Laois well beaten by Louth in league opener

Louth 2-16 
Laois 0-10

Allianz Football League Division 3

Laois suffered a disappointing start to their Allianz Football League Division 3 season after they were comprehensively beaten by Louth in O’Moore Park tonight.

Fielding a new-look side with four debutants, Peter Creedon’s first game in charge won’t live long in the memory as Louth recorded a 2-16 to 0-10 win.

Goals from Padraic Smith and Andy McDonnell in each half were the key scores as the visitors were full value for their win.

Laois had plenty of the playearly on but they made little headway and shot nine wides over the opening half.

Ryan Burns and Donie Kingston exchanged early points but the classy Smith then took over scoring 1-2 in quick succession, the goal coming after 16 minutes when Louth sliced open the Laois defence.

Kingston replied with a lovely left-footed point but Louth then hit four points in a row to build a lead that Laois were never likely to reel in.

They did kick four of the last five points of the half – one each from Danny Luttrell and captain Stephen Attride and two from Kingston – but Louth were 1-8 to 0-6 up at the break.

Laois made a couple of changes at half time, bringing in Gary Walsh for Luttrell and moving Colm Begley to centre-back.

But Louth continued to be the better side. Anthony Williams, Bevan Duffy and Tommy Durnin all pointed with Laois’s only response coming from a Donie Kingston free. And the Louth then put the game beyond doubt when midfielder Andy McDonnell got in behind the Laois defence and gave Graham Brody no chance from close range.

Gary Walsh and Kingston (free) replied but Louth eased home as things went for bad to worse for Laois as Colm Begley got his marching orders after picking up a second yellow.

Laois now travel to Armagh next Sunday for the second round.

SCORERS – Louth: Padraic Smith 1-4, Andy McDonnell 1-1, Ryan Burns 0-3 (two frees), Bevan Duffy 0-2, Tommy Durnin 0-2, Anthony Williams 0-2, Ross Nally and Ruairi Moore 0-1 each, Laois: Donie Kingston 0-6 (four frees), Gary Walsh, Kieran Lillis, Stephen Attride, Danny Luttrell 0-1 each

LAOIS:

1. Graham Brody (Portlaoise)
2. Alan Farrell (Ballylinan)
3. Denis Booth (The Heath)
4. James Kelly (St Joseph’s)
5. Stephen Attride (Killeshin)
6. Eoin Buggie (Strabdally)
7. Colm Begley (Stradbally)
8. Kevin Meaney (Arles-Kilcruise)
9. Darren Strong (Emo)
10. Danny Luttrell (Courtwood)
11. Ambrose Doran (Graiguecullen)
12. Niall Donoher (Courtwood)
13. Eoin Lowry (Killeshin)
14. Donie Kingston (Arles-Killeen)
15. David Conway (Arles-Kilcruise)

Subs:
Gary Walsh (Ballylinan) for Luttrell (half-time)
Padraig McMahon (Ballyroan-Abbey) for Kelly (41 mins)
Ross Munnelly (Arles-Kilcruise) for Lowry (45 mins)
Danny O’Reilly (Graiguecullen) for Meaney (48 mins)
Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen) for Doran (52 mins)
Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise) for Conway (60 mins)

LOUTH:

1. Craig Lynch
2. Padraig Ruth
3. Patrick Reilly
4. Kevin Carr
5. Derek McGuire
6. Liam Dullaghan
7. Anthony Williams
8. Tommy Durnin
9. Andy McDonnell
10. James Stewart
11. Padraic Smith
12. Bevan Duffy
13. Ruairi Moore
14. Jim McEneaney
15. Ryan Burns

Subs:
Conal McKeever for Duffy (56 mins)
Ronan Holcroft for Moore (59 mins)
Derek Crilly for McEneaney (59 mins)
John Bingham for Stewart (66 mins)
Sam Mulroy for Smith (66 mins)

REFEREE: John Hickey (Carlow)