Minors satisfied with opening win
LEINSTER MFL LOUTH.......................0-14 WEXFORD....................1- 9
Dermot McConnell, Louth, gets in front of Wexford's Dean Wright.
Wednesday March 10 2010
ANY kind of win in the first round of a competition is good for team morale and in this regard the management and selectors of the Louth minors will be happy with their day's work at The Ramparts on Saturday.
The Reds started poorly in the first half and Wexford threatened to pull away when they opened a 0-6 to 0-3 lead after twenty minutes.
However, the game changed in the ten minutes after half time when Louth went from two down to lead by 0-8 to 0-6 and their improved second half performance was good enough to keep them ahead. They were four points clear when Wexford got their goal deep in added time.
Daniel Grimes got the first score of the game when Peter Kirwan was fouled in the second minute and he went on to score six points in all in an impressive display from wing forward.
Louth were losing the contest around the middle third in the first twenty minutes and this was putting the defence under pressure from the fast running Wexford forwards. Sean Ring was accurate from frees and he sent over four in this period.
Fellow corner forward Graham Cullen and Jonathan Bealin added points from play and they were also guilty of some very poor wides. By contrast Louth were living on scraps and with square man Alan Lynch playing out around the middle the inside forwards got no change out of a tight defence.
Paudi Clarke converted a free and Peter Kirwan got Louth's only score of the second quarter two minutes from the break.
Sub Patrick Reilly's first touch was a pass to Tony McKenna who was fouled and Daniel Grimes pointed in the first minute. Two minutes later Grimes had the sides level with a great point from play and he hit the upright with his next attempt. Conal Hoey drew a great save from the Wexford keeper and Tony McKenna was narrowly wide.
Reilly got his score on ten minutes after good work by Conal Hoey and when Paudi Clarke turned his man Eoin Duffy got the first of his two points on the raid from wing back.
Louth were two points clear after eleven minutes of the half and they were in top flight against a Wexford team that looked more limited as the game progressed.
Reilly returned the compliment for Paudi Clarke, Daniel Grimes was deadly accurate from frees and Alan Quigley made an impact with a fine point from play and a pointed free from the right wing. Shane McMahon sent a long delivery to Patrick Reilly and he put the other wing back Eoin Duffy through for the final score of the game.
Louth will be pleased that they got to grips with the game in the second half after a poor start. They have big players around the middle who look like they can step up another gear, the defence tightened up as the game progressed and the substitutes improved the forward division.
