Gaelic Games

Ruthless Dublin rout Louth to seal Leinster MFC title

Two goals inside opening seven minutes shatter underdog’s dreams in Croke Park

Dublin players run towards the Hill after their victory in the Leinster MHC final. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Sun Jul 16 2017 - 16:19

Dublin 2-19 Louth 0-12

Luckless Louth had waited almost 50 years for an Leinster MFC final appearance at Croke Park yet, in truth, their race was virtually run within seven minutes.

Dublin goals from James Madden and James Doran in those opening minutes put the favourites well in the clear and on the way to a 33rd title at the grade, their first since 2014.

Dublin finished up with 12 different scorers in total and had the Player of the Match in Kieran Kennedy as they ran out 13-point victors.

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It was Louth’s first final appearance since 1971 yet they stood little chance after the early barrage from Tom Gray’s side.

Dublin’s reward is an early-August All-Ireland quarter-final clash with the Munster runners up while Louth will have a chance to atone at that stage also.

Louth hoped for a decent start to steady nerves yet they trailed by 2-3 to 0-1 before the game was even eight minutes old as Dublin opened up at an ominous pace.

Ross McGarry took just 19 seconds to open the scoring for Dublin with a point and doubled their advantage with a second, kicking scores off either foot.

Madden and Doran then struck goals within seconds of each other in the seventh minute to help open up that early eight-point advantage.

Another six points in a row before the break put Dublin 2-11 to 0-5 clear and left them already looking to the next stage.

Louth needed a miracle to rescue a result from the game but it never arrived as Dublin’s defence held firm and restricted Wayne Kierans’ side to just 0-3 from open play over the hour.

Dublin: D O'Hanlon; D Maher, P O Cofaigh Byrne, L Flatman; K Kennedy (0-1), N Matthews, E O'Dea (0-2); M Tracey (0-1), D Ryan; D Brennan (0-1), J Doran (1-1), J Madden (1-0); R McGarry (0-3), S Hawkshaw (0-2, 1f), D Lacey (0-4, 1f 145). Subs: A Byrne (0-1) for Brennan 38, C Archer (0-2, 1f) for Lacey 48, L Doran (0-1) for O'Dea 55, K Lynch Bissett for Treacey 56, E Joyce for Hawkshaw 58.

Louth: A McGauley; A Connor, P Trainor, D Corcoran; L Grey, E Callaghan, J O'Reilly; L Jackson (0-1), C Morgan; G Garland, C Keenan (0-5, 5f), F Malone (0-1); B Mooney, C Gillespie, J Gallagher (0-5, 0-3f, 0-1 45). Subs: A Molloy for McGauley 20, C Nicholson for Malone h/t, S Hickey for Morgan 37, S Byrne for Gillespie 49, K O'Neill for Garland 51, D McGreehan for Grey 58.

Referee: P Maguire (Longford).

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