O’Neill added his second from distance.

Cometh the hour, Commins the man, for the second half. The Ardee forward enjoyed his return to the venue with two impressive scores after a quiet opening. Hand firmly raised in front of the dugout.

A lovely slip and show from Seán Marry was enough to round the Wicklow goalie Cathal Fitzgerald for what would be the shield clinching goal. McStravick drove down the centre but Marry’s hips done the trick.

With that cushion Louth could take three three points in a row, but they could not sustain substitute Padraig O’Toole’s low drive that levelled the game. That meant a heavy ten minutes for the fringe outfits to finish.

In the finish, Louth's sediments were stronger, hitting five scores on the trot.

Training with Division 2 outfit paid dividends as Commins clipped over his third, McKeown notched his first free, replacement Tom Gray turned sharply along with Marry, and Ben Collier’s first ever point securing Ger Brennan’s first piece of silverware under his new reign.

LOUTH: Martin McEneaney; Oisín McGuinness, Chris O’Neill, Cameron Maher; Leonard Grey, Niall Sharkey, Conall McKeever 0-1; Conall McCaul, Wayne Campbell; Peter McStravick 0-3 (2f), Seán Marry 1-1, Jonathan Commins 0-2; Kyle McElroy 0-3, Dylan McKeown 0-4 (1f), Jay Hughes 0-2 (1f).

SUBS: Craig Lynch for McEneaney (h/t), Tom Gray 0-1 for McElroy (h/t), Donal McKenny for McGuinness (h/t), Ciarán Murphy for Sharkey (h/t), Ben Collier 0-1 for McCaul (39), Tom Jackson for Grey (47), Liam Flynn for McKeever (47), Seán Reynolds for Hughes (47).

WICKLOW: Cathal Fitzgerald; Jack Treacy, Liam O’Neill 0-2, Fintan O’Shea 0-1; Karl Furlong, Eoin Murtagh, Zach Cullen; Jack Kirwan, Declan Doyle; Gavin Fogarty, Conor Fee 0-1, Cillian McDonald; Eoin Darcy 1-3 (1-0p, 0-2f), Oisín McGraynor 0-2 (1f), Darragh Fee.

SUBS: Malachy Stone for Furlong (h/t), Gearóid Murphy 0-1 for C Fee (h/t), Adam Arslan for D Fee (42), Martin Cullen for Z Cullen (47), Pádraig O’Toole 1-0 for Doyle (50), Dan Cooney for Darcy (55)

REF: Ian Howley (Dublin).