Horror show for Cats as Wee County wreak havoc

Louth ran up a sensational score when they obliterated Kilkenny in the Leinster U21FC at Ballyragget last night.

The ticket into the next round versus Longford was in the bag after no more than 10 minutes when the winners were already 1-8 to no score up.

The goal, at the end of a crisp passing movement, was smashed home by Ruairi Moore.

Louth roared on and at half-time, they led 1-21 to no score.

The losers opened their account in the 33rd minute when Brian Byrne pointed. The winners brought on a number of subs and each contributed to the 50-point winning margin.

Scorers for Louth: C. Bellew 1-5, B. Berril 0-5, B. Hamilton 1-2, S. O’Hanlon 0-4, W. Woods 0-4, E. O’Neill 1-1, R. Moore 1-1, B. Rogan 1-1, D. Kierans 1-0, E. O’Connor 0-3, P. Kirwan 0-3, N. Devlin 0-3, S. MacMahon 0-1, E. Duffy 0-1.

Kilkenny scorer: B. Byrne 0-2.

LOUTH:J. Flanagan; C. Murray, D. Campbell, T. Hand, M. Neary, P. Reilly, E. Duffy, E. O’Connor, S. O’Hanlon, R. Moore, C. Bellew, P. Kirwan, B. Rogan, W. Woods, B. Berrill.

Subs: N. Devlin for E. O’Connor, D. Kirwan for B. Berrill, E. O’Neill for R. Moore, S. MacMahon for T. Hand, B. Hamilton for W. Woods

KILKENNY:G. Smith; D. Brennan, N. Kenny, N. Cullinane, D. Wilson, K. O’Brien, K. Delaney, K. Bergin, E. Walsh, L. Blanchfield, B. Byrne, A. Fogarty, J. Fennelly, D. Kelly, A. Foley.

Referee: J. Hickey.

Comment By John Fogarty

Kilkenny football hit a new low last night with their U21s’ astonishing 50-point defeat to Louth, 6-34 to 0-2.

We must be mindful not to be overly critical of these young men.

After all, they actually bothered to line out for their county when reportedly 11 others failed to turn up, thus depriving the management of making any substitutions.

The defeat, though, is yet another indictment of the county’s attitude to Gaelic football. Last year, they lost at the same stage by 29 points to Carlow. While fingers may be pointed elsewhere to counties that show contempt to hurling, Kilkenny doesn’t seem fazed by such football embarrassments.

We can’t expect much from the seniors either where they are as far from even a moral victory in Division 4 as ever before. It’s only from building at underage level that such remarkable capitulations can be avoided. But are Kilkenny bothered? That is the question.