Dublin cruise past Louth to claim 13th Leinster title in a row

ON THE TURN: Con O'Callaghan of Dublin in action against Conall McCaul of Louth during the Leinster SFC final at Croke Park. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

DUBLIN 5-21 LOUTH 0-15 

A facile 13th consecutive Leinster SFC title for Dublin on Sunday afternoon has sealed them a Sam Maguire Cup group with Roscommon, Kildare and Sligo.

Courtesy of this win, they will return to Croke Park the weekend after next when they will face Roscommon. That same weekend, Louth will entertain Cork in Navan before they go to Mayo and in their final group game meet Kerry in a neutral venue.

In front of a large Louth presence in the 40,115 crowd, with 1-3 Seán Bugler was top scorer for Dublin who had done their spade work in the first half. Second half goals for James McCarthy, whose 45th minute shot was deflected to the net, and Bugler in the 56th after a one-two with Ciarán Kilkenny confirmed a pleasing performance for Dublin after their travails against Kildare in the semi-final. Substitute Paddy Small added a fourth goal in the penultimate minute of normal time and fellow replacement Colm Basquel blasted a fifth in the third additional minute.

Dublin’s start was ponderous but then neither team scored from play until the 12th minute as the teams were exchanging more turnovers than points.

Dublin’s 1-10 without reply midway through the first half put this game beyond Louth, 1-3 of it coming in less than three minutes. Con O’Callaghan sent over a mark in the 21st minute, Cormac Costello followed it with a point and Paul Mannion shot the first goal in the 23rd minute after Niall Sharkey was dispossessed after a Louth restart. Dublin had a five-on-one attack, Kilkenny found O’Callaghan who squared the ball for Mannion to palm home, before Jack McCaffrey opened his account.

Dublin were pillaging Louth on their kick-outs and went 11 ahead in the 31st minute when McCaffrey sent over his second, although he was whisked off shortly after with a left leg complaint.

As Stephen Cluxton’s last four kick-outs of the half went astray, Louth finished the half with respectability in the form of three points to make it 1-12 to 0-6.

Scorers for Dublin: S. Bugler (1-3); C. Costello (0-5, 3 frees, 1 45); P. Mannion (1-1); C. O’Callaghan (0-4, 2 marks); C. Kilkenny (0-3); J. McCarthy, P. Small, C. Basquel (1-0 each); J. McCaffrey (0-2); J. Small, D. Rock, C. Basquel (0-1 each).

Scorers for Louth: S. Mulroy (0-10, 7 frees, 1 45); C. Grimes (0-2); C. Lennon, L. Jackson, C. Downey (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: S. Cluxton; D. Newcombe, D. Byrne, L. Gannon; B. Howard, J. Small, J. McCaffrey; B. Fenton, J. McCarthy (c); N. Scully, S. Bugler, C. Kilkenny; P. Mannion, C. O’Callaghan, C. Costello.

Subs: C. Murphy for J. McCaffrey (inj 31); P. Small for N. Scully, D. Rock for C. Costello (both 52); C Basquel for P. Mannion (59); S. MacMahon for B. Howard (63).

LOUTH: J. Califf; D. Corcoran, N. Sharkey, D. McKenny; L. Grey, P. Lynch, C. Murphy; T. Durnin, C. Early; C. McKeever, C. Downey, C. Grimes; D. McConnon, S. Mulroy (c), L. Jackson.

Subs: C. Lennon for D. McConnon (26); A. Williams for C. Murphy (31); C. McCaul for L. Jackson (41); P. Mathews for C. Early (55); R. Burns for D. Corcoran (68).

Referee: C. Lane (Cork).