Inside Track: Donegal next up in a repeat of last year’s quarter-final

There was no way Louth could avoid meeting one of the country’s elite in the draw for next weekend’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.

Having finished third in their group with the two points from three outings, Ger Brennan’s side had the odds stacked against them going into the draw.

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They’d be playing away, facing a game with one of three teams that had finished second in their groups. (Having already played Down, there couldn’t be a refixture with the Mournemen, who easily fit the bill of the competition’s surprise packets.)

That left Kerry, Donegal and Dublin, three counties that have won the Sam Maguire Cup in the last 13 years, Dublin multiple times.

All ears to RTE radio yesterday morning to hear Donegal drawn first, with Louth named as their opponents. A tough draw made more difficult with the game to take place in Ballybofey.

The other pairings: Dublin v Cork, Kerry v Cavan, and Down v Galway. Already thgrough to the quarter-finals: Armagh, Monaghan, Meath and Tyrone.

Coming off a home win over Cork, Louth played Donegal in the quarter-finals twelve months ago.

The game was at Croke Park, and while Louth came in with 18 points, they were still eight points behind the Ulster side at the end.

Donegal’s run was halted next time out, beaten 1-14 to 0-15 by Galway, who in turn went down to Armagh in the final.

There’s little doubt Louth will have to come up with their very best to advance, something much better than we saw at Portlaoise in the defeat of Clare.

In addition to the championship defeat, Louth were also beaten by Donegal in the counties’ most recent league meeting, that game going ahead at Ballybofey.