NICKY RACKARD CUP FINAL/London 2-20 Louth 0-11:CORK NATIVES Martin Finn and Kevin Canty were key contributors as London put Louth to the sword with a convincing second-half display to win the Nicky Rackard Cup at Croke Park on Saturday.
Louth tested the credentials of their heavily fancied opponents until the final quarter.
Finn and Louth’s Diarmuid Murphy gave an exhibition of free-taking in the opening period, regularly slotting placed balls from around the 65-metres mark.
Crucially though, Finn struck for two goals that gave London a 2-7 to 0-7 lead at the change of ends.
Former Cork senior Kevin Canty was introduced just before the interval but he cut loose after the resumption, scoring five points from play as Louth’s resistance was finally broken. Murphy did bring his tally to eight points from frees but there was no doubting the result.
LONDON: A Ryan; T Hogan, B Costello, C Burke; M Walsh (0-2), C Forde, G Hill; E Cooney, K Bolger; R O’Connell (0-1), S Ryan (0-2), N Forde (0-1); P Sloane, M Finn (2-8, 0-6 frees, 0-1 65), H Vaughan. Subs: K Canty (0-5) for Cooney (30 mins), J Maher for Vaughan (41 mins), D Maher for Hill (49 mins), J Mulcahy (0-1) for Bolger (52 mins), B Hassett for Corcoran (64 mins).
LOUTH: E McArdle; M Wallace, C Kerrigan, A Wallace; D Horan (0-1), R Byrne, Donagh O’Sullivan; G Smyth, D Dunne; D Kettle, S Callan, D Murphy (0-8, frees); B Corcoran, P Brennan, Diarmuid O’Sullivan (0-1). Subs: W Morrissey for Brennan (43 mins), D O’Hanrahan for Smyth (55 mins), S Fennell (0-1) for Kettle (55 mins), K McNally for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (58 mins), K Walsh for Sloane (62 mins).
Referee: M Haverty (Galway).
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