FINAL - Trinity College Dublin claim Kehoe Shield after extra-time

Louth 2-14 Trinity College Dublin 1-21

The students of Trinity College required extra time to see off the challenge of a gallant Louth team to capture the Kehoe Shield at the Louth GAA Centre of Excellence in Darver on Sunday afternoon.

It was the students who led by 0-4 to 0-0 on the quarter hour with all of their points coming from the stick of free taker and Offaly native Colm Coughlan. The Wee County were reduced to 14 men four minutes later when Derek Horan retaliated to a nasty looking block down on his head which required first aid treatment for a cut. His side finally opened their account when Diarmuid Murphy pointed from the left wing on 21 minutes.

Coughlan restored his sides four points advantage with another pointed free before Louth responded with four unanswered points between the 28th and 36th minutes, all frees from Diarmuid Murphy. The home side went in front a minute later when full forward David Kettle pointed from play on the turn but there was still time for a late Trinity point to see the sides going in at the break at 0-6 a piece.
Half-time: Louth 0-06 Trinity College Dublin 0-06

There was little to separate these teams and they were still all square at 0-9 a piece after 50 minutes. Two points from Pauric Ryan and one from Ian Kavanagh appeared to set up the Dublin college for victory only for Louth to grab the games opening goal on 21 minutes when David Dunne set up corner forward Diarmuid O Sullivan to volley home from close range. The same player pointed a minute later to put Louth back in front but that lead did not last long when Coughlan pointed another free at the other end. Trinity opened up a four points lead with just two minutes remaining with four unanswered points but to their credit Louth struck back to force extra time when substitute Gerard Smyth netted from a 20 metre free as well as firing over a terrific equalising point from the half way line two minutes into injury time.
Full-time: Louth 2-11 Trinity College Dublin 0-17

The sides shared the first four points in extra time before a point from a 60 metre free from Smyth saw the home going turning over in front leading by 2-14 to 0-19. Colm Coughlan with his ninth pointed free of the match tied up the game again three minutes into the second half of extra time and a replay looked a possibility. However, Coughlan had other ideas and when he pounced to grab his sides only goal from close range three minutes later the game was up. Louth did waste a terrific opportunity when Diarmuid O Sullivan appeared certain to score a third Louth goal only to be foiled by some astute Trinity defending as Colm Gleeson sealed his sides victory with a late point.

Afterwards the Kehoe Shield was presented to the Trinity captain Martin Phelan by Pat Toner, Treasurer of the Leinster Council.

Louth: James Connolly; Mark Wallace, Conor Kerrigan, Adrian Wallace; Donal Rafferty, Ronan Byrne, Diarmuid Murphy (0-8, 0-7 frees); Donagh O Sullivan, Shane Callan; Derek Horan, David Dunne (0-1), Shane Fennell; Brian Corcoran, David Kettle (0-1), Diarmuid O Sullivan (1-1).
Subs - Donal McArdle for Mark Wallace, Gerard Smyth (1-3 frees) for S Fennell, Darren O Hanrahan for D Rafferty, Aidan Callan for B Corcoran, Gary Rellis for D Horan, Paddy McCormack for Donagh O Sullivan.

Trinity College: Michael Doyle; Martin Phelan, Shane Walsh, Oisin Daly; John Kelly (0-3), Ian Kavanagh (0-1), Eamon Sheehy; John O Malley, Kevin Fitzgerald (0-2); Leo Sexton (0-2), Eamon O Gorman, Kieran Murphy; Colm Coughlan (1-9, 0-9 frees), Colm Murphy, Pauric Ryan (0-2).
Subs - Daniel Sutcliffe (0-1) for K Murphy, Conor Donegan for J O Malley, Colm
Gleeson for C Murphy, Damien Kennedy for E Sheehy, John O Malley for I Kavanagh.

Referee: Eamon MacSuibhne (Dublin).

[Report: Maurice Murphy]

Louth reach Kehoe Shield Final

In the Kehoe Shield competition, Louth held out for a 1-14 to 1-9 win over Fingal at Fr. Lawless Park, Swords. Louth led by 1-6 to 0-4 at half-time, with Brian Corcoran netting their goal. Corcoran led the charge for the Wee County with 1-03, with Gerard Smyth (0-03, 2f) Diarmuid O'Sullivan (0-1), Shane Callan (0-03, 2f), Shane Fennell (0-03) and David Dunne (0-01) the other Louth scorers.

