The Mayo U20s lost out by the minimum margin to Louth this evening in what was a highly entertaining, error-strewn All-Ireland semi-final encounter. Both sides gave it all at Pearse Park in the sultry conditions but it was the Wee County lads who got their noses in front with a fisted score in injury time to seal a dramatic 2-12 to 0-17 win.
It was a win that, on balance, Louth deserved. They led for long stretches in this game and but for some poor shooting – they racked up eleven wides to our nine – they could have been further ahead before we came with our second half charge. They did extremely well to withstand the onslaught we threw at them in the final quarter and then eke out the scores to win it.
Louth got the dream start when the speedy Shane Lennon cut through our defence and finished to the net after only two minutes. They then added a point from play before we got the scoreboard moving, with points in quick succession from Niall Hurley and Hugh O’Loughlin.
Scores were being traded quickly as the teams settled into this contest. Two from them were answered by Tom Lydon but at the end of the first quarter we were four in arrears and in a bit of bother.
Darragh Beirne skipped through the cover and shot for goal but the ‘keeper pulled off a good save. But the Claremorris player reacted well when the resultant ’45 came up short and wriggled clear to fist over.
That was the first of four unanswered scores in a good spell for us. The other came from Niall Hurley and two from Tom Lydon, the first of them from a free.
These scores brought us level but then Louth cut cleanly through our backline again and this time it Pearse Grimes-Murphy who applied the finish to the net. They added a point soon after before Paul Gilmore reduced the deficit to three at the break.
You could sense the tension in both sets of players – understandable, given both their tender age and the fact that this was an All-Ireland semi-final – in the early stages of the second half. The shooting from both sides became wilder and eleven minutes passed before the first score of the half was recorded.
We’d done a fair bit of attacking before then, to no avail, and the score when it came occurred at the other end. It was a point for Louth but it would have been a third goal for them but for David Dolan’s brilliant stop which sent the ball flying over the bar.
Soon the large Mayo crowd had something to cheer. Colm Lynch let fly with the outside of the boot beyond the arc and the gap was down to two.
We were now attacking with intent. Hugh O’Loughlin was involved in both of the next two moves that led to scores for us, with both of them banged over by Tom Lydon, who was now giving the Louth backline a torrid time.
Lennon’s point for them gave them some momentary relief but then Colm Lynch let fly in the same artful fashion as before, with the same result, and our lads were back in front.
Now it was a battle of the two-pointers. They belted one over from play and then Darragh Beirne, from right out on the touchline, arrowed a two-point free over the bar to edge us once more a point ahead.
They then got what even a few Louth fans around us admitted was a soft free, right at the top of the arc. Their ‘keeper Markey duly obliged and so the lead had switched hands again, with injury time approaching.
Darragh Beirne was fouled as normal time ended and his free squared it up. The four minutes of injury time were frantic and, yes, mistakes were made as both teams gave everything they had to claim the winning score.
In the final analysis, it was a fisted score that won it for the Wee County and fair play to them for coming out on top in what was an enthralling battle.
For our lads, it’s tough to lose at this stage having come so far in this Championship. They do, however, have a Connacht title to console themselves with and several of the lads showed they have the potential to represent the county at Senior level in future years.
While it’s disappointing that they didn’t make it to the final, it’s still been a positive year for us at U20 level. Well done to the lads for all their efforts and hard luck to them on the narrow loss they suffered this evening.
Mayo: David Dolan; Rio Mortimer, Paul Gilmore (0-1), Yousif Coghill; Hugh O’Loughlin (0-1), John MacMonagle, Colm McHale; Diarmuid Duffy, Séamus Howard; Oisín Cronin, Cathal Keaveney, Colm Lynch (0-4, two 2pt); Darragh Beirne (0-4, one 2pt free, one free), Niall Hurley (0-2), Tom Lydon (0-5, one free). Subs: Luke Feeney for Cronin, Dara Neary for Keaveney, Eoin McGreal for McHale, Josh Carey for Hurley, Oliver Armstrong for Howard.
WestKerry says:
May 16, 2025 at 11:39 pm
I think your well wide of the mark Tommy+Joe
Louth are in the minor Leinster final.
They are under 20 champions.
They are senior Leinster Champions.
Ardee are 2nd best club side in Leinster.
They have a top class centre of excellence in Darver Co Louth.
They are building a brand new stadium in Dundalk.
They also have a huge and growing population.
I wouldn't be dismissive of Louth at all.
Tyrone will likely beat them but that's an exceptional Tyrone team as Kerry found out last week.
Willie Joe says:
May 17, 2025 at 12:01 am
I deleted that comment from him, WestKerry. As you've said, it was well wide of the mark and so dismissive of Louth.
Tommy+Joe says:
May 17, 2025 at 12:03 am
[Deleted].
Willie Joe says:
May 17, 2025 at 12:09 am
Tommy Joe - go to bed like a good man if you're not going to cop yourself on. Your comments about an underage game were shameful and have no place here.
