Tough day at the office caps Louth’s promising season

Kerry 5-24

Louth 0-11

On an afternoon where everything Kerry touched turned to gold, Louth were dismantled and cast out of the All-Ireland race by a record breaking Championship loss of 28 points.

The game was very much over by the 20th minute mark. The All-Ireland champions raced into an eight point lead and at that stage Louth looked bereft of ideas.

Not long after, David Clifford dispatched a coolly drilled shot to the bottom left corner. With the game very much out of reach for Louth, at least we had Clifford. One could have comfort that Louth supporters got to see the marvel up close and personal.

As ruthless and clinical a display you could ever witness. The Leinster final was a one off we surmised but, five weeks on, Louth were playing with fire once again and got severely burned.

Solace can be gained from the loss in Portlaoise could be seen in the sheer quality of the opposition. This was not a tactical or kick out implosion like the Dublin loss, but instead a harsh depth in technical skill level.

Kerry began at a frightening pace and maintained that for the hour, easing up somewhat with ten minutes to go. Kerry’s ability made light of Louth’s mass defence through pace and accuracy of the pass, particularly by foot and effort’s at goal.

This was a winner takes all clash and it was very clear there would be one winner on the day from the get-go. The sizing up period was brief. Man of the match Sean O’Shea tapped over the first score of the day.

O’Shea revelled in the Portlaoise sunshine with a stunning performance, he was menacing in his play and finished with 1-8 to his name and even locked horns with Louth captain Sam Mulroy at the end of the opening half.

Despite the opening score Conor Grimes had the first goal chance of the game. The Glen Emmets man skied over the bar to level early on but another, what might have been. Louth needed everything but more-so for the confidence levels.

Such was the Kingdom’s precision, tactics were irrelevant. Diarmuid O’Connor cut the blanket to ribbons with three first half points from long range.

The Na Gaeil man’s first,showed Kerry’s homework was done to the letter of the law. Kerry coach Paddy Tally’s notes from the Cork game still wet in his pad and a viewing session from Mayo came in handy too.Kerry’s switches also had Louth on the back foot.

With customary eleven jersey on his back, Sean O’Shea was positioned in the corner to devastating effect. The normally reliable Donal McKenny could not to grips with him. In the other corner, Tony Brosnan came late into the Sam Maguire holders side, his knackyness was better suited than the hampered Paul Geaney. All the while Paudie Clifford tormented Louth with probing runs from deep.

Kerry opened up a 0-7 to 0-2 lead and David Clifford decided to come deep and get in on the action. From beyond the 45 yard line and more, Clifford in his graceful style of his forcefully arched two points of the highest quality over the bar.

This was in the middle of a concession of 2-10 to no response. Louth painfully did have chances at the other end. Conall McCaul, Niall Sharkey on their left hand side missed waywardly while Mulroy was worryingly off with his place taking.Those misses allowed us to lose complete shape and confidence in what they were doing.

Clifford showed another one of his never ending class to work a move with late addition Brosnan for the games opening goal and Mike Breen hit the second to repay the faith that Jack O’Connor showed in selecting the half back.

With Gavin White out injured, Breen matched up terrifically with Grimes at half back, the Beaufort man lined out on the same pitch against Dundalk Young Irelands in 2019.

Louth captain Mulroy halted the Kingdom’s first half bombardment to end the energy sapping first half to make it a chastening 2-15 to 0-3 scoreline at the interval.

There was no let up after half time for Mickey Harte’s men. Kerry maintained the intensity of the first with the opening 1-5 upon resumption. O’Shea again set the tone before Paudie Clifford capped an impressive showing, palming the fourth goal at the back post.

Tom O’Sullivan added a customary point from cornerback he would later add to it but not before David Clifford slotted away a 53rd minute penalty. Liam Jackson ended the run with a point after being introduced at the break.

Clifford went off to a standing ovation, the Kerry and Louth supporters allowed to bask in his greatness mid season.

The superstar would later be shepherded away by two members of Garda Síochána from a mob of young autograph hunters well before the final whistle. Conor Early and Gaels replacement Dylan McKeown (brace) poured some respectability on the scoreboard in the finish but Kerry were not done whatsoever.

Having been heavily involved in two other earlier majors, O’Shea ran in his side's fifth goal to send out a stark reminder to the other contenders that await them in the final eight of the Sam Maguire race.

While well out of that race before the final whistle, Louth’s progressive season somewhat ends in a cloud.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan 0-2; Graham O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley, Mike Breen; Diarmuid O’Connor 0-3, Jack Barry; Dara Moynihan 0-2, Paudie Clifford 1-2, Adrian Spillane; Tony Brosnan 0-3 (1m), David Clifford 2-4, (1-0pen,1m), Sean O’Shea 1-8 (3f,1m,1'45). Subs: Barry Dan O’Sullivan for Barry (47), Brian Ó Beaglaoich for Breen (47), Ruairí Murphy for Moynihan (52), Stephen O’Brien for Spillane (52), Micheál Burns for D Clifford (55).

Louth: James Califf; Dan Corcoran, Peter Lynch, Donal McKenny; Leonard Grey, Niall Sharkey 0-1, Conall McKeever; Tommy Durnin, Conor Early 0-1; Ciarán Murphy; Ciarán Downey 0-2, Conor Grimes 0-2; Craig Lennon, Sam Mulroy 0-1(1f), Conall McCaul. Subs:Bevan Duffy for Murphy (h/t), Liam Jackson 0-1 for McCaul (h/t), Anthony Williams 0-1 for Corcoran (44), Dylan Mckeown 0-2 (1f) for Mulroy (46), Jonathan Commins for Lynch (66).

Referee: James Molloy (Galway)