Leinster SFC: Determined Dublin reach decider

​Leinster senior football championship semi-final

Dublin 0-20 Louth 0-10

By Paul Keane at Laois Hire O'Moore Park

A statement win from Dublin in Portlaoise and their place in the Leinster SFC final secured with the minimum of fuss. Not exactly the sentence we expected to be writing this evening.

With Cormac Costello back to his very best, scoring 10 points on the same pitch he hit Louth for 1-12 in 2019, the Sky Blues turned their back on a difficult period to conjure their biggest win of the season so far.

They will face Kildare or Westmeath in the Leinster final on May 17 at Croke Park and on the basis of this performance, allied to their rich tradition, they will probably go into that one as favourites again.

Most impressive about this win was that it was achieved without injured captain Con O'Callaghan, along with Colm Basquel, Lee Gannon and Ross McGarry who are also nursing knocks and tweaks.

Dublin still dominated and built on a two-point half time lead with nine points in a row at one stage in the second half to kill off holders Louth long before full time in front of 10,312.

Gavin Devlin's Louth never really got going and blasted 13 wides, along with four score attempts that dropped short in the crucial second half.

Aside from Costello, Paddy Small impressed for Dublin with four points while there was a sound defensive effort overall and scores from rookie performers Nathan Doran and Charlie McMorrow.

Maybe it was the weight of chasing a first Championship win over Dublin in 53 years or maybe it was simply Dublin's powerful start, but Louth looked tense and they never really cut loose as we know they can.

Conor Grimes grabbed a point after just 17 seconds but Louth only added one more, from Sam Mulroy, before the game was 24 minutes old.

All-Star Mulroy forced one effort which didn't seem to be on and Tadhg McDonnell winced as he blasted two of the team's six first half wides.

Losing King Con was always going to sting for Dublin but it wasn't evident as they hit Louth hard and early, forcing big turnovers on Mulroy, Grimes and goalkeeper Niall McDonnell to create a series of good chances.

Dublin weren't flattered to lead 0-7 to 0-2 after 22 minutes as Small also blasted a good goal chance wide after intercepting a Louth kick-out.

McMorrow, starting just his second Championship game, scored a brace of points in the first half, the same as Costello.

Killian McGinnis, one of Dublin's better performers in the unconvincing quarter-final win over Wicklow, was a constant outlet for long deliveries down to the right corner.

Dublin certainly seemed to have a plan but they were powerless to prevent Louth reeling off four points to haul themselves back into the game.

Ryan Burns ignited the Louth crowd when he hoisted a terrific two-pointer and with Dara McDonnell and Mulroy adding singles, it was game on again with Dublin just two clear at half time, 0-8 to 0-6.

Dublin jumped back on the gas after the restart, Small with a point from a sumptuous sideline kick and McGinnis smashing a shot off the bar.

Craig Lennon and Burns had shots blocked at the other end for Louth as the intensity levels spiked.

But it was Dublin that looked calmest in the eye of the storm as they tagged on a series of unanswered points, nine in all, to put real daylight between the teams.

Their ball handling was on point as they retained possession for long spells and probed for openings, like the one that led to a 49th minute Costello two-pointer.

They intercepted another Louth kick-out for a Small point and when Louth defender Donal McKenny was pulled for overcarrying, resulting in a tap over free for Costello, Dublin led 0-16 to 0-08.

Costello was purring now and confidently picked off six points in a row at one stage as the Louth challenge wilted.

Dublin scorers: Cormac Costello 0-10 (1 tp, 0-3f), Paddy Small 0-4 (0-1 s/l), Charlie McMorrow 0-2, Nathan Doran 0-1, Niall Scully 0-1, Brian Howard 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1.

Louth scorers: Sam Mulroy 0-3 (0-2 45), Ryan Burns 0-2 (1 tp), Dara McDonnell 0-2, Conor Grimes 0-1, Emmet Carolan 0-1, Kieran McArdle 0-1.

Dublin: Evan Comerford; David Byrne, Theo Clancy, Nathan Doran; Seán MacMahon, Charlie McMorrow, Eoin Kennedy; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Brian Howard; Seán Bugler, Niall Scully, Ciarán Kilkenny; Paddy Small, Killian McGinnis, Cormac Costello.

Subs: Tom Lahiff for McMorrow 55, Luke Breathnach for Small 61, Cian Murphy for Kilkenny 70.

Louth: Niall McDonnell; Emmett Carolan, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Tadhg McDonnell, Dara McDonnell, Craig Lennon; James Maguire, Conor Early; Paul Mathews, Sam Mulroy, Conor Grimes; Ciarán Downey, Conall McCaul, Ryan Burns.

Subs: Kieran McArdle for McCaul h/t, Tommy Durnin for Grimes 41, Conall McKeever for Maguire 49, Leonard Grey for Tadhg McDonnell 55.

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).