Inside Track: A win at Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a must for Louth

At this stage of the National League, with just two rounds remaining, we can forget about Louth being in the shake-up for promotion.

There’s a gulf there between Ger Brennan’s side and the three in pole position, and it would take not only one, but a whole sequence of shock results for the Reds to fill the only one of the two spots available to them.

While Louth are jousting with Cork on Sunday, Meath and Monaghan meet in Navan. As each of these teams are four points clear, one of them is going to make it on to ten points, or maybe both will land on nine. The most Louth can gather is eight.

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No, the concentration has now to be on avoiding relegation. Two points from the visit to Pairc Uí Chaoimh will be a huge help, maybe even take the pressure off leading on to the final match with Meath.

And on that Round 7 tie. It was pencilled in for Inniskeen when the fixture list was first published, and that made sense. It was on the Grattans’ pitch where Louth pieced together two exceptional championship wins last year, arguably the best since the 2010 quarter-final defeat of Kildare in Navan.

Word after the defeat by Monaghan last Sunday week was that the game, at Louth’s request, could be switched to Drogheda.

There have been three games at the much-improved O’Rahilly’s pitch in the current league – two have ended in defeat. Is going to Inniskeen not a no-brainer?

It is still possible for Louth to make the drop, and if that happens there’ll be no place in this year’s All-Ireland championship, and instead a first ever entry to the Tailteann Cup.

Down, who are currently two points behind Louth, are guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland, regardless of where they finish in the league.

This is because of their win in last year’s Tailteann Cup. So, even if Louth avoid finishing in the bottom two, it could still mean missing out on a place in the more important of the championships.

Louth’s reliance on Sam Mulroy’s free-taking was never more pronounced than in the Monaghan game.

When it seemed the Farney were going to win in a hack canter, inflicting a defeat of embarrassing promotions, the team captain went on scoring spree, kicking two-pointer after two-pointer, giving his side something to play for in the last quarter.

He also came in with a penalty to clip what had at one stage been a 17-point deficit to just one score. He finished with 1-12.

The others will need to have something to offer if the valuable points on offer on Sunday are to go for export. It can’t continue with just one player having almost sole responsibility for keeping the scoreboard ticking over. In this regard, Craig Lennon’s absence is being sorely felt.

In finishing last year’s hugely successful season as a contributor to most scorelines, Lennon’s style of play was in contrast to what we’ve seen in recent games. He went at defences, taking the direct route and never afraid to take a shot.

We saw it in the opening minutes of the Roscommon game, a charge of his through the middle ending with a point. Unfortunately, he was on the bench soon afterwards having aggravated the injury he carried into the game.

What’s been most noticeable is the way in which forwards have got themselves bottled up around goals, preferring to put in a pass rather than take a shot at goals. Less caution and more adventure could pay dividends, helping to ease the load which Mulroy carries into each game.

It will also help if the two Ciaráns, Downey and Keenan, along with Andy McDonnell are fit to play in a game in which a Louth team will be attempting to win at the venue for the first time.

Getting the ball to the forwards will depend a lot of Louth winning the midfield tussle. If it lost its status because of the way the game was played for a number of years before the introduction of the new rules, the middle of the park is back as a real battleground, goalie now forced to ‘go long’ most times.

Despite the workmanlike performances which Tommy Durnin has been turning in, Louth have been troubled at midfield, not only in the air, but in their inability to pick up a breaking ball.

Paul Matthews shaped up well on his introduction in the Monaghan game, and could partner Durnin from the start on Sunday.

And the defence? All bar Leonard Gray and Niall McDonnell, and to a lesser degree Peter Lynch, were reduced to bit-players the last day as Monaghan ran riot in the first half. Donal McKenny and his colleagues are capable of much better – they will need to be for this crucial outing.