Louth and Carlow don't share a colourful history. They do now.
The Leinster club intermediate football championship got off to an explosive start on Saturday when Kilbride of Carlow and O'Connells of the Wee County finished the game with just 20 between them on the pitch.
O'Connells marched onto the quarter-finals with a 2-10 to 1-8 victory over the visitors at Castlebellingham but Kildare referee Noel McKenna flashed more red cards than the umpires waved flags for Kilbride scores.
- Kilbride (Carlow) finished with nine men (six sent off).
- O'Connells (Louth) finished with 11 men (four sent off).
It all started as a bit of craic.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921745717877669888
But then it just escalated to reds being brandished in every which road.
The Carlow outfit raced into a lead early on and then had a man advantage too.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921741856471420928
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921742663082274818
Despite losing two men, O'Connells managed to get in all square at the break.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921746324415971328
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921746519233126401
As the Louth champions raced into a lead with two less men, Kilbride decided to start levelling it up in the referee's book.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921753306980147200
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921754969048535040
Kilbride then missed a penalty with a chance to go one clear and the deficit opened up in the red card stakes too.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921757445839638529
We could've handled six reds. But they just kept coming.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921757945402134540
And coming.
https://twitter.com/louthgaa/status/921758433270992901
In the end, Kilbride were never going to win with nine players on the pitch, were they?
They started the game with just 19 fit players to choose from and they lost six to red cards but, according to Carlow manager Turlough O'Brien, they might feel hard done by.
https://twitter.com/TurloughCarlow/status/921758844094689280
