Joe Carroll: A game like no other as Louth head back to Croke Park

It was known at the beginning of the year that the Louth seniors would be going to Croke Park. Having played all of their National League matches at Parnell Park, Dublin decided to head to headquarters for a league campaign that would see them involved in Division 2 football for the first time since Adam was wearing short trousers.

This was Louth’s division as well, the Reds having just won promotion from the third tier, and with Dublin securing home advantage for the fixture, Louth would be on the road to the capital.

A little over three months on from the beginning of that competition, Louth have been to Croker not once but twice, and they’ll be there again on Sunday, this one for the biggest game the county has been involved in for 13 years.

This is Leinster Championship final day, the biggest in the province’s football calendar. Multiple winners since the turn into this century, Dublin are in the other corner and are certain to go off warm favourites. But is this causing concern on this side of the Boyne? Not at all.

Conor Grimes dreaming of bringing Delaney Cup home

If there was a sizeable band of supporters there for the Offaly win last Sunday week, you can bet there’ll be many times more present for the final.

Back in 2010, the crowd for the ill-fated meeting with Meath attracted an attendance of 48,000-plus. This was the biggest of the year for a provincial final, in football or hurling, and ticket sales suggested Louth followers outnumbered their Meath counterparts.

Louth are through on the back of some sterling performances in the league, but mainly because twice already in this competition they have refused to accept defeat as inevitable.

That certainly looked the outcome at half-time in the match with Westmeath. Coming on the back of a first half of poor defending and failure to convert chances, the Reds went in at the break trailing by eight points. At the finish, the balance of power had changed, Louth showing two clear. It was the comeback of the championship to date.

Then on Sunday week last, there were times when Offaly, with a number of recent All-Ireland under-20 champions included, would repeat their win from a similar 2021 fixture. But not a word about it.

Displaying a fine athleticism, the product of all that’s been happening on Darver’s training ground since Mickey Harte and Gavin Devlin came about the place, Louth turned the second part of extra-time almost entirely into a one-team show.

Within a couple of points early in the final ten minutes, Offaly then took a pounding, Louth adding four points to bring their total to 0-27 by the end of extra time. It wasn’t a display without flaws; had Offaly taken a golden chance late on in the regulation 70 minutes it could have been curtains.

It didn’t happen, and now, through the management’s ability to turn players who didn’t look exceptional in club football into as good as there is in the province, there’s a chance of the Delaney Cup coming back to the county for the first time in 66 years.

Joe Carroll: Many Louth players’ lineage filled with winners

Heady times, indeed; but it’s been going this way ever since Mickey Harte made Darver his base over three years ago. The Errigal Ciaran clubman brought Gavin Devlin with him, having worked in unison with the big man when their native Tyrone were the country’s best team.

It was always likely Harte would score in his first campaign, even though he was working blindly, as it were, not knowing much about the players at his disposal, or even those he’d chosen for his first competitive match.

Promotion from Division Four was achieved with relative ease, and it was much the same last year in the higher grade. Championship campaigns were problematic, however, and only once in the two prior to this year did Louth get beyond the first round.

But all the time Harte was learning more about his players, and, more important, instilling in them the manner in which he wanted them to play. His team’s style at times may not be to everyone’s liking, but the results are there. Can we really argue with 2-10 against Westmeath and 27 points in the Offaly match?

And what about the Tommy Durnin and Conor Early’s renaissance? Both have been on the scene for a while, but are now player better than ever.

They form the midfield partnership and on Sunday face their greatest test, going head-to-head with many times all-Ireland winners, Brian Fenton and James McCarthy. The contest for high-dropping balls should be fascinating, the result maybe going close to deciding the match.

Conor Grimes, free of the injuries that have peppered his career, is really enjoying in his role away from full-forward, where he spent most of his early years – and Ciaran Downey has only to repeat what he achieved when last in Croke Park to earn another man-of-match accolade.

And Sam Mulroy, this time with no Democrat question-mark after his name. Just when we thought the Naomh Mairtin clubman had lost most of what made him one of the 2022 league’s best players, his performance in the first 70 minutes of the Offaly tie completely foreign to him, he presents himself for four points from play, bringing his total to six.

Harte has always had complete faith in Mulroy, as evidenced by the answer he gave when asked after the game had he considered replacing his captain. He was quick to point out that Mulroy had been out for six weeks through injury and was only finding his way back.

Plenty of talking points as Louth look to dethrone the Dubs

Craig Lennon has proven himself invaluable any time he’s been sprung from the bench, never more so that the last day; and Liam Jackson’s goal against Dublin a few weeks ago was beautifully taken. The Ardee lad is good at that. Dylan McKeown scored twice on his debut, and could make another start on Sunday.

They’re the frontmen – at the back is a defence built around Niall Sharkey, who’s been immense at centre-half all year. Donal McKenny and the St Patrick’s pair, Ciaran Murphy and Leonard Grey, are others with form, and since being re-located to the back, Conall McKeever has made valuable contributions.

Peter Lynch’s position at full-back was secure until he shipped an injury, while there’s probably no-one better at playing the defensive role as defined by Harte than Dan Corcoran. Don’t be surprised if you see the Geraldine’s clubman testing Stephen Cluxton.

That leaves the other regular at the back. Since his recall to goals, James Califf has repaid the confidence the management placed in him. Okay, so he hadn’t his better games against Offaly, but again, like Corcoran and others, he’s good at playing the Harte game. The Dreadnots player is a reliable second choice for long-distance frees or 45s.

So that’s more or less it, the main cogs in the panel Harte has pieced together, and from which he and his fellow selectors will choose the team to go to war on Sunday.

The task is immense, but one thing is certain the team that takes the field won’t lack for schooling or support. Let’s hope the red-and-white flags fly highest.