Quickfire goals prove Louth’s undoing

Louth 1-9

Leitrim 2-8

The concession of two quickfire first half goals and some poor shooting proved to be the undoing of Louth on Sunday, as they succumbed to a narrow defeat to Leitrim in Fr McEvoy Park.

Eager to build on a positive showing in their first-round defeat against Kildare last week, and with a raucous travelling support behind them, Leitrim nipped in for two quickfire goals from Leah Fox and Vivienne Egan to give themselves a five-point buffer at the break.

Despite a second half revival from Louth thanks to a goal from the influential Niamh Rice, Louth’s lack of accuracy and composure in front of the posts which saw them hit 12 wides over the hour, proved the downfall for Kit Henry’s reds, who only converted 1-9 from 27 shots in this match.

Leitrim were out of the traps with an early Michelle Guckian free, while the Leitrim forward also combined with Vivienne Egan to set up half back Sarah Reynolds for a fine point from distance, putting them 0-2 to no score ahead inside 7 minutes.

Louth’s response was instant, with the impressive Niamh Rice setting up Kate Flood and Aine Breen with precise footpassing to bring the home side level at 0-2 apiece. Playing on her home pitch, Cooley’s Rice was omnipresent in the lion share of Louth attacks, finishing with 23 possessions overall.

However, Louth were dealt a major blow when vice-captain Shannen McLaughlin was forced off injured following an accidental collision with Leitrim’s Leah Fox after 6 minutes.

Louth felt that loss, as Leitrim’s Laura O’Dowd a goal scorer from last week’s nine goal thriller against Kildare, stole a march on the Louth rear-guard as she glided passed several defenders like they were invisible, to put her side back ahead from play.

Despite some wasteful shooting, Louth did manage to equalise thanks to a wonderful point from Laura Collins via her weaker left foot, leaving it at 0-3 each after 18 minutes.

However, as Louth kicked 4 wides on the trot, Leitrim made them pay, with Laura O’Dowd’s incisive and direct running from the right-wing a thorn in the Louth side.

As she powered passed the Louth cover, O’Dowd’s fisted pass across the square saw Michelle Guckian put it on a plate for Leah Fox who calmly fired past Louth keeper Rebecca Lamb Fagan for the opening goal of the afternoon.

Unfortunately for Louth, the subsequent kickout was intercepted up by O’Dowd, and the outcome left Lamb Fagan picking the ball out of her net for the second time in quick succession thanks to a ruthless finish by Vivienne Egan who also bagged a goal last time out against Kildare. Egan was denied from close range minutes later thanks to a smart save from the St Patricks custodian.

Louth to their credit managed to make a dent in the deficit as they outscored Leitrim by 0-2 to 0-1 in the closing moments of the first half. Laura Collins (free) and Laura O’Dowd traded efforts, before an excellent strike from the angle by Niamh Rice left it at 2-4 to 0-5 in the visitors’ favour at the break.

Second half:

At half time, Louth manager Kit Henry reshuffled the pack, with Lauren Boyle and Aoife Russell entering the fray and wing forward Mia Duffy moving to the half back line.

These alterations worked well for the home side who began a second half revival, winning 10 out of 16 second half kickouts, with Aoife Halligan and Aine Breen seeing plenty of the ball, as Louth pressed up on the Leitrim sweeper, with Eimear Murray (18 possessions) epitomising this press.

Lauren Boyle sent the ball over the bar with her first touch, following more set up play by her clubmate Niamh Rice.

Leitrim seemed happy to soak up this Louth pressure, while at the other end, the calming presence of team captain Michelle Guckian set up Leah Fox to cancel out Boyle’s early strike to leave five between the sides.

However, Louth began to build up ahead of steam when a speculative Niamh Rice effort from distance bounced inside the square and deceived Leitrim keeper Michelle McNulty via pressure from Laura Collins, with the ball finding its way to the net to leave a kick of the ball between the sides at 1-6 to 2-5 five minutes into the second half.

Leitrim’s game management and calmness on the ball was there for all to see, however. Jonny Garrity’s charges were patient in possession and were marginally more economical than their counterparts, despite kicking some poor wides themselves.

Michelle Guckian and Laura Collins traded further free kicks as the visitors managed to keep their noses in front.

Another fine effort from Lauren Boyle following a Lucy White lay off did keep Louth hoping, with just two points once again separating the sides approaching the final quarter.

But Louth failed to register another score until the 58th minute as they huffed and puffed, frantically trying to close the gap further, as they turned up the heat on Leitrim.

But all they could muster was another Laura Collins free, as Leitrim continued to prove stubborn opponents, with full back Jasmine Maye producing a superb last-ditch intervention to cut out a Kate Flood pass, a goal saving intervention with Lauren Boyle baring down on goal, with defender Charlene Tyrrell also earning merits for her tenacious display.

That interception, along with two well taken efforts from sub Ailbhe Clancy, ensured Leitrim closed out the contest to win by that two-point margin, leaving Louth with it all to do as they travel to Division 3 league winners Kildare next week, knowing it’s win or bust as far as their All Ireland Intermediate hopes are concerned.

Louth: Rebecca Lambe Fagan; Eimear Murray, Eilis Hand, Rachel Beirth; Seoda Mathews, Shannen McLaughlin, Holly Lambe Sally; Áine Breen (0-1), Aoife Halligan; Abi Keenan, Niamh Rice (1-1), Mia Duffy; Lucy White, Kate Flood (0-1), Laura Collins (0-4) (3f).

Subs: Caoimhe Boyle for McLaughlin (6), Aoife Russell for Holly Lambe Sally (HT), Lauren Boyle (0-2) for Keenan (HT). Roisin Maguire for Rice (55)

Leitrim: Michelle McNulty; Charlene Tyrell, Jasmine Maye, Mollie Murphy; Sarah Reynolds (0-1), Kasey Bruen, Carla Le Guen; Megan McGovern, Aoife Gilmartin; Laura O’Dowd (0-2), Vivienne Egan (1-0), Síomha Quinn; Leah Fox (1-1), Michelle Guckian (0-2) (2f), Elise Bruen.

Subs: Ailbhe Clancy (0-2) (1f) for Quinn (HT), Brónagh O’Rourke for Egan (51), Niamh Tighe for McGovern (59),

Referee: Anthony Marron