Lennon's the star and McDonnell saves the day but boy did Louth make hard work of Kildare

Irish Independent

28-04-2025

While Lennon was popping over points at one end, goalkeeper Neil McDonnell pulled off two outstanding and crucial saves at the other to deny Ryan Sinkey in the first half – diving full-length to his right to get a hand to the Kildare man's shot – and Darragh Kirwin in the second half after he had been put through one-on-one with McDonnell.
Louth though will look back at this game and perhaps wonder how they conspired to win it as they struggled to get into the match in the first instance, trailing 0-8 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.
They just weren't at the races in the opening quarter as Kildare scored almost at will with Louth's game lacking the intensity or drive you'd expect, and that they demonstrated in their last league game against Meath, before they took that into the Leinster Championship opener against Laois two weeks ago.
In the second half there were times when they struggled to get into the Kildare half with their forwards starved of any meaningful ball for long periods as the Lilywhites dominated around the middle of the park winning kickouts and the second ball under little meaningful challenge at times from Louth.
Louth actually can be thankful that Kildare were unable to convert their possession dominance into scores – otherwise the final result may have been different.
When it mattered though, it was the experience of Lennon, team captain Sam Mulroy and Tommy Durnin that helped their side over the line.
There was some head scratching amongst the Louth media in the press box early in the game. What we were witnessing wasn't how the script had been written.
Kildare ease into the lead
Eight minutes in and Kildare were ahead 0-4 to 0-1 and value for it too, even at this stage of the match. A point from an unmarked Alex Beirne out on the left, had opened the scoring a minute in and the same player added his second two minutes later.
A quickly taken sideline after Kildare goalkeeper Cian Burke hit the ball out from a kickout, following a Conor Grimes wide, went through the hands before Lennon took possession and with ease made space for himself to float the ball over the bar to make it 0-2 to 0-1 after five minutes.
From the resultant kickout, Louth were penalised for an infringement with the ball moved up to the 21 metre line giving Darragh Kirwan the easiest of frees to tap over.
The same player perhaps could have had a goal soon after when he got in behind the Louth defence but from a tight angle he chose to fist the ball over for a point to make it 0-4 to 0-1.
Cornerback Ryan Burke got in for his side's fifth point after both Kildare and Louth had been guilty of giving away possession. He was on the end of a scrappy move after a speculative ball from Brian McLoughlin found Beirne close in on goal but he was unable to get a shot away instead passing to Burke to convert.
Five became six points on 10 minutes with midfielder Callum Bolton getting on in on the action before Ryan Burns got his first score of the day as Louth got a second point.
Points from Kevin Feely and Colm Dalton, after he played a one-two with McLoughlan, made the score 0-8 to 0-2 and the Louth supporters were somewhat subdued, bar the odd encouraging shout of 'come on Louth' – they as yet had little to cheer about.
Two quick points, one from Ryan Burns who under pressure, dipped the shoulder to turn left but spun right onto his left foot, wrong-footing his marker to kick over from 21 metres, and one from Mulroy stirred the crowd somewhat and when the latter put a 55 metre free over the bar for two points, Louth supporters had certainly found their voices again.
Mulroy's effort had reduced the deficit to two points, 0-8 to 0-6 with 18 minutes played and that gap was cut to a point when a slick move involving Ciaran Downey, Mulroy and Andy McDonnell saw the latter set Lennon up for his second point of the day.
Kildare, with their first score for 10 minutes, a converted free by Beirne, put the lead out to a two point game, 0-9 to 0-7, before Louth almost got in for a goal when Conor Grimes won a Kildare kickout and raced forward heading for the Kildare goals, however, he was upended but managed to flick the ball to Lennon just inside the 20 metre line. He had a chance to shoot but his effort was partially blocked by Burke only for the referee to call play back for the foul on Grimes which Mulroy converted to make it 0-9 to 0-8 on 26 minutes.
Two minutes later a patient build up from Louth involving eight players and 13 moves resulted in a turnover when possession was given away by a sloppy pass that was gleefully accepted and punished by Kildare with Kirwan putting the ball over the black spot making the score 0-10 to 0-8.
Louth won the resultant kickout and quick ball between Paul Mathews and Mulroy was off-loaded by Donal McKenny who curled a sweet shot just inside the left hand upright to narrow the gap to a point, 0-10 to 0-9.
Save at one end, goal at the other
Neill McDonnell then came to Louth's rescue when a pin-point ball from Beirne over the head of the Louth defence found Sinkey free bearing down on goal.
One-on-one with McDonnell, just to the right of the goals, Sinkey went low across the goals and McDonnell with his shot but the St Fechin's man, at full stretch, dived to his right and got an outstretched hand to the ball to deny the Kildare forward.
Louth were quick to clear the ball - Conall McKeever found Conor Grimes on the left and he off-loaded the ball to Burns. Mulroy was free. Burns delivered the pass for the Naomh Mairtin man to send over a long-range effort for two points and the lead, 0-11 to 0-10, for the first time in the game, with 33 minutes played.
