Louth celebrate second Lory Meagher Cup triumph

Wee county's strong finish too much for Fermanagh

WEE CELEBRATIONS: The Louth players celebrate after their eleven-point Lory Meagher Cup final win over Fermanagh at Croke Park.

Lory Meagher Cup: Louth 2-19 Fermanagh 2-8.

Two goals from Louth full-forward Andrew Mackin in either half saw Louth capture the Lory Meagher Cup for the second time against Fermanagh. Mackin clearly enjoys the spectacle as he found the net in the previous final in 2016.

Nerves were plenty during the opening passages of play in the tiered final but Louth’s failure to keep their discipline saw that Fermanagh were in plenty of possession but importantly not on the scoreboard.

Fermanagh’s Seán Corrigan found the range from a free before having to retire injured. His loss at full forward was felt for the Ernesiders as they already began the game without key forwards Shea Curran and Luca McCusker.

Louth forwards Feidhelm Joyce and David Kettle would peg Louth back on level terms on two occasions but they were struggling to get a foothold on proceedings. Fermanagh captain John Duffy finally provided daylight between the sides by dispatching a well-taken goal.

The goal came on the stroke of the first half water break and Louth manager Paul McCormack was able to settle his side down and it showed in the run into half time. Louth fired off 1-3 to no reply in that period.

With his manager's words still ringing in his ears, Louth full-forward Mackin booted to the net shortly after. The Naomh Moninne man burst through four players in doing so. Fermanagh were stunned and trailed 1-6 to 1-3 at half time.

Fermanagh were level right from the throw-in through a Ciarán Corrigan goal and led soon after from Conor McShea but that was as good as it got for Joe Baldwin’s men as Louth responded in impressive fashion.

Geoghegan took the air out of the contest with three frees in a row topped off by replacement Ryan Walsh’s first touch for a point. Geoghegan would end the game with nine frees in total.

Mackin pounced for his second goal after the water break again and Louth strolled to an eleven point victory.

Scorers for Fermanagh: J Duffy (1-3, 1-0 pen, 3f), C Corrigan (1-1), C Duffy, S Corrigan (free), T Keenan and C McShea (0-1 each).

Scorers for Louth: D Geoghegan (0-9, frees), A Mackin (2-1), David Kettle and Paul Mathews (0-2 each), C Deane, N Keenan, R Walsh, P Fallon and F Joyce (0-1 each).

LOUTH: D Connolly; M Fee, R Byrne, L Molloy; C Deane, J McDonnell, A McCrave; N Keenan, J Costelloe; Da Geoghegan, F Joyce, S Crosbie; P Mathews, A Mackin, D Kettle. 

Subs: D O’Hanrahan for Costelloe (39), R Walsh (0-01) for Kettle (43), S Curran for Flanagan (54), P Fallon (0-01) for Joyce (58), G Kerrigan for Paul Mathews (54), S Callan for Keenan (68).

FERMANAGH: M Curry; C Duffy, A Breslin, A Flanagan; R Porteous, D Teague, F McBrien; C McShea, D Bannon, C Duffy, M Slevin, J Duffy; T Keenan, S Corrigan, C Corrigan. 

Subs: B McPhillips for S Corrigan (24) JP McGarry for Bannon (ht), L McCusker for Slevin (45) A McShea for T Keenan (69).

Referee: G McGrath (Wexford).