Leinster SFC semi-final: Louth 1-18 Kildare 0-18
It finished with the rest of the summer flashing before the eyes of both teams. It wasn’t a classic knock-out, it just felt that way, as Louth eventually wobbled through to another Leinster football final and snatched the last remaining place in the All-Ireland series that came with it.
At times the momentum swung wildly, the contrast in emotions in the end understandably stark. Kildare had ample chances to win, the sides level with three minutes remaining, defeat ultimately consigning them to Tailteann Cup football for another summer.
It’s a third successive Leinster final for Louth for the first time in more than a century, and they would have been some distance outside Tullamore when hearing that Meath, and not Dublin, would be their opponents this time. If the later semi-final in Portlaoise went against most expectations, it sets up a fascinating final showdown. Meath were the last team to beat Dublin in Leinster, in the 2010 semi-final after which they went on to beat Louth in the final thanks to a controversial goal by Joe Sheridan.
This was always going to be high-stakes game and it played out exactly that way. Louth went a point up into the last stretch, appearing content to play down the clock from there, before Tommy Durnin kicked an excellent two-point score with two minutes remaining.
Still Kildare weren’t finished. Having gone six points clear after 15 minutes, after which Connal McKeever’s goal helped Louth orchestrate a 10-point turnaround, Kildare came again with increasing intent in the last quarter. Darragh Kirwan drew another point-blank save from Niall McDonnell, the Louth goalkeeper truly keeping them in the game. Then Colm Dalton levelled it again for Kildare on 63 minutes.
Suddenly it felt like Kildare’s game to lose. Louth called on all their experience, especially in Craig Lennon and Sam Mulroy, to steer momentum back in their direction. Needing a goal, Kildare did draw two 45-metre frees after the hooter had sounded, and although there was some disputing afterwards whether the game should have ended with that, they came to nothing anyway.
Louth manager Ger Brennan was happy to mingle with supporters afterwards, his counterpart Brian Flanagan heading straight for the Kildare dressingroom, contrasting pictures of triumph and despair.
“I was contemplating going home with our tails between our legs, because we were struggling to get out of our defence,” Brennan said of that frantic endgame. “I thought Kildare’s press was really good, their attack play was really good. But look, credit to our lads, that resilience they’ve demonstrated over the last five years to dig out the big results when it counts.
“Kildare did have a lot of opportunities in that second half. They left a lot of them behind. Part of that was due to your own defending and in particular the performance of Niall McDonnell. A couple of excellent saves, both in the first and second halves.
“And the other aspect is that you’re now in the All-Ireland Series. After this game, you’re either going to Croke Park or you’re going to, with the greatest respect, Fraher Field in Waterford for the Tailteann Cup. So that was something we were trying to use to motivate our players, and it’s a thrill to be back in Croke Park again.”
Lennon finished with four points, and the man-of-the match award too. Mulroy once again showed his value after returning from a hamstring injury, scoring two majestic two-pointers in the first half, one from a free, exactly when Louth needed them most.
Kildare had hit the ground running, racing into a 0-8 to 0-2 advantage after 15 minutes. Excellent under the kick-outs and efficient throughout their play, Alex Beirne, Darragh Kirwan and Colm Dalton helped lead the way, as they converted nine of their first eight scoring chances.
Then Louth declared a complete reversal of fortune, Mulroy switching to centre forward to good effect, and Louth went up 1-11 to 0-10 at the break.
“I think the four-point lead at half-time flattered us,” conceded Brennan. “But again, that’s down to the quality and resilience of the group to continue to battle and keep fighting. Ultimately, the one statistic that matters is the scoreboard. We managed to take more chances than them.”
For Flanagan, in his first season as Kildare manager, there was no denying this was an opportunity missed – and God knows how he felt after hearing Meath had beaten Dublin.
“Hugely disappointed, I thought we had a huge opportunity coming here,” he said. “It does feel like a huge opportunity left behind us. We had the chances. We gave ourselves a great platform, particularly in the first 15 minutes and the way we took over in the second-half, around the middle and in the shot chances that we created.
“We wanted to be in a Leinster final in two weeks. We wanted to be in Sam Maguire for the rest of the summer, but it’s not to be. Perhaps that’s part of the development of this group and if that is the case then so be it.
“Momentum is such a key thing in this new game and when you have it you have to be converting up top. Off the top of my head that we had six goal chances throughout the game. Louth just managed to keep us at bay, and we probably contributed to that with our own efforts.”
LOUTH: N McDonnell; D Nally, D Campbell, D McKenny (0-0-1); C McKeever (1-0-0), P Lynch, C Lennon (0-0-4); T Durnin (0-1-0) A McDonnell; P Mathews, C Downey, C Grimes; K McCardle (0-0-1), S Mulroy (0-2-3, three frees), R Burns (0-0-3).
Subs: D McDonnell for Mathews (41 mins); D McKeown for Burns, E Carolon for Campbell (both 58); L Jackson for McDonnell (60); C Branigan for Grimes (67 mins).
KILDARE: C Burke; B Byrne, M Dempsey, Ryan Burke (0-0-1); J McGrath, D Hyland, T Gill; K Feely (capt) (0-0-1), C Bolton (0-0-1); C Dalton (0-0-2), A Beirne (0-0-6, two frees), B McCormack; R Sinkey (0-0-1), D Kirwan (0-0-5, one free), B McLoughlin (0-0-1).
Sub: C Hagney for Bolton (h-t); N Kelly for McCormack (44 mins); J Hyland for Sinkey (54); R Houlihan for Gill (65); K Flynn for McGrath (69).
Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).
Attendance: 6,670.