Ever the optimist says:
May 17, 2025 at 5:01 am
The two Leinster teams that'll be making noise in the future are Louth and Meath. Brennans plural have great young blood to draw from. No inquest necessary here lads...
Alf Stewart says:
May 17, 2025 at 6:58 am
The jersey clash was outrageous yet again by the GAA. Multiple stray passes from both teams. Spent the entire game squinting trying to differentiate the jerseys .
to win just once says:
May 17, 2025 at 8:24 am
Good game but disappointing result. I felt both teams gave it everything. Our inability to score goals killed us tonight as we had been scoring them all year. However we have been conceding them all year too and let in 2 more tonight. I like the new rules but am against the 2 point free. Louth got an incredibly soft free to give them a crucial 2 pointer near the end. I admit we got an excellent free to give us a 2 pointer as well. Lots of good footballers on that team. Some wonderful fielders and a few nice forwards. Louth are having an extraordinary year and deserve huge credit for what they achieving. To win Leinster at senior and u 20 with the chance of a clean sweep this week is unbelievable. It’s not so long ago that we were tut tutting because we only beat them by a narrow margin in the round robin. The days of looking down our noses at supposedly inferior opposition should be long gone. I expect Tyrone will beat Louth in the final but what an achievement for the wee county to be in the final.
Catcol says:
May 17, 2025 at 8:43 am
Disappointing result, but one I don’t feel bad about. The youngsters gave it everything, and produced spells of magnificent football. So did Louth, who were that bit stronger going forward I felt. The two first half goals were killers, and we had to work so hard to get back into it.
I felt too that Louth blunted our FF line. Hurley & co did damage but didn’t run riot, and were prevented from scoring goals. We have lots of good players to nurture in the near future.
Rober says:
May 17, 2025 at 9:43 am
Absolutely great game of football in really testing conditions..How the players stayed going on such hot conditions is amazing.
The game could have gone either way, louth I felt were a better team unit and over the hour has some outstanding individual displays as well. Future looks bright for them.
Mayo never gave up and produced some great football. Remember some of the players had university exams on the day of the game and again today Saturday. Others are preparing for leaving cert exams . Keeping the pot boiling with all this is extremely difficult.
Longford venue was great, pitch was hard and a bit bumpy but the recent weather was responsible for that. Well done on a great game.
Daveslad says:
May 17, 2025 at 12:16 pm
I said it before and will say it again,as someone who has problems with colors. Why for the love of God, can't one team where white. Its logic and common sense. A mayo white Jersey with a green above the red hoops. Reflects the heat and you can spot your own players. It's like the scorts issue with camoige no common sense applied. Rant over, its off to the bog with me now.
Louis Gunnigan says:
May 17, 2025 at 2:26 pm
For those, like me, that have an issue with colourblindness, trying to watch yesterday's game was a frustrating experience. There is a petition being prepared for the HAA on this issue at https://chng.it/SHF6ZXXzhS.
Well done to the lads for getting to an All-Ireland semi and for playing so much heads-up, front foot stuff all season. I'm sure we'll see many of these lads in the se for squad in years to come
Eighty Five says:
May 17, 2025 at 8:08 pm
I’m also going to interject here about visual conditions. It was clear the ref was struggling to see what was happening, but instead of moving into the shade he stood with his hands over his eyes, in the sunlight. At that hour of the evening the sun was lower and definitely a hindrance. I know it sounds petty but it’s an all Ireland semi final and lads have put their heart & soul into it. Get a cap and sunglasses if it helps.
Peter Mc Ardle says:
May 18, 2025 at 6:39 am
Thank you Mayo fans for the glowing comments about our Under 20 team, I’m a Louth supporter over 50 years going to games and this year 2025 is something special for us. We have never seen the levels of football we are seeing now but it’s many years nurturing development squads that are now paying dividends. We hope to win a Leinster minor title Monday night against Offaly to make it a treble in Leinster in 2025. Thanks Mayo for a great game in Longford it could have gone either way but I expect to see many of these young men in the years to come to Don the famous green and red, thanks again all Mayo folk. Peter Mc Ardle, Ardee.
ThelondonEye says:
May 18, 2025 at 11:48 am
I watched the game on TV. The game was in the balance right up until the end although, and I hope I am not considered biased here, but I thought Mayo dominated for long spells in the game.
One thing that struck me are the players are nearly county senior but are not county senior yet. So they are not at the strength and stamina of county senior players. So the sight of a player in the back line laying off a ball and then charging up the field as if his life depended on it that reaps no dividends was, I think, the root of Mayo's problem. This mad galloping up the field just leaves a player exhausted and unable to do simple defending when called upon.
It appeared to me our backs were out on the feet towards the end due to no fault but their own and were allowing the Louth players to shoot on their own terms. In contrast, the Louth backs really harried our forwards and made them fight hard for every score. The Louth forwards, the few times they were in possession, had a much easier time. So basically, I am saying our game management was very poor in this game.