Louth unhappy with referee

NATIONAL

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2, RD1

Clare 0-13 Louth 1-09

Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis

Compiled by Páraic McMahon

Story Of The Game

CLARE

Frees for: 14 (7/7)

Wides: 12 (2/10)

Scores from play: 0-06

Spread of scorers: 6

Top scorer: Emmet McMahon (0-03 2f)

Bookings: Emmet McMahon (29), Pearse Lillis (63), Cian O’Dea (72).

Own kickouts won: 14 from 16 (88%)

LOUTH

Frees for: 10 (7/3)

Wides: 6 (4/2)

Scores from play: 1-06

Spread of scorers: 5

Top scorer: Sam Mulroy (005 3f)

Bookings: Peter Lynch (28), Black Card: Liam Jackson (23).

Own kickouts won: from 12 from 25 (48%)

REFEREE: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)

MANAGER COMMENT “

Colm Collins, Clare:

“I wasn’t that disappointed at half time, we hit the post three times and had two scoreable frees missed against a decent breeze. I was happy enough that we were in a good position at half time and all we could do was tidy up our game a little. We had a lot of shots in the second half, a lot were close but not over the bar, close but no cigar, it’s important we tidy that up going up to Navan.

“It was a marvellous finish by the lads, a marvellous contribution by the subs who came on. It was said to me more than once at the Moy function on Saturday night that we had a strong bench, it proved it today.

“It’s not their first rodeo, they’ve done it before, they did it above against Roscommon last year, there is a tremendous spirit in these players, anybody would be delighted to be associated with them, they never give up, I’m delighted with today.

“It didn’t look good, at the same time they weren’t pulling away either, I thought that when Jamie got the point we were in a good spot, we made a little error on the kickout and they broke to get a goal.

“I was roaring at Cleary that this game was there for us, the breeze was quite strong and I still felt it was there for us, they were under fierce pressure with the kickout.

“We played into their hands, we started losing kickouts and hadn’t patience, if you do that they will nail you, they have a really good system going and they know how to play it. Louth will be hard beaten in this Division, their cam- paign isn’t over by a long shot, they have a very good defensive system. Their midfielder Ciaran Byrne is going to be a big loss. With Sam Mulroy on the pitch you can’t give away any frees, he is a machine.”

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

MANAGER COMMENT “

Mickey Harte, Louth:

"I think we played much the better football in the last ten minutes, I couldn’t for the life of me understand how Conor Grimes was blown up, first of all I think he was fouled before he went to ground, then he passed the ball out and the ref gives a free out, a critical decision in that game. I don’t know where the seven minutes of added time came out of in the second half. It is devastating to think

Player Watch

we got nothing out of that game for the efforts our players put in.

"You can see some simple decisions that go against you and you wonder why does that happen. We have to take it, it’s not easy but we’re very proud of the players and what they did, they gave every ounce of energy that they had, we couldn’t ask anymore from them.

“We didn’t help ourselves in other ways, a couple of other men picked up yellow cards so we had to move them because they were technically only a foul away from being sent off. The boys who came in did very well and I have to congratulate them for the effort they put in, I’m really proud of the players and I feel so much for them. When you put that much work into a game and the training that they’ve put in over the last few months, to get something like that to take the result totally away from them is very difficult to take.”