Louth v Carlow or Wexford

Louth v Fermanagh

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Louth v Cavan

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Louth 1-17 – 1-19 Cork

Hurley Inspires Cork To Opening Sam Maguire Group Win

Brian Hurley marked his Cork return, with a man of the match display, kicking eight points as they had two points to spare in a classic encounter against Louth in Navan this afternoon.

It was an intense energy sapping game, but will go down as a classic encounter between the sides in their first outings in Group 1 of the Sam Maguire.

Cork had brian Hurley and Louth had Sam Mulory, booth captains leading by example finishing with eight points each, as they orchestrated their sides in this pulsating encounter.

Both sides found the net with a degree of fortune, Míchéal Martin made a terrific save early in the opening half to keep Louth out, but in the second half it was hard to call just who would win this tie.

Hurley proved a big addition to the Cork side as he got Cork up and running inside two minutes with a free, Craig Lennon replied three minutes later as Louth got on the board to register their opening score.

Mulory put Louth ahead eight minutes in, their first lead in the tie, he had a 45 strike the post and go wide, but his side turned over possession as Cork went on the offensive charge and he made no mistake from play the second time of asking.

Luke Fahey tried to level for Cork soon after but it drew wide of the upright, their fourth wide inside the opening quarter, Conor Early however made little mistake as he gave Louth a two point lead with a fine finish.

Back came Cork however with scores from Killian O’Hanlon and Hurley, then came the real blow as Cork found the back of the net after 16 minutes, James Califf the Louth keeper punished for over carrying, Hurley took a quick free with the keeper left stranded, Ruari Deane raced in popped a pass to Brian O’Driscoll who finished to the net, Cork ahead 1-3 to 0-3.

Mulory brought it to a two point game with a free, but O’Driscoll soon cancelled it out as he passed off for Colm O’Callaghan to raise the white flag, Mulory again was keeping his side floating above the water, but points from Sean Powter and two Hurley scores had Cork ahead 1-7 to 0-5 after 31 minutes.

Peter Lynch produced a huge score to end a rut of conceding scores for Mickey Harte’s men, a difficult angle for the Louth defender but it restored hope, the sides swapped points in added time, with Cork ahead by four as they went to the dressing rooms, 1-8 to 0-7.

Mulroy added the first score of the second half, but two Hurley points had Cork ahead 1-10 to 0-8 42 minutes in, Chris Óg Jones further stretched the rebels lead as they started brightly in the early exchanges of the second half.

Then almost from nowhere, Louth were right back in the tie, Mulroy landed a monster free, Míchéal Martin made a mistake from the kick-out and Liam Jackson got in to blast to the roof of the net, 1-11 to 1-9 in favour of the visitors with 44 elapsed.

O’Callaghan and Ciaran Downey swapped points soon after as the intensity really picked up, Tommy Durnin made it a one point game with a huge score in the 51st minute as Louth really had hit their stride.

Ian Maguire replied for Cork, a goal looked pn but he fisted over for a two point lead, but for Louth Dylan McKeown kept pressure applied as he curled a beauty off his left boot.

Louth were on top form and afford Leonard Grey levelled matters, Mulroy put them one point ahead after 57 minutes, but after the hour mark Cork stayed in touch never looking like capitulating.

Hurley, O’Driscoll and then Stephen Sherlock pointed in succession putting them back in front with eight minutes of normal time left, 1-16 to 1-14. Murloy dragged Louth just a point behind as we headed for six minutes of stoppage time.

It was the Brian Hurley show in Navan as he was putting in a man of the match display and in the first minute of added time, notched another point to bring his tally to 0-8, as he went off with injury just after.

Advantage was still with Cork as John O’Rourke made an instant impact off the bench to score and give the Rebels a three point lead with half of the allotted added time eaten away.

With one minute left Ciaran Downey thought he had found the back of the net but his effort just dropped over the bar, that score left one between them as Conor Grimes had notched two minutes prior, but from the Cork kick out they won possession and a quick free sent Conor Corbett in and he fired over the bar to wrap up an incredible game of football.

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Louth 1-10 – 0-10 Cork

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Louth 2-11 – 0-12 Kildare

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Louth 1-15 – 1-13 Limerick

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Louth 1-11 – 2-11 Derry

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Louth v Antrim

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Louth v Westmeath

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