2023 Allianz Football League Division 2 – Louth 1-10 Cork 0-10

Louth defeated Cork by 1-10 to 0-10 in the Allianz Football League Division 2 on Sunday March 19th at DEFY Pairc Mhuire, Ardee.

Cork let victory slip through their fingers in Ardee

Louth 1-10 Cork 0-10

Report by Brendan O’Brien for the Irish Examiner newspaper

This one will sting a bit for John Cleary and his players given they led by five points in the first-half in a game that turned with a controversial Louth goal and, shortly after, a straight red card for Cork full-back Daniel O’Mahony.

So comfortable through most of that opening period, they managed just two scores in the second period, one in the last half-hour of play and none from the 52nd minute onwards as a wasteful Louth finally managed to turn the screw.

The visitors really did have the game by the scruff of the neck with less than ten minutes to go to the break. They led 0-7 to 0-2 at the time, Louth had been kept scoreless for almost 20 minutes and the visitors were dominating the ball and winning turnovers.

Their scores came from both quick bursts and from patient passages. Steven Sherlock put one over the bar after what must have been three minutes of prodding and probing and they should have had much more again to show for their efforts.

The top goal-scoring team across all four divisions ahead of this weekend, they have left plenty more green flags on the floor this last few weeks and they passed up on three gilt-edged chances in the first 35 minutes of this one.

Sherlock slipped when put through on a one-on-one, Chris Og Jones had a scuffed effort turned away for a ‘45’ and then the latter fisted a high ball goalwards and at the goalkeeper when he had time to catch, land and pick his spot.

The last of those came after the half’s turning point: a soft penalty for what was deemed a Sean Powter foul on Ryan Burns. It was, if anything, a coming together of the two but Burns got his goal on the rebound after Micheal Martin saved his spot kick.

Cue the roar from the home crowd and a very different game.

Louth followed that up with two points but even worse was the loss to that red card of O’Mahony who had no complaints for a clumsy but still high challenge which resulted in Conor Grimes having to leave the field for some attention.

Cork did finish the period with a point from Tommy Walsh to restore the lead at 0-8 to 1-4 but they must have been happy to make the sheds and regroup ahead of a half where they would play into the stiff wind.

They started the second -half positively enough with a Sherlock point from a free and Louth’s Donal McKenny being shown a black card, but not for the first time this season they were failing to make the most of their chances.

Ruairi Deane was a constant thorn in Louth’s side but his fisted goal attempt on the run failed to make it past the goalkeeper after 48 minutes. A fourth chance at a goal gone awry and chances of any stripe dried up after Luke Fahy claimed his second point shortly after.

Louth started to dominate, reeling Cork in slower than should have been the case. They kicked six wides and one short after the interval but reel them in they did. Level with 14 minutes to play, they scored the last five points of the day.

The result doesn’t change much for two teams treading water in mid-table but the scoreline adds fuel to the momentum Louth continue to generate under Mickey Harte. For Cleary and Cork this is an annoying stumble on their journey onwards.

Scorers for Louth: R Burns (1-0): L Jackson and T Durnin (both 0-2); C Downey (0-2, 1f); C Early, C Grimes, D McConnon and C Lennon (all 0-1).

Scorers for Cork: S Sherlock (0-4, 1f and 1 ‘45’); L Fahy (0-2); R Maguire, C Og Jones, T Walsh and C Corbett (all 0-1).

Louth: J Califf; D Corcoran, P Lynch, D McKenny; L Grey, C Murphy, C McKeever; T Durnin, C Early; N Sharkey, l Jackson, C Grimes; D McConnon, C Downey, R Burns.
Subs: C Lennon for Burns (45); O McGuinness for Jackson (54); C McCaul for McKenny (56); J Hughes for McConnon (66); P Mathews for Durnin (74).

Cork: M Martin; M Shanley, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; L Fahy, R Maguire, S Meehan; C O’Callaghan, I Maguire; E McSweeney, S Powter, R Deane; S Sherlock, C Og Jones, C Corbett.
Subs: B O’Driscoll for McSweeney (54); J O’Rourke for Corbett and K O’Hanlon for Jones (both 62); M Cronin for Sherlock (72); P Walsh for Fahy (74).

Referee: F Kelly (Longford).

Team News

The Cork Senior Football team to play Louth in Division 2 Round 6 of the Allianz Football League has been announced https://t.co/8N8Uwppbkl#SportsDirectIreland #BorntoPlay pic.twitter.com/6Bhh4dHKRd

— Cork GAA (@OfficialCorkGAA) March 18, 2023

CORK: M Martin; M Shanley, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; L Fahy, R Maguire, M Taylor; C O’Callaghan, I Maguire; E McSweeney, S Powter, R Deane; B Hurley (C), C Jones, C Corbett
Subs: C Kelly, K O’Donovan, S Meehan, P Ring, C Kiely, S Merritt, P Walsh, K O’Hanlon, J O’Rourke, F Herlihy, M Cronin.