Louth suffer extra-time heartbreak against Rossies in All-Ireland MFC

Louth’s dreams of an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship semi-final were dashed in a thrilling encounter against Connacht champions Roscommon.

Despite a courageous performance, the Wee County fell short, losing by just a point after extra time at Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan this evening.

From the opening minutes, it was clear that both teams were feeling the weight of the occasion. Nervy early exchanges saw Louth waste their first two shots, while Roscommon also misfired in the early stages.

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However, the young Reds settled quickly, with sharpshooter Connell Kelly scoring their first point from a clinical 45 to get Louth on the scoreboard after nine minutes.

Roscommon responded well with points from Luke Shally and Sam Hannon, but Louth quickly found their rhythm.

Jack Martin added a lovely point, and Kelly fired over a stunning 50-meter free to extend Louth's advantage to 0-5 to 0-3 by the 17th minute.

In the final minutes of the first half, Louth's resilience continued, with Cillian McQuillan landing a superb two-pointer to give the Wee County a two-point lead at the break.

It was an exciting first half, with both teams creating plenty of scoring opportunities; however, Louth were unlucky not to have a bigger lead.

Half time: Louth 0-8 Roscommon 0-6

The second half saw Roscommon fight back. Dean Casey converted a free, and Sam Hannon slotted over a crucial two-pointer to bring the game to a tense 0-11 to 0-10 with Louth still leading.

A great block by Ciaran Titley denied Roscommon a goal opportunity, keeping Louth in front. However, the match became even more intense as the minutes ticked by.

A brilliant score from substitute Oisin Reidy gave Louth a two-point lead at 0-14 to 0-12, but Roscommon were determined, and they equalised through Dara Curren’s free to make it 0-14 apiece.

The game ended dramatically, with Louth down to 14 men after Tom Maguire was black-carded, but Titley’s heroic block took the game to extra time.

Full time: Louth 0-14 Roscommon 0-14

Extra time began with Johnny Clerkin's side taking a crucial lead when Michael McGlew poked home a goal in the 61st minute to go 1-14 to 0-14 ahead.

But Roscommon weren’t finished, and a late goal from Luke Shally and a series of well-taken points edged them ahead in the dying moments.

In the second half of extra time, Jack Martin’s cool finish gave Louth a narrow lead, but Roscommon’s experience and composure in the final minutes saw them take the lead for good.

Despite Louth’s valiant fight, Roscommon managed to hold on for a dramatic one-point win.

Louth showed incredible heart and resilience, and while they fell short in the end, their efforts will not be forgotten. The team can hold their heads high after a truly remarkable year.

Full time: Louth 2-15 Roscommon 1-19

Louth: Senon Connolly; Finn McEneaney, Ciarán Titley, Chris Conlon; Michael McGlew (1-1), Tadhg Devaney, Conor Marron; Tom Maguire (0-1), Cillian McQuillan (0-3); Seán Marron, Andrew O’Reilly (c) (0-2), Senan Hoey (0-1), Cian Rooney, Jack Martin (1-1), Connell Kelly (0-5).

Subs: Conal Mannion on for Seán Marron (HT), Niall McCreesh on for Senan Hoey (39'), Oisin Reidy (0-1) on for Cian Rooney (53'), Charlie McBride on for Conal Mannion (72').

Roscommon: Cian Trimble; Conor Tighe, Diarmuid O’Higgins (0-2), David Mannion; Seamus Hussey, Tadhg Rogers, James Cassidy; Alex Oates, Sam Hannon (0-4); Christopher Freerick, Dara Curren (c) (0-4), Luke Shally (1-3); John Price- (0-1), Shay McGuinness (0-1), Dean Casey (0-2).

Referee: Pat Clarke (Cavan).