Kildare U20 footballers reach semi-final with win over Louth
Leinster U20 Football Quarter-Final
Kildare 0-12
Louth 1-6
Kildare minor footballers advanced to the semi-final of the Leinster MFC on Tuesday night following this three point win over Louth, a game played at a late change of venue, in Darver.
The opening half was beyond cagey. A turgid affair for the neutral with both sides literally throwing caution to the wind in favour of staying in the game. Louth kept the ball for a passage of over three minutes that amounted to nothing. Only to then see Callum Bolton superbly penetrate the other end with a terrific long range shot.
Louth's Harry Butterly cut in from the right wing to curl over with the left as Louth looked really promising in that period. The young reds landed the next two scores from a pair of Kieran McArdle frees.
The first free was for a trip on Butterly, which surprisingly didn’t amount to a black for Kildare. Butterly had just scored a point and it was a clear goalscoring opportunity. It was ascertained that he had tripped but the fact he was given a free by David Hickey was incomprehensible.
This worked for the visitors and something Louth did not adhere to in the second half when they were caught on the counter. With Louth two up and squeezing Cormac Barker’s restarts, they were on top, but Kildare were about to reel them in.
Bolton again fired off a missile and Fanning leveled after Kyle McElroy clipped over a free. The O’Raghallaigh’s man was emboldened by his first start. And better came from him early in the second half.
Liam Flynn sent Tom Mathews straight through but again he was pushed. Once more there was no card of any description.
So, Adam Fanning and a Ryan Sinkey free leveled 0-4 to 0-4 before half- time that in itself was a huge psychological blow for the home side. Sinkey added another free upon the resumption, although Louth were about to find the net.
James Rogers got on the ball around the middle of the field and drove down the left hand side of Kildare’s defence.
Interestingly, Kildare's Jack McKevitt, with seven on his back, but playing on Roger's side of the field, is a grandson of Cooley Kickhams great James McKevitt, who won Leinster and All-Ireland Junior titles with Louth in 1961.
Anyway with Rogers bursting through the gap, the move was building at pace and inside he found Cameron Maher who slipped it to Kyle McElroy. He lashed it home at the near post.
Louth were now now firmly in the ascendancy, just five minutes into the second half.
Alas it was Kildare that got the response Louth didn’t need. Midfielder Shane Farrell bookended a four point run with two frees. Bolton whipped over a beauty and it was 15 minutes before Louth scored again.
Two late Seán Reynolds and Callaghan points would not be enough. Those hard earned efforts were cancelled out straightaway by lively substitute Eoin Cully. Kildare would hold firm with no real scares and await another final four day on Tuesday next.
LOUTH: Josh Finlay; Fionn Tipping, Cillian Taaffe, Mark Holohan; Liam Flynn, Tadhg McDonnell, Cameron Maher; Dara McDonnell, Seán Callaghan (0-1); James Rogers, Seán Reynolds (0-1), Harry Butterly (0-1); Tom Mathews, Kieran McArdle (0-2, 0-2 free), Kyle McElroy (1-1,0-1 free). Subs: Darragh Dorian for Mathews (45), Daniel Reilly for Butterly (56).
KILDARE: Cormac Barker; Harry O’Neill, Ryan Burke, Tim Ryan; Jack McKevitt, James McGrath, James Harris; Luke Killian, Shane Farrell (0-3, 0-2 frees); Colm Dalton (0-1), Niall Dolan, Callum Bolton (0-3); Adam Fanning (0-1), Ryan Sinkey (0-2 frees), Oisín O’Sullivan. Subs: Fionn Cooke for Killian (29), Ethan Moutaine for Harris (42), Eoin Cully (0-2) for Dolan (52), Daire Guerin for Bolton (55), Shane Hanafin for O’Sullivan (59).
REFEREE: David Hickey (Carlow).