Understrength Louth beaten by Sligo
Colin Kelly’s side will play Tipperary in league final
Louth 1–11 Sligo 0–17
An understrength Louth side slipped to a three-point defeat against Sligo at The Gaelic Grounds on Sunday afternoon.
With promotion to Division Two already secure, Colin Kelly used the game to give some of the fringe members of his squad an outing against a Sligo side that needed at least a point to ensure their third tier status in 2018.
Kelly made 12 changes to the team that won in Tipperary a week earlier and it was one of the three players retained, Naomh Mairtin’s Sam Mulroy, who cancelled out an early John Kelly point.
A well-worked Louth move ended with Ronan Holcroft finishing to the net a minute later. Kelly replied for Sligo with a free but points from Darren McMahon and a free from the returning Jim McEneaney helped Louth open up a four-point lead.
Two quickfire points from John Kelly (free) and Niall Murphy reduced the gap to two but a brace of excellent long range frees from Jim McEneaney put four in it again. before Eoin McHugh and James Califf exchanged points to send Louth in four up at the interval.
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Sligo manager Niall Carew made four changes at the break and they paid dividends for the Yeats County as Murphy and Kelly hit two points in as many minutes at the start of the second half.
Louth hit back with Dreadnots’ James Califf floating an excellent free from the sideline over the bar before Holcroft added his second of the day to put four in it again.
However, as they did throughout the game, Sligo came back with two Adrian Marren points but Louth kept tagging the scores with Mulroy kicking his second of the game before Califf and Mark Breheny exchanging scores at either end to leave Kelly’s side three ahead.
Sligo, though, staged a rally and they went from being three down behind to two points ahead with a five-minute blitz which saw Niall Murphy hit three points in a row, followed by efforts from Mark Breheny and Adrian McIntyre.
Jim McEneaney left one in it but the man of the match, Niall Murphy, had the final say with the game’s final two points to hand Sligo a three point win and ensure their place in Division Three next season.
For Louth, a trip to GAA Headquarters awaits next Saturday where they will meet Tipperary — who pipped Armagh to the second promotion spot — for the second meeting between the counties in three weeks.
SLIGO: Fintan Ruddy; Ross Donavan, Cian Breheny, Noel Gaughan; Charlie Harrison, Neil Ewing, Keelan Cawley; Cathal Henry, Adrian McIntyre (0–1); Eoin McHugh (0–3), Niall Murphy (0–7, 4f), John Kelly (0–3, 2f); David Kelly, Pat Hughes, Brendan Egan. Subs: Stephen Gilmartin for John Kelly, HT; Adrian Marren for Daniel Maye, HT; Mark Breheny (0–2, 1f) for David Kelly, HT; Kevin McDonnell for Noel Gaughan, HT; Stephen Coen for Pat Hughes, 60 mins; James Clarke for Cian Breheny, 66 mins.
LOUTH: Joe Flanagan; Kurt Murphy, Patrick Reilly, Kevin Carr; Derek Crilly, Darren McMahon (0–1), Darren Marks; Conor Martin, James Califf (0–3, 3f); Anthony Williams, Jim McEneaney (0–4, 3f), Conall McKeever; Ruairi Moore, Sam Mulroy (0–2), Ronan Holcroft (1–1). Subs: Padraig Rath for K Murphy, 25 mins; Dean Maguire for Kevin Carr, 28 mins; Neil Gallagher for Joe Flanagan, 37 mins; Derek Maguire for Derek Crilly, 62 mins; Ryan Burns for Ronan Holcroft, 63 mins; James Stewart for Darren Marks, 66 mins.
REFEREE: Niall McKenna (Monaghan).
