Louth have been crowned Dalata Hotel Group Under-20 Leinster Football champions after an exhibition of shooting saw them deservedly defeat Meath by seven points this evening in Newbridge.
In the process they became the first Louth team to win a men's Gaelic football provincial title at any grade in 44 years.
The sides couldn't be separated in the opening 15 minutes of the game with Jamie Murphy and Eamonn Armstrong prominent for the Royals and Adam Gillespie to the fore on the opposite side.
It was the attacking prowess in the minutes either side of half-time that won the game for Louth as Meath found it very difficult to keep up with the intelligence and quick thinking of Darragh Dorian and Tadhg McDonnell orchestrating nicely for their side.
First-half goals from Pearse Grimes-Murphy and Gillespie gave the Wee County a three-point lead at the break with both sides entertaining spectators on a glorious evening for football.
Louth had the lead out to eight just ten minutes into the second period with efforts from Gillespie, Dorian and a glorious Tadhg McDonnell two-pointer contributing to the healthy lead which the Royals struggled to claw back despite their best efforts.
For the winners the scores dried up in the final ten minutes of the game with a late Tony McDonell point their first since the 49th minute but the damage at that stage was done and Louth were deserving winners on a final scoreline of 2-19 to 1-15.
Rian Stafford and James Maguire exchanged early scores in the opening two minutes with Maguire opening Louth's account in style with a wonderful two-pointer.
Right from the off both sides were really at it treating the crowd to attacking, free flowing football at both ends and some wonderful skill on show in the opening half.
Shane Lennon and Eamonn Armstrong were next to exchange scores before Meath’s captain stood up to lead by example on ten minutes with the opening goal of the game.
Tadhg Martin made the most of a lapse in concentration from the Louth defence before gratefully collecting the dropping ball and firing to the left of Tiernan Markey and into the back of the net, pushing Meath ahead by three.
Whatever Martin could do for Meath, Gillespie could do just as well for Louth at the other end.
Moments after putting a close range free wide of the post, Gillespie made no mistake with his goal chance, burying the ball past Kealy in the Meath goal to level proceedings once more.
Jamie Murphy and Armstrong ensured the scoreboard continued to tick for Meath with their second points each from play with the accuracy of lively goal-scorer Gillespie keeping the Royal defence on their toes and drawing the sides level once more.
As an energy-sapping opening drew to a close, Louth were showing no signs of slowing down -1-03 in five minutes of play including a fantastic team goal finished by Grimes-Murphy.
His goal came after an inch-perfect pass from Patrick Dorian right over the top of the Meath rearguard and into the waiting arms of the Louth attacker who rifled his shot into the far corner of the goal. The goal put Louth in a deserved five-point lead as the half-time whistle approached.
Meath, however, did have time to respond, courtesy of a monstrous two-pointer from the impressive Murphy to leave three in at the break
Louth really upped through the gears on the resumption and blitzed Meath with a quickfire spell of points. Dorian and Gillespie hit two apiece.
A third point from midfielder Maguire then put the victors in real control with an eight-point advantage after 40 minutes
Finn White’s first score of the game followed by a wonderful two-pointer from Michael McIvor as Meath sought to claw back the deficit. And they were unlucky not to have their second goal of the game with ten minutes remaining. Markey skewed his kick-out straight into the path of Murphy who attacked with intent.
He should have kept going himself but unselfishly passed the ball off to Stafford who was denied by the Louth defence.
A second two-pointer from McIvor’s second two pointer left six in it with five to play.
Stafford, Murphy and Harkin all had attempts to raise an orange flag in the closing stages but nothing accrued.
Tony McDonnell put the icing on the cake with his fourth point of the game and the party could truly begin for Louth.
Meath: Matthew Kealy; Sam Jordan, Rian Early, Ciaran O’Hare; Tadgh Martyn (1-00), Fiach Hartigan, Finn White (0-01); Eamonn Armstrong (0-02), Michael McIvor (0-04, 2tp); Rian Stafford (0-01), John Harkin, Zach Thornton (0-01); Ben Corkery, Jamie Murphy (0-06, 1 tp, 2f), Liam Jennings
Subs: Cillian Yore for Fiach Hartigan, Michael O’Sullivan for Liam Jennings [42], Sean Betson for Zach Thornton [49] Pat Crawley for Ben Corkery [49], Conor O’Brien for Sean Betson [59]
Louth: Tiernan Markey (0-01, 1’45); Michéal Reid, Cormac McKeown, Padraic Tinnelly; Tadhg McDonnell (0-04, 1tp), Keelin Martin, Conor McGinty; Sean Callaghan, James Maguire (0-03, 1tp); Shane Lennon (0-01), Conor Mac Críosta, Pearse Grimes-Murphy (1-01); Adam Gillespie (1-03, 1f), Tony McDonnell (0-04, 1f), Darragh Dorian (0-02)
Subs: Dylan Shelvin for Conor Mac Críosta [53]
