Carlow continue to rise as they brought their strong League form to O’Moore Park in the opening round of the Leinster Senior football Championship.
The Barrowsiders were full value for their victory as they showed greater unity in dispatching Pete McGrath’s hapless Louth team who have contrastingly struggled in 2018.
Paul Broderick was a large part of Carlow’s game plan and his sparling 1-8 on the day provided the ammunition to carry off an emphatic victory.
The anticipation in both camps made for an error ridden opening exchanges, once the raised heartbeats settled, it was Declan Byrne who gave Louth the lead. William Woods quickly added another.
Carlow’s leaders Broderick and Sean Murphy quickly levelled the contest.
The game was a perfect example of the the modern day template of Gaelic football, banks of opposing players facing each other, constant search of support runners and measured attacks. Carlow, under their coach Stephen Poacher, were more comfortable in these passages and it told.
Woods and Broderick traded scores. Gerard McSorley the red men’s brightest spark on a dark day, notched the first of his three first half points.
Diarmuid Walshe was the indirect change for the departed Brendan Murphy, he pointed while Eoghan Ruth slotted into the middle with ease and the Carlow machine seamlessly kept chugging along.
Despite this, it was Louth who pushed on and went three up, through Tommy Durnin, Ryan Burns and McSorley but the pendulum swung once Derek Maguire received a black card Darragh Foley compounded matters with a brace of frees.
Maguire’s replacement Hugh Osbourne pointed before Broderick and McSorley exchanged points, but Louth were inevitably about to buckle under the Carlow pressure.
Sean Murphy crashed the cross bar and Walshe, Broderick and Eoghan Ruth finally swung the momentum to give them the lead for the first time and one they would not relinquish before the half time whistle. 10-9
After the resumption of second half there was only going to be one winner.
Louth’s indiscipline aided Turlough O'Brien's men to go four ahead as frees from Daniel St Ledger and brace from Broderick gave them the cushion they required.
With Louth desperate for goals and lacking ideas, a badly needed Burns free was all they could muster.
Broderick continued to add to his tally with free’s,Tommy Durnin replied in vain ahead of the floodgates finally opening.
A well-worked Walshe goal, quickly followed with a Broderick major with minutes to play provided the adequate gloss on a terrific all round display from Carlow who will give Kildare plenty to think about in the next round.
There was apt time for Ryan Burns to see red for an off the ball incident to round off a miserable day for the Wee county.
The counties last met two seasons ago in the same Portlaoise venue at the same stage of the competition, Louth were 10 point winners on the day and thats a perfect gauge to show exactly how far Carlow have risen considerably since that day.
Louth: Craig Lynch; Darren Marks,Emmet Carolan, James Craven (0-01); Derek Maguire, Bevan Duffy, Anthony Williams; Conor Grimes, Andy McDonnell; Ciaran Downey, Tommy Durnin (0-02), Gerard McSorley (0-03); Declan Byrne (0-01), William Woods (0-02), Ryan Burns (0-02, 0-02f).
Subs: Hugh Osbourne (0-01) for D Maguire BC (22mins) Ronan Holcroft for D Byrne (57 mins), Ross Nally for W Woods (62 mins)
Carlow: Robbie Molloy; Danny Moran, Shane Redmond, Conor Lawlor; Jordan Morrissey, Daniel St Ledger (0-01, 0-01f), Ciarán Moran; Séan Murphy (0-01), Eoghan Ruth (0-01); Seán Gannon (0-01), Darragh O’Brien, Diarmuid Walshe (1-02); Paul Broderick (1-08, 0-05f), Darragh Foley (0-02, 0-01f), John Murphy.
Subs: Lee Walker (0-01, 0-01f) for J Morriessey (63 mins), Mark Rennick for D Walshe (63 mins), Kieran Nolan for C Lawlor (68mins), Brendan Kavanagh for C Moran (68mins).
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)
