O'Byrne Cup semi-final: Louth rule Royals
January 22, 2017
Louth's Derek Maguire with Graham Reilly Meath during the O'Byrne Cup semi final at Pairc Tailteann
Louth posted a decisive win over Meath in this rousing Bord na Mona O'Byrne Cup semi-final at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.
Louth ....... 1-14
Meath ....... 0-10
On an overcast and calm afternoon, the game turned with 23rd minute dismissal on a red card of Meath's Alan Forde.
It followed an outbreak of unsavouriness following a high tackle on Meath captain Graham Reilly. Andy McEntee's men led by 0-4 to 0-2 at the time.
Colin Kelly's charges responded with six scores on the spin either side of the break and were able to repel Meath's second-half rally.
Despite numerical disadvantage, Meath closed the gap to two points, 0-8 to 0-10, by the 58th minute. Some costly misses prevented the home side making further inroads on the deficit.
Louth closed in on their first O'Byrne Cup final since 2011 by outscoring Meath by 1-4 to 0-2 in the latter stages.
The introduction of Joe Sheridan for the black carded Jack Hannigan raised the rafters but the Seneschalstown man was unable to stop Jim McEneaney well-struck
69th minute penalty.
Louth have a final date next Sunday while Meath's attentions turn to their NFL Division 2 campaign.
The opening 14 minutes yielded just two scores, both Ruairi O Coileain frees. Points in quick succession from Tommy Durnin and Anthony Williams levelled matters levelled matters for the first time 16 minutes in.
Meath countered this with their score of the half, an Eamon Wallace effort with help from O Coileain. A Sean Tobin 45 left it 0-4 to 0-2 to the Royals with 20 minutes gone.
Then came the bust-up following a foul on Graham Reilly. Before play resumed Forde was redcarded. Louth closed out the half with four unanswered points; two on the bounce from Derek Maguire, the latter an outstanding effort for which Liam Dullaghan provided the assist.
That left Louth leading 0-3 to 0-2. Maguire's second score levelled matters for the second time. Louth took pole position for the first time through Declan Byrne in the 34th minute. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Durnin's second score left it 0-6 to 0-4 to the visitors at the break.
Louth - Craig Lynch; Padraig Rath, Paddy Reilly, Kevin Carr; Derek Maguire (0-3), Liam Dullaghan, Anthony Williams (0-1); Tommy Durnin (0-2), Andy McDonnell (0-2); Declan Byrne (0-1), Paraic Smith (0-1), Bevan Duffy; Conal McKeever, Ronan Carroll, Gerard McSorley. Subs - Jim McEneaney (1-1) for Carroll (32), Sam Mulroy (0-3, 1f, 1 45) for McSorley, John Bingham for Reilly (51), Adrian Reid for McKeever (59), James Stewart for Dullaghan (65), Ross Nally for Smith (69), James Califf for Durnin (70).
Meath - Jack Hannigan; David McQuillan, Donal Keogan, Sean Curran; Seamus Lavin, Brian Power, Alan Forde; Bryan Menton (0-1), Cian O'Brien (0-1); Ruairí Ó Coileáin (0-3 2fs), Graham Reilly, Eamon Wallace (0-1); Kevin Ross, Paddy Kennelly, Sean Tobin (0-1 45). Subs - Conor McGill for Curran (34), Conor Downey (0-2) for Lavin, Cillian O'Sullivan for Tobin (41), Bryan McMahon (0-1 f) for Ross (41), Shane McEntee for O Coileain (bc 59), Donal Lenihan for Wallace (64), Joe Sheridan for Hannigan (bc 70).
Referee - David Moore (Laois)