It got even better for Louth though when, on the hooter, a pass from Peter Lynch found Lennon just outside the 21 metre line. He turned his man, off-loaded the ball to Kieran McArdle who raced towards goal drawing a defender before passing across the square to McKeever who was in the right place to fist the ball to the net leaving Louth 1-11 to 0-10 to the good at the interval.
That late, late first half goal set the tie up nicely for a pulsating second 35 minutes with the prize for the winner a place in the Leinster final and, the last place in the Sam Maguire All-Ireland series…well so you would have thought.
Two early Louth wides from Durnin and Grimes were followed by a calamitous couple of minutes when a shot from Kildare substitute Cathal Hagney fell short into Niall McDonnell's hands. He cleared the ball but Louth were done for over-carrying out for defence. That gave Kildare possession but then they were penalised for the same infringement giving the ball back to Louth. Unbelievably though, Louth were again called out by the referee for over carrying. At this stage the ball had barely made it 25 metres out from McDonnell's goal.
Kildare opted to shoot with Beirne pointing the free to make it 1-11 to 0-11 after 40 minutes.
A poor Louth clearance gave Sinkey the opportunity to score, which he duly did before Mulroy, from a free after a foul on Downey, replied for Louth.
From the kickout Kildare gained possession, as they did for much of the second half as Louth struggled to get any sort of traction in midfield. A five-man move put Kirwan in on goal but his fierce shot was partially blocked by Louth full-back Dermot Campbell which took the sting off it and the ball went harmlessly through to McDonnell.
Kirwan's next effort was more effective as he pointed to make it 1-12 to 0-13 after 45 minutes but Louth's reply was instance from the kickout with Lennon this time running at the Kildare defence before pointing from 30 metres out to put three between the sides again, 1-13 to 0-13.
When Burns added a point on 48 minutes to put the lead out to four points, you wouldn't have expected Louth not to score again for almost 15 minutes but that is the way it was as Kildare took a stranglehold on the game.
Kildare's struggle
McLoughlan, with a point, narrowed the gap to three points again, 1-14 to 0-14, on 49 minutes but it was a struggle for Kildare to make their possession matter on the scoreboard. Louth if anything were tight in defence and were making it difficult for Kildare to carve out any clear cut chances and while they had ample opportunities to shoot for two-pointers, Kildare let those pass as they more intent on looking for gaps in the Louth backline that were failing to materialise.
Two points from Beirne and Kirwan made it 1-14 to 0-16 on 57 minutes and Kildare must have thought they were in for a goal when the latter burst though for a shot but again he was denied by McDonnell who made another outstanding save to block the Kildare man's fierce drive and preserve his side's lead.
Kildare did manage to tie the game at 0-17 to 1-14 on 60 minutes but a minute later, it was Lennon who was on target taking the ball into space to put the ball over the bar and Louth back in front.
But that lead was short lived with Dalton replying soon after with a point to make it 1-15 to 0-18 with 63 minutes played. That however, was to be Kildare's last score of the game.
Kildare went close for a goal when a high ball from James McGrath was launched into the box. Durnin got a fist to the ball but it dropped to Beirne however, he could only poke the ball wide.
A quick break out of the Louth defence, after Kildare had thrown away possession, saw the ball come to Burns and he made no mistake putting it over the bar to edge Louth back in front 1-16 to 0-18, with four minutes left.
You got the sense at this stage that it wasn't going to be Kildare's day and in spite of being somewhat off the boil, Louth were looking the likelier team to win. That was confirmed when Durnin launched a monster effort for two points to make it 1-18 to 0-18 with just minutes remaining.
Kildare did have two final chances to salvage a draw and send the game into extra-time and they came by chance themselves when. With the hooter sounded to signal the end of the game, Lennon kicked the ball over the end line thinking that ended the game.
However, the referee deemed it was a '45. With the goalmouth packed, Kildare goalkeeper Burke chipped the ball in but it was cleared away for another '45. The second time the ball evaded everyone and went out for a wide – game over, Louth had won.
SCORERS – Louth: S Mulroy 0-7 (1 2pf, 1 2pt, 2f), C Lennon 0-4, C McKeever 1-0, R Burns 0-3, T Durnin 0-2 (2pt), D McKenny, K McArdle 0-1 each. Kildare: A Beirne 0-6 (2f), D Kirwan 0-5 (1f), C Dalton 0-2, R Burke, C Bolton, K Feely, R Sinkey, B McLoughlin 0-1 each.
Louth: N McDonnell; D Nally, D Campbell, D McKenny; C McKeever, P Lynch, C Lennon; T Durnin, P Mathews; A McDonnell, C Downey, C Grimes; K McArdle, S Mulroy, R Burns. Subs: D McDonnell for Mathews (41), D McKeown for Burns (58), E Carolan for Campbell (59), L Jackson for McDonnell (61), C Branigan for Grimes (67).
Kildare: C Burke; B Byrne, M Dempsey, R Burke; J McGrath, D Hyland, T Gill; K Feely, C Bolton; C Dalton, A Beirne, B McCormack; R Sinkey, D Kirwan, B McLoughlin. Subs: C Hagney for Bolton (h-t), N Kelly for McCormack (44), J Hyland for Sinkey (54), R Houlihan for Gill (65), K Flynn for McGrath (69).