Louth earn crucial early-season points

Louth 0-12 Westmeath 1-6:AN IMPRESSIVE second-half display saw Louth claim the spoils in a crucial battle of the "new boys" in Haggardstown yesterday.

Widely tipped to be scrapping it out for survival over the next two months, both sides struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, but after trailing by the minimum at the break, Louth took a grip on proceedings in the second period.

Despite fielding without their influential Garrycastle contingent, Westmeath enjoyed plenty of first-half possession and territory and could well have adjourned with a bigger lead at the interval.

Louth went two points ahead early on through Darren Clarke and Ronan Carroll, but Trevor English pulled one back for Westmeath and they hit the front a minute later with a well-worked goal. Alan Giles acted as target man, laying off to the inrushing Philip Sheridan, who teed up Callum McCormack for a simple finish from close range.

Louth managed to get their noses back in front with points from Carroll, Clarke and Paddy Keenan, but Westmeath finished the half strongly as efforts from Kieran Martin and McCormack made it 1-3 to 0-5 at the break.

Martin kicked an early free to extend Westmeath’s lead after the restart, but, inspired by 2010 All-Star Paddy Keenan, the hosts assumed complete control of the contest thereafter.

Liam Shevlin and Clarke levelled matters before Keenan took centre stage with a brilliant brace.

The midfielder then set up Aaron Hoey for another fine strike, before opening a 0-11 to 1-4 advantage with his fourth point of the game.

A couple of late points from Giles made for a nervy final moments for the home fans, but Clarke sealed the win with a 20 metre free deep in stoppage time.

LOUTH: N Gallagher; G Hoey, D Finnegan, R Greene; R Finnegan, D Crilly, L Shevlin (0-1); P Keenan (0-4), B Donnelly; J McEneaney, R Carroll (0-2), A Reid; D Maguire, J Califf, D Clarke (0-4, 0-3 frees). Subs: P Rath for R Greene (9 mins), A Hoey (0-1) for Califf (30 mins), A McDonnell for D Maguire (half-time), D Reid for J McEneaney (66 mins), S Fitzpatrick for D Finnegan (69 mins).

WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; M Curley, K Gavin, D McDermott; R Foley, M Ennis, K Maguire; T English (0-1), A Finnan; K Martin (0-2, 0-1 free), A Giles (0-2), P Sheridan; P Sherry, D Glennon, C McCormack (1-1). Subs: P Bannon for D Glennon (52 mins), J Egan for P Sheridan (63 mins), K Sheridan for T English (69 mins).

Referee: B Cassidy (Derry).