Louth 2-13 Wicklow 1-12:LOUTH, FAST acquiring the singular distinction of "O'Byrne Cup specialists", yesterday moved to within one match of a third successive final at a chilly but bright Drogheda GAA Grounds. On an afternoon when both teams played better against the wind, last year's Leinster finalists deservedly beat Mick O'Dwyer's Wicklow, but had to pedal a bit harder after half-time when the visitors improved on a poor first-half display.
Flattered to be only six behind, 0-6 to 2-6, at the break, Wicklow came out and out-scored their opponents but couldn’t close the gap on Peter Fitzpatrick’s team.
The match would have been a lost cause but for the vigilance of John Flynn in the Wicklow goal. Three times he intervened to prevent goals, and if the energetic Brian Donnelly’s 20th-minute shot was more of a poke, the other two were good chances, including a penalty from Shane Lennon after Derek Maguire had been brought down in the 16th minute.
Maguire, a late call-up for Colm Judge, nonetheless ended the day as top scorer after finishing a good move by Lennon and Smyth by palming to the net for a fourth-minute lead that Louth never lost, and again being on hand on the half hour to finish – albeit on his third attempt – another good build-up featuring All Star Paddy Keenan, the best player on view, and Lennon.
Keenan and Ronan Carroll dominated the middle, as Louth effortlessly found space in behind the Wicklow defence and threatened a rout for most of the first half.
Defence is where most of Fitzpatrick’s challenges lie after the emigration of John O’Brien and Mick Fanning, but Wicklow didn’t provide an exactly rigorous test once Tony Hannon had snapped up an early point after 20 seconds. But overall Louth’s corner backs Gerard Hoey and Ronan Greene were masters of the incoming ball.
Hannon moved out to centre forward and kicked a second point, and Leighton Glynn came on to add menace to the Wicklow attack, but the sharpest shooting was coming from centrefield where Rory Finn and Niall Gaffney helped themselves to a point each.
Whatever O’Dwyer said at half-time – and it’s doubtful he used up any particularly innovative interval rhetoric – Wicklow came out and, having cut two points off the deficit just before the break, hit the first three of the second half as well.
Five replacements got on the scoreboard throughout the match and one of them, Wicklow’s vocational schools captain Conor McGraynor, opened the second-half scoring and added a second, whereas for Louth Adrian Reid and JP Rooney scored immediately having come on to the field.
Wicklow increased their effort considerably and Paul Earls got through a pile of work, drifting back to cover and losing his boot in one saving tackle near his goal.
Darren Hayden also won a heap of ball and drew this tribute from his manager: “I thought he was the best player on the field. He won and carried and he’s as good a talent as has come out of Wicklow in the long time. He has a good level of fitness as well.”
A goal from another replacement, Seán Furlong – who nearly took the net off its hooks – on the hour cut the margin to two, 1-11 to 2-10, but Louth finished more strongly.
“It was an opportunity to try a few lads out today and a few lads done really well,” said Fitzpatrick, “I’m just really happy with the whole performance.”
O’Dwyer hasn’t, however, changed his view of football before May.
“I didn’t mind about losing it at all,” said the Wicklow manager. “Our performance in the second half was exceptionally good and I was delighted with that. We were very hesitant in the first half, so we made a few changes and jigged our team around a bit and that helped. It’s all about experimenting at this time of year.
“There’s only the one competition that matters in the GAA and I don’t have to tell you what it is. It’s the championship, and if you don’t perform in the championship, what difference does it make if you are first, second, third or fourth division? How you perform in the championship is how you are judged.”
LOUTH: N Gallagher; G Hoey, A Hoey, R Greene; R Finnegan (0-1), D Finnegan, S Fitzpatrick; P Keenan, R Carroll (0-1); D Crilly (0-2), A McDonnell, B Donnelly (0-3, 1f); D Maguire (2-1, 1-0 pen), S Lennon (0-2, 1f), P Smyth. Subs: A Reid (0-2) for McDonnell (45 mins), D Byrne for A Hoey (46 mins), JP Rooney (0-1) for Smyth (66 mins), A Kirk for Maguire (70 mins).
WICKLOW: J Flynn; C Hyland, A Nolan, A Byrne; P Cunningham, S Kelly, A McLoughlin; R Finn (0-1), N Gaffney (0-2); P Dalton, P Earls (0-1), D Hayden (0-1); D Odlum, T Hannon (0-4, 1f), D Siney. Subs: L Glynn (0-1) for Odlum (28 mins), S Furlong (1-0) for Siney (h-t), C McGraynor (0-2) for McLoughlin (h-t), S Canavan for Cunningham (56 mins).
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