Louth will meet Trinity College in the decider, after the Dublin outfit registered a 0-25 to 2-16 win over fellow college IT Carlow in a tight encounter at Clan na nGael GAA Club in Ringsend. The Dublin college led by 0-13 to 1-5 at half-time, with Limerick's John Kelly, Kilkenny's Eamonn O'Gorman and Danny Sutcliffe of Dublin impressive.

[Report: Coilín Duffy]

Louth hurlers fall to narrow defeat to Roscommon in Kehoe Cup opener

Played in very blusterly conditions in Pairc Naomh Feichin on Saturday, January 15th, Louth hurlers fell just short in their opening fixture of this years Kehoe Cup versus Rosommon. Before the game begun, Louth were hampered with the loss of a number of their starting fifteen due to a flu virus.

Roscommon settled quickest, and aided with the strong breeze they raced into a four point lead by the 18th minute, thanks mainly to the accuracy of wing forward Gary Fallon. The windy conditions were certainly having an impact on good, open hurling, but Louth managed to get to grips with the inclement weather, twenty minutes in. A great catch in the middle of the field, by David Dunne, presented the opportunity for corner forward, Brian Corcoran to get Louth's opening score and he did so with aplomb. Two minutes later, a fine sideline cut from centre forward Shane Callan closed the gap, and another Dunne/Corcoran combination soon after, narrowed the margin to a solitary point. Gerard Smyth put Louth back on level terms after twenty seven minutes, drilling over from 45 metres. With half time approaching, the impressive Corcoran received the ball around midfield, took on his marker and drove the ball accurately between the sticks to put Louth in front for the first time. 
Halftime: Louth 0-05 Roscommon 0-04

Having gone nineteen minutes without a score in the first half, Roscommon began the second half on the front foot, grabbing scores through the aforementioned Fallon and namesake Gerry. Corcoran though responded with Louth's opening score of the half, via the boot, drilling the ball to the back of the net following good work from Smyth and Gary Rellis. Corcoran, followed up his goal effort, with another point, stretching Louth's lead. However, this only stirred Roscommon into action and two quick points from the Fallon duo, was soon followed by two goals in three minutes from substitutes Alan Moore and Tomás Seale. Moore followed up and added another score from play to cement the Rossies lead. Tenacious tacking and blocking from Louth defenders Mark Wallace and Ronan Byrne instilled belief into their teammates and a 65' from Callan was soon followed up by a goal from Dunne who pulled on a loose ball amidst a goalmouth scramble. Alas, it was too little, too late as referee Gearoid McGrath blew the final whistle.

Full time: Louth 2-07 Roscommon 2-10

Louth: Ruairí O'Reilly, Mark Wallace, Barry Murphy, Adrian Wallace, Conor Kerrigan, Ronan Byrne, Diarmuid Murphy, Darren O'Hanrahan, David Dunne, Shane Fennell, Shance Callan, Brian Corcoran, Gerard Smyth, Gary Rellis, Aidan Callan
Subs: Brian Hassett for Shane Fennell (half-time), Gavin Kerrigan for Aidan Callan (haf-time), Domhnall McArdle for Adrian Wallace (48), Paddy McCormack for Gary Rellis (55), Cathal Ryan for Brian Corcoran (68).

Best for Louth were Mark Wallace, Ronan Byrne, David Dunne and Brian Corcoran.

Scorers: Brian Corcoran (1-04), David Dunne (1-0), Shane Callan (0-02), Gerard Smyth (0-01).

Roscommon: David Dowd, Ian Delaney, Mark McLoughlin, Brian Donnelly, Peter Kelleghan, Colm Moran, Padraig Kelly, John Moran, Sean Melia, Gary Fallon, Kevin Connelly, Shane Curley, Jamie Lawlor, Gerry Fallon, John Coyne
Subs: Padraig Dolan, Padraig Crehan, Cormac Kelly, Tomás Seale, Michael Keaveney, David Loughnane, Alan Moore