Louth exorcise the ghosts of 2024 to claim All-Ireland glory

Irish Independent

3 days ago

More importantly, this team will now play Intermediate Championship football in 2026 – their main goal set out at the start of manager Kevin Larkin's reign at the beginning of December last year.
Larkin for his part, while he always heaps praise on the players, has been fundamental in the success of Louth this season, instilling a desire, a confidence and a belief that they are better than junior – something the players repeat – and that they can compete at a higher level. That's something we'll find out next season.
Louth went in as favourites on the back of their division three status and last year's final appearance, against an Antrim side that had won Division 4 of the National League and were 16 games unbeaten for the season, going into the final.
While initially Antrim settled quicker than Louth, as the first half wore on, Larkin's side began to get into the game and into their stride and a timely last second point from Flood sent them in leading 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.
Antrim levelled the game soon after the restart but failed to score again until the final few minutes while Louth stretched their lead out to five points and had the upper hand during the second 30 minutes. Late Antrim scores did nothing to deny the Louth Ladies their day.
The one downside for the champions was Kate Flood's announcement that Sunday's final was her last game in a Louth jersey after 15 years playing senior football. The recently married St Patrick's player, a footballing icon for so many young Louth footballers, left the stage in style with four points in an All-Ireland final and a winner's medal.
Louth got off to the worst possible start when a ball dropped into the square by Antrim centre-half forward Maria O'Neill was only palmed down by the Louth defence and in the scramble for the ball on the edge of the square, referee Kevin Corcoran deemed an Antrim player had been fouled and awarded a penalty.
Up stepped Antrim captain Bronagh Devlin who duly dispatched the ball past Louth goalkeeper Rebecca Lambe Fegan to give the Saffrons the perfect start.
Theresa Mellon followed up with a point for Antrim and Louth found themselves 1-1 to 0-0 behind with only three minutes gone.
An point from the excellent Aoife Russell for Louth calmed the nerves but Antrim's early press was relentless and they added another point with Omolara Dahunsi getting her first score of the day to make it 1-2 to 0-1 with five minutes gone.
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Russell got her second point of the day after an Antrim pass was intercepted but Louth, somewhat on the back foot, were lucky not to concede a second goal when Carla McKenna's shot came off the crossbar and Devlin's weak rebound effort was easily gathered by Lambe Fegan.
From the clearance a neat pass from Kate Flood, found Céire Nolan – deservedly awarded the TG4 Player of the Match for an outstanding performance over the hour – going forward and she made no mistake with her effort for a point to leave the score 1-2 to 0-3 seven minutes in.
Louth got something of a boost when Antrim captain Devlin was sin-binned on 10 minutes however, they didn't really benefit playing against 14 and it was Antrim who responded with a point from Dahunsi to put it back to a three-point game, 1-13 to 0-3.
Coming more into the game, Louth did push up but the Saffron's tight player-to-player marking and Louth errors limited the attacking options and it was five minutes after Devlin's sin-bin before Flood got in for her first score of the day – a point after good interplay following a short 45 metre free.
An excellent point from Shennen McLaughlin reduced the deficit to a point (0-5 to 1-3) on 16 minutes but Devlin's return to the field was marked by another Antrim point with Maria O'Neill at the end of a one-two with Tubridy to slot over.
The Louth defence thought, solid throughout the game, with the exception of the early first half minutes, were getting the measure of their Antrim counterparts and it was an interception of a Saffron attack, stopped by Holly Lambe Sally, that led to Louth's next point, with team captain Áine Breen at the end of a move involving Aoife Halligan, Byrne, Russell and Lucy White to leave the score 1-4 to 0-6.
For much of the first half Flood, and indeed Eimear Byrne had been, by and large well-marshalled by Antrim but the former managed to get loose of the marking shackles on 29 minutes when Halligan, after another turnover, set up Flood for a point that brought the sides level, 1-4 to 0-7.
Then with seconds to the half-time hooter, Flood was on target again putting her side in front for the first time with midfield powerhouse Halligan setting up the St Patrick's club player who made space for herself before putting the ball over the bar to send Louth in leading 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.
A minute into the second half the sides were level with O'Neill on target for a point. However, the Saffrons weren't to score again until late in the game when a burst of points made for a nervy Louth finish.
A point from Byrne three minutes after the restart restored Louth's slender lead but it was another 10 minutes before that one-point advantage became two with Flood the benefactor of good combination play between Byrne and full-back Eilís Hand setting up the Louth full-forward for another point.
Captain Breen got her second point blasting over after taking a pass from Byrne before Flood was just inches wide of the post for a goal, when she got a hand to a ball dropped in in front of the square. While the ball beat Antrim goalkeeper Aine Devlin, Flood just couldn't get enough on it to steer it into the net.
With Louth dominating the game and looking the more likely winners, points from substitute Mia Duffy and While put their side five in front 0-13 to 1-5 with time running out for Antrim. The Saffrons weren't to be counted out just yet though and it was a timely block from Louth defender Eimear Murray that denied Aoife Turley a goal with the ball going out for a '45.
With the LGFA Croke Park countdown clock showing five minutes remaining, but with the players on the field 60 minutes, Antrim pressed for scores in what was to be a nail-biting finish for Louth supporters.
After an Antrim shot for a point had gone wide, they intercepted the Louth kickout with midfielder Ana Mulholland returning the ball over the bar to cut the lead to four with still a couple of minutes to play. And they got the resultant kickout too, with Mellon punishing Louth for sloppy play with a point.
Remarkably they gained possession in midfield from a third kickout and headed goalward only for O'Neill to be stopped in her tracks by Breen resulting in a 18 metre free and the sin bin for the Louth captain.
So, with 19 seconds to go, O'Neill had no choice but to launch a shot for goal at a Louth goalmouth packed with players but her effort towards the top right hand corner was deflected over for a point by Lambe Fegan.
The next kickout mattered little as the hooter sounded to leave Louth All-Ireland champions.
Scorers: Louth - Aoife Russell 0-2, Céire Nolan 0-1, Kate Flood 0-4, Shennen McLaughlin 0-1, Áine Breen 0-2, Eimear Byrne 0-1, Mia Duffy 0-1, Lucy White 0-1. Antrim - Bronagh Devlin 1-0 (pen), Theresa Mellon 0-2, Omolara Dahunsi 0-2, Maria O'Neill 0-3 (1f), Ana Mulholland 0-1.
Louth: Rebecca Lambe Fegan; Rachel Beirth, Eilís Hand, Eimear Murray; Holly Lambe Sally, Shannen McLaughlin, Louise Byrne; Áine Breen, Aoife Halligan; Lucy White, Eimear Byrne, Seoda Matthews; Aoife Russell, Kate Flood, Céire Nolan. Sub: Mia Duffy for Matthews (45), Laura Collins for Russell (56), Gemma McCrave for Lambe Sally (66), Zara Sweeney for White (66).