Mickey Harte's Louth repeat the dose to defy Limerick

Louth's Ciaran Byrne and Brian Fanning of Limerick

Allianz Football League Division 3 Final: Louth 1-14 Limerick 0-12 

Louth’s revival under Mickey Harte was reaffirmed on Saturday evening with an ultimately impressive and convincing defeat of Limerick in the Division Three Allianz Football League final at Croke Park.

A burst of 1-4 without reply midway through the second-half did most to separate the sides. For Limerick it must have felt like a second dose of bad medicine after the Leinster side scored 0-7 without reply to win in UL during the pool stages.

Sam Mulroy was once again the top scorer for the winners but it was Ciaran Byrne’s four points from play that proved to be the most notable of the individual displays in a game which won’t have any material effect on how either fares in Championship.

Louth engineered two excellent goal chances inside the first 15 minutes but Mulroy’s was saved by goalkeeper Donal O’Sullivan and an effort from Ciaran Downey was deflected out for a 45 by the hand of defender Michael Donovan.

The Leinster side struggled for openings from there to the break, going almost 20 minutes without a score at one point until Mulroy tipped over a brace of frees to leave them 0-7 to 0-6 in arrears at the interval.

Truth be told, the entire second quarter was something of a non-event but what invention there was came mostly from Limerick who fashioned all bar one of their seven first-half scores from play.

Hugh Bourke got a pair of them. So did Adrian Enright whose industry and clever lines of running and distribution were one of the few eye-catching aspects to a game played in front of maybe half of the declared attendance of 8,092 for this and the Division Four decider.

Limerick just about kept their necks out in front throughout a back-and-forth third quarter but Louth kicked for the line on the 53rd minute when corner-back Dan Corcoran intercepted some sloppy approach play and set up a swift counter.

Seconds later and Liam Jackson was haring through the centre and finishing low and emphatically under O’Sullivan to give them the lead for the first time since the 12th minute. Midfielder Tommy Durnin followed up with a sweet point off the outside of the boot.

Now that goal to the good, the balance of power had turned and Louth didn’t let up as they kept Limerick scoreless for 15 crucial minutes while buttressing their own numbers with that goal and the four white flags to lead by five.

There was no catching them from there.

Scorers for Louth: S Mulroy (0-6, 0-3 frees, 0-2 ‘45’s); C Byrne (0-4); L Jackson (1-0); N Sharkey, T Durnin, J Cutterbuck and D Nally (all 0-1).

Scorers for Limerick: J Ryan (0-3, 0-1 free); A Enright, H Bourke and P Nash (all 0-2); R Bourke (0-2 frees); M Donovan (0-1).

LOUTH: J Califf; D McKenny, B Duffy, D Corcoran; L Grey, N Sharkey, L Jackson; T Durnin, J Cutterbuck; C McKeever, S Mulroy, C Byrne; C Lennon, C Downey, D Nally.

Subs: T Jackson for Lennon (25); E Callaghan for Grey (27); C Grimes for Nally (59); C Early for Cutterbuck (66).

LIMERICK: D O’Sullivan; S O’Dea, B Fanning, M Donovan; C Sheehan, I Corbett, P Maher; D Treacy, C Fahy; A Enright, J Naughton, K Ryan; P Nash, J Ryan, H Bourke.

Subs: R Childs for Fahy (17); R Bourke for Nash (49); P De Brun for K Ryan (51); J Liston for J Ryan (59); T McCarthy for Treacy (66).

Referee: B Griffin (Kerry).