Louth are headed back to the Leinster final for the third time in succession after they managed their path past a Kildare side that once again showed all the same failings that have haunted them this year.
When it came to the statistics and the measurables that are leaned on by statisticians to put shape and structure on the chaos that is 70 minutes of championship football, Kildare were ahead in most of the categories. But when it came to the big moments that will live long in the memory, the split second plays that define winners and losers in big games, Louth always had the upper hand.
Kildare's dominance of the primary possession battle was total, they exploded out of the blocks by converting eight out of their first nine scoring chances to lead by 0-08 to 0-02 with 15 minutes played. Along the spine of the pitch, Darragh Kirwan, Kevin Feely, David Hyland and in particular Alex Beirne were in control of their respective domains.
But once Ryan Burns and Sam Mulroy split the posts in quick succession, Louth were in the game, and without ever lighting up Tullamore with sustained spells of brilliance – a superb display from man of the match Craig Lennon the exception - they delivered the clutch moments that got them back into the game.
First, it was Mulroy stroking over a free from 53 metres out that halved the gap from four points to two, making light of his recent hamstring issues.
Craig Lennon scored a fine point on the turn and then had another goal effort blocked by Ryan Burke, but after Darragh Kirwan and Donal McKenny traded points, a long ball over the top found Ryan Sinkey, and only Niall McDonnell stood between the Naas attacker and the Park Avenue end goal. Sinkey didn't back his pace and shot early, picking out the bottom corner but just giving McDonnell enough time to read the shot and make a superb diving save.
Mulroy followed up by giving Louth their first lead on a two-point kick, then it was their turn for a goal chance, and they made it count. Again Lennon was central, taking a pass from Peter Lynch and holding it up just perfectly before timing his pass to Kieran McArdle. McArdle drew Cian Burke out from the goal and squared a handpass across to Conall McKeever, who danced with one foot either side of the six-metre square before leaping in to fist it to the net.
Brendan Griffin asked the question of his umpires but the goal was given, and as the hooter sounded, Louth had turned a six-point deficit into a four-point lead.
That was still the margin midway through the second half after the sides scored three times each in the third quarter, but Kildare should have had way more. They continued to enjoy far more possession with Louth making no impression at midfield or half-forward in that time, while Dermot Campbell got just about enough on another Darragh Kirwan effort to ensure that McDonnell had a much easier save to make.
Kirwan and Alex Beirne continued to impress, but while the rest of the team pulled their weight in terms of teamwork and energy, they lacked spark. Colm Dalton and Brian McLoughlin kicked points as the pressure mounted and Kildare finally drew level entering the closing stages, but another move saw Kirwan drive another powerful shot straight at McDonnell, and when Louth finally were able to mount an attack, Craig Lennon made it count.
Once again Kildare equalised, patiently turning down a two-point chance to work the ball to Dalton for the equaliser, and again they threatened a goal from a high-ball, this time sending a toe poke narrowly wide, the sixth of six missed goal chances overall.
Kieran McArdle’s first score of the day and a booming kick from Tommy Durnin from outside the 45m line left them needing a seventh but despite chaos at the end, with Kildare dropping in two 45s after the hooter had sounded, that never came, and they were condemned to the wilderness of Tailteann Cup football. For Louth, a Leinster final in two weeks awaits.
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny (0-01); Conall McKeever (1-00), Peter Lynch, Craig Lennon (0-04); Tommy Durnin (0-02, 1tp), Paul Mathews; Andy McDonnell, Ciarán Downey, Conor Grimes; Kieran McArdle (0-01), Sam Mulroy (0-07, 0-01 free, 1tp, 1tpf), Ryan Burns (0-03).
Subs: Dara McDonnell for Mathews (41), Dylan McKeown for Burns (58), Emmet Carolan for Campbell (58), Liam Jackson for A McDonnell (60), Conor Branigan for Grimes (67)
Kildare: Cian Burke; Brian Byrne, Mark Dempsey, Ryan Burke (0-01); James McGrath, David Hyland, Tommy Gill; Kevin Feely (0-01), Callum Bolton (0-01); Colm Dalton (0-02), Alex Beirne (0-06, 0-02 frees), Ben McCormack; Ryan Sinkey (0-01), Darragh Kirwan (0-05, 0-01 free), Brian McLoughlin (0-01).
Subs: Cathal Hagney for Bolton (half-time), Niall Kelly for McCormack (44), Jimmy Hyland for Sinkey (54), Ryan Houlihan for Gill (65), Kevin Flynn for McGrath (70).Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).
