Carlow tore up the form book at home to halt Louth's winning streak by the minimum in an intriguing Division 3 encounter at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Sean Gannon’s first-half goal proved to be the difference between the sides. With scores at a premium, the three-pointer pushed Louth to their limit and gave Carlow the impetus to defend their lead.
Despite going to down to 13 men in the game's finale, Declan Byrne receiving a second yellow card and Ciaran Downey a black, Louth finished strongly to leave a point between the sides at the finish.
Carlow are a known commodity at this stage. They crowd out the space with walls of players around the perimeters and make the game an arm wrestle, and that is exactly what played out as Louth struggled to break the hosts down all evening.
Under the floodlit sky, Louth started the brightest, Sam Mulroy landing a free right out on the sideline, before Lee Walker and Brendan Murphy slipped through the less cohesive Louth defence for points for an early lead.
A trademark run from powerful midfielder Brendan Murphy down the centre paved a opening for Sean Gannon to finish. The centre-forward coolly finished to the roof of the net in the 12th minute.
Andy McDonnell responded for Louth, however the contest then settled into a pattern of pragmatism. Four scores for the remainder of the half, all dead balls.
With usual Carlow free-taker Paul Broderick absent, Darragh Foley stood up twice along with Daniel St Ledger to find the target.
Louth full forward Mulroy punished a Brendan Murphy black card with long-range free-kick at the end of the half making it 1-05 to 0-04 but that gap looked to be an unsurmountable one, even at the turn.
Stand-in free taker Foley, kept the scoreboard ticking as Murphy re-entered the fray after Louth had five attacks in that period without bearing fruit.
Mulroy finally sparked the visitors off with a free as they ate into the Carlow lead with three unanswered scores. Declan Byrne added to his tally before getting sent off for a second booking moments after the first.
Louth refused to relent and made it a one-point game through corner-back James Craven and Jim McEneaney.
Again, Foley was on hand to stretch Carlow’s cushion but Mulroy cut it back with a free of his own before Ciaran Downey was shown a black card, having been flagged by the umpire for an off-the-ball altercation.
That blow to an already numerically disadvantaged Louth pushed the game beyond them as Jordan Morrissey and substitute Darragh O’Brien picked off points on the counter.
Mulroy landed his sixth free along with an over-hit Ronan Holcroft effort to make Carlow stagger over the line to take home what could be a valuable victory in this ever tightening Division three.
Carlow: Robert Sansom; Barry John Molloy, Shane Redmond, Conor Lawlor; Benny Kavanagh, Eoghan Ruth, Ciaran Moran; Brendan Murphy (0-01), Sean Murphy; Jordan Morrissey (0-01), Sean Gannon (1-01), Lee Walker (0-01); Conor Crowley, Darragh Foley (0-04, 0-04f), Daniel St Ledger (0-01, 0-01f).
Subs used: Chris Crowley for BJ Molloy (50), Darragh O’Brien (0-01) for Conor Crowley (55), Diarmuid Walshe for L Walker (60) John Murphy for C Moran (67)
Louth: Fergal Sheekey; Fergal Donohoe, Emmet Carolan, James Craven (0-01); Anthony Williams, Bevan Duffy, John Clutterbuck; Tommy Durnin, Andy McDonnell (0-01,); Conor Branigan, Ciaran Downey, Eoghan Duffy; Jim McEneaney (0-01), Sam Mulroy (0-06, 0-06f) , Declan Byrne (0-02).
Subs used: Eoghan Callaghan for J Clutterbuck (43), Ronan Holcroft (0-01, 0-01f) for J McEneaney (55), Dan Corcoran for F Donohoe (66), Cian Callan for E Duffy (66), Ross Nally for C Branigan (70)
Referee: Alan Kissane (Waterford)
