Sport

Change of ends favours sharp Louth

Louth 2-14 Down 1-13: Louth made a dream start to life in Division One with a fully deserved four-point win over neighbours …

Mon Feb 05 2007 - 00:00

Louth 2-14 Down 1-13:Louth made a dream start to life in Division One with a fully deserved four-point win over neighbours Down in Drogheda yesterday.

There was little between the sides in the opening period as an Aidan Carr penalty put Down into a one-point interval lead, but the Ulster county received a rude awakening after the break as Louth scored six unanswered points in the first 12 minutes of the half.

Shane Lennon and Aaron Hoey helped themselves to two points apiece with Paddy Keenan and Christy Grimes also registering as the home side opened up 1-12 to 1-7 advantage.

Substitute Daniel Hughes earned Down a short-lived reprieve, but Lennon converted a penalty which he won himself to put Louth firmly back in the driving seat.

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Down then rallied with four unanswered points, but Darren Clarke and man-of-the-match Paddy Keenan settled a few nerves with two points in the space of a minute.

Such a dominant second-half display from the home side didn't look on the cards in the opening exchanges as Louth made a nervy start to the game.

Down took advantage to open up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 10 minutes, but Louth kept in touch, before grabbing the lead for the first time following a sweet finish to the net from top-scorer Darren Clarke.

Leading 1-6 to 0-6 at that point, Louth should have pushed on, but Down wrestled the lead back in the dying minutes of the first half with a free from Aidan Burns and an Aidan Carr penalty.

However, Louth delivered on the potential they showed in the latter part of the half with a lightning, and decisive, start to the second period.

LOUTH: S Reynolds; D Brennan, C Goss, D Finnegan; J O'Brien, P McGinnity, R Finnegan; P Keenan (0-2), M Fanning; C Grimes (0-2), M Brennan, B White; A Hoey (0-2), S Lennon (1-3), D Clarke (1-5, 0-4 frees). Subs: D Reid for B White (half-time), T O'Brien for M Brennan (52 mins), JJ Quigley for C Grimes (52 mins), J Doyle for D Clarke (70 mins).

DOWN: B Connell; K McGuigan, D Cunningham, P Shields; D McCartan, D Rooney, R Murdoch (0-1); B Coulter (0-1), J Lynch; R Sexton (0-3), A Carr, J McGovern (0-2, frees); A Burns (0-2, frees), D Gordon (0-1), M Poland (1-0). Subs: A Scullion for K McGuigan (18 mins M McClean for J Lynch (half-time), D Hughes (0-2) for M Poland (48 mins), B Doran (0-1) for A Carr (55 mins), J Brown for A Burns (52 mins).

Referee: J White (Donegal).