SPORTS REPORT: Louth get Leinster U20 defence off to perfect start
It was a perfect start to the Leinster U20 Football Championship for Louth on Friday night as the Wee County recorded an impressive 3-13 to 2-5 victory over Westmeath in Mullingar.
Louth were sharp from the throw-in and quickly took control of the game, showing the attacking strength that makes them serious contenders to retain their Leinster title. Leading the charge was St Mochta’s clubman Shane Lennon, who was in outstanding form and finished as top scorer with an impressive tally of 2-1. Lennon was at the heart of a dangerous Louth forward unit that caused constant problems for the Westmeath defence throughout the game.
Pearse Grimes Murphy also made a major contribution, finishing the night with 1-1, while Adam Gillespie added an important 0-4 to keep the scoreboard ticking over. By half-time, Louth had built a commanding 2-5 to 0-2 lead and they never looked back, continuing to dominate in the second half.
Wing-back Tadhg Devaney also played a key role in the victory. After scoring in the first half, he pushed forward strongly after the break and added two more excellent points to bring Louth’s final tally to an impressive 3-13.
The result puts Louth in a strong position early in the championship as they look to defend their Leinster crown, and it was a performance that will give supporters across Ardee and Mid Louth plenty of encouragement for the games ahead.
Connacht Minor Championship Round-Up
Meanwhile, in the Connacht Minor Football Championship, Roscommon held off a late Galway comeback at Dr Hyde Park to record their second win of the campaign.
Roscommon were the better side for most of the game and made full use of a strong breeze in the first half, putting together an eight-point scoring streak to open up a comfortable lead. Galway stayed in touch thanks to two points from Ryan Connolly, but Roscommon still led 0-8 to 0-2 at half-time.
Points from Bobby Lenehan, Cathal Nerney and Joshua Coyne stretched Roscommon’s lead early in the second half, even as they played against the breeze. Galway pushed hard late on, with Adam Healy converting two frees before Damien Mitchell reacted quickest to a rebound to score a goal and give Galway hope in injury time.
A late two-pointer from captain Oisin Ó Neachtain left Roscommon under pressure in the closing moments, but they held on for an important win.
Elsewhere, Mayo defeated Leitrim at Páirc Seán MacDiarmada, condemning Leitrim to their second defeat of the campaign. Leitrim showed great determination after a difficult start that saw them fall 1-8 to 0-0 behind after just fifteen minutes. They fought back bravely and reduced the gap to four points midway through the second half, but Mayo finished strongly to secure the win.
Overall, it was a busy and exciting weekend of underage championship football, with Louth’s impressive Leinster U20 victory the standout result for followers of Ardee & Mid Louth Sport.
