Louth resist Mayo rally to reach first U-20 final

The concept of losing football games is slowly slipping away from Louth's collective memory, as the Wee County once again found their way through a tense and tight battle to make more footballing history.

The Dalata Hotel Group 2025 All-Ireland U-20 football final will be a battle between Tyrone, chasing three championship wins at this grade in four years, and Louth, who will be playing their first ever final.

After coming through a bear pit of an Ulster championship and overcoming Kerry on their way to the final - expected to be Wednesday 21 May - Tyrone will be the hottest of favourites, but if Louth can show the same threat when running from deep and the same composure in the big moments, they will fancy their chances of one more upset.

This contest featured all-out attacking intent for the first half was tense and error-ridden for the third quarter, but the final 15 minutes was a real rollercoaster, with four lead changes before Adam Gillespie fisted over the winning score in the second minute of stoppage time.

It took four minutes for the scoring to be opened, but even before Shane Lennon set this contest alight with his perfectly-timed run from deep and his cool finish, the two sides had gone close to raising green flags, with Diarmuid Duffy in particular going close, only to be denied by a superb Tiarnan Markey save.

Lennon, who showed plenty of the same traits as his older All-Star brother Craig throughout this game, was only one of several players that looked to use pace and directness to hurt Mayo.

Seán Callaghan and James Maguire were strong in the air but they also looked to get forward early and often, with Maguire kicking an excellent first half point, while Tadhg McDonnell and Lennon were sharp from wing back too, hitting one each as Louth went 1-04 to 0-3 ahead.

Mayo showed plenty of ability all across the field too, justifying their reputation as pre-match favourites once they settled into the game.

Hugh O’Loughlin continued his outstanding form in defence, Seamus Howard plucked several high balls right out of the cloudless sky at midfield and Tom Lydon was their main threat up front, with Colm Lynch, Darragh Beirne and Paul Gilmore also faring well – but they couldn’t quite do enough to overcome Louth scoring the only two goals of the game.

After scoring four in a row to draw level, Mayo’s momentum was brought to a crashing halt when Pearse Grimes-Murphy channelled the spirit of Usain Bolt to leave defenders trailing in his wake in the 26th minute, eating up 40 metres of ground before smashing the ball past David Dolan.

Pearse Grimes-Murphy of Louth celebrates at the final whistle

Another point for each team left it 2-5 to 0-08 at half-time, and just a single score was added to that tally in the third quarter – and that felt like more of a miss than a hit.

It featured Dolan gaining a measure of revenge against Grimes-Murphy as the wing-forward again cut through to leave just the keeper to beat, but Dolan, did brilliantly to parry his effort over the bar.

The final quarter couldn’t have been more of a contrast, kicked off by Colm Lynch’s majestic two-pointer from distance. The same player gave Mayo their first lead when he hoisted another over the bar from 45 metres out, and by that point, it looked like Louth might regret their five third-quarter wides.

A huge turnover win from Cormac McKeown set up Tadhg McDonnell for another orange flag in reply, then Darragh Beirne defied the odds when he took a hard hit out on the sideline, needed two minutes of treatment and then brushed himself down to land another skyscraper kick from in front of the terrace.

With the sides trading blows, it seemed like a case of who would lead at the right time. James Maguire was fouled for Tiarnan Markey to send over another two-point free, Darragh Beirne levelled the tie again with another clutch point, and the contest ultimately came down to two late chances.

The first was an attacking mark from a tricky angle that Josh Carey sent inches wide, and Gillespie’s winner, punched over after Tadhg McDonnell opened up the Mayo defence and set up yet another famous score in a year of memorable moments for Louth football.

LOUTH: Tiarnan Markey (0-02, 1tpf); Micheál Reid, Keelin Martin, Pádraic Tinnelly; Tadhg McDonnell (0-01), Cormac McKeown, Shane Lennon (1-02); Seán Callaghan, James Maguire (0-01); Conor McGinty, Conor Mac Críosta, Pearse Grimes-Murphy (1-03, 1tp); Adam Gillespie (0-02), Tony McDonnell (0-1), Darragh Dorian.

SUBS: Diarmuid Reilly for Mac Críosta (48), Dylan Shevlin for Dorian (53).

MAYO: David Dolan; Rio Mortimer, Yousif Coghill, John MacMonagle; Hugh O'Loughlin (0-01), Paul Gilmore (0-01), Colm McHale; Diarmuid Duffy, Seamus Howard; Oisín Cronin, Cathal Keaveney, Colm Lynch (0-04, 2tp); Darragh Beirne (0-04, 1tpf, 0-01f), Niall Hurley (0-02), Tom Lydon (0-05, 0-01f).

SUBS: Luke Feeney for Cronin (38), Dara Neary for Keaveney (41), Eoin McGreal for McHale (44), Josh Carey for Hurley (53), Oliver Armstrong for Howard (59).

Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)

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