Louth overcame Dublin and the dreadful weather conditions to battle their way to the Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U20 Football Final. Photograph by Matthew Burke (@mattsportspics) courtesy of Dublin GAA.
Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U20 Football Final
LOUTH 0-14 DUBLIN 0-11
By Dan Bannon at Protection and Prosperity Louth GAA Training Centre
Louth will play in back to back Dalata Hotel Group Leinster under 20 finals for the first time since 1978 and 1979 after defeating Dublin at home.
Last year’s finalists coped better with the biblical conditions than their visiting opponents to take a deserved victory in Darver.
With Louth idle the past three weeks after topping their group, it took the winners a while to settle. On the other hand, Joe Quigley and Luke O’Boyle didn’t need any time. Dublin’s dual threat got early scores as the hosts were understandably floundering to get their breadth.
When they did settle, it was around a dominant midfield area. Captain Sean Callaghan was sublime and the fruits of that labour was found in a six successive point scoring streak.
Ardee St. Mary’s wing back Tadhg McDonnell gave Louth the lead with a two pointer of the highest order. Dublin dug deep and made it a one point score before the half time whistle from Quigley’s second ’45 of the night.
Upon the resumption, the elements shifted in Louth’s favour down the dressing room end of the pitch. Having trained at the venue during the harshest of winter elements, that muscle memory showed.
James Maguire excited in the second half and Keelin Maguire thwarted anything Dublin ventured down the middle. Paddy Kelly was binging the charge for Damien Fennelly’s charges but they trailed by five.
Louth full forward Tony McDonnell was constantly keeping Louth’s scoreboard ticking with frees before going off injured. Dublin pushed in the final minutes, Quigley dragged a shot while stinging the palms of Tiarnan Markey.
The rain and conditions added to Louth’s siege and despite conceding two late scores they will now look to bridge the gap till the last time they won the equivalent competition back in 1981.
They’ll face last year’s winners and conquers, Meath for a repeat final.
Scorers for Louth: Tony McDonnell 0-6 (6f), Adam Gillespie 0-2 (2f) Tadhg McDonnell 0-2 ( 2pt), James Maguire 0-2 Pearse Grimes Murphy and Darragh Dorian 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: Joe Quigley 0-8 (2f, 1 2ptf, 2’45), Luke O’Boyle 0-3.
Louth: Tiarnan Markey; Padraic Tinnelly, Cormac McKeown, Micheal Reid; Tadhg McDonnell; Keelin Martin, Shane Lennon; Sean Callaghan, James Maguire; Pearse Grimes Murphy, Conor MacCriosta, Conor McGinty; Adam Gillespie, Tony McDonnell, Daragh Dorian. Subs: Dylan Shevlin for Tony McDonnell, (53) DD Reilly for Dorian (56).
Dublin: Aaron Lee; Emmet Brady, Darragh Murphy, James Brady; Ryan Mitchell, Charlie McMorrow, Jamie Smith; Stephen Hickey, Senan Ryan; Clyde Burke, Paddy Kelly, Luke O’Boyle; Paul Reynolds Hand, Jamie McCarville, Joe Quigley. Subs: Dylan Clark for Ryan (39), Dylan Kettle for Reynolds Hand (56), Shane Mullarkey for Quigley (64)
Ref: Jame Foley (Carlow)
