Inside Track: Top trio missing at the start but Louth still finish with a win

Who could have envisaged it a couple of months ago Louth going out for a Leinster Championship first round tie without Sam Mulroy, Craig Lennon and Tommy Durnin, one a 2024 All-Star, the other two nominees?

It happened on Sunday for the Newbridge clash with Laois; yet Louth were still able to fashion a hard-earned five-point win with a gutsy if not classy display. The prize is a good one, a semi-final meeting with Kildare on next Sunday week.

Mulroy is in the sick bay, and Lennon has just been released from it. And Durnin? Well, he’s reported to have missed a training session on the Friday night before the game, and as a consequence was told to sit on the naughty step.

READ NEXT: New stadium will give youngsters a chance to follow their dream

The big man, who had taken over the captaincy from Mulroy, was given a light sentence, and just as well. Minutes before the break he got the nod to go in to try rescue a troubled midfield.

The reception he got from the crowd as he left the bench was rapturous, and he responded in typical fashion, reaching for the sky and providing sound back-up in both parts of the field.

And there was also a huge welcome back for Lennon when he came on in the second half. The Mochta’s man couldn’t have signalled his return after missing almost the entire league campaign much better.

Ball in hand he made that trademark dash of his into the heart of defence before finishing with a point. The young man is back, and that augurs well.

Mulroy’s name didn’t appear on the programme. It might just on Sunday week, if not in a 1 to 15 jersey, but in a bigger number.

There’ll be no-one in the back-up team cutting corners – it’s just that he might make a recovery from the injury that kept him out other last two games sooner than anticipated.

Louth had to dig deep to win on Sunday. A very iffy first half, during which there was a near epidemic of handling errors, misdirected passes and a failure to take chances, ended with Laois a point to the good.

Louth had led for most of the 35 minutes, but could never put daylight between themselves and a Laois side that had impressed many in their defeat of Wexford the previous week.

And it was much the same for most of the second half. Wiping out the Laois lead with an early gaol, scored by Ryan Burns from the spot, Louth, despite showing a marked improvement, couldn’t get their opponents away their shoulder.

Decent leads were opened up on a few occasions, but until Ciarán Byrne, taking a precision pass from Dylan McKeown, tapped to the back of the net, supporters couldn’t breathe easily.

What’s important, however, is that a potentially dangerous challenge was answered. The vision of a third successive provincial appearance is alive, and the panel is speeding towards full strength. Others waiting to get their names on the programme are Ciarán Keenan and Dan Corcoran.

Donal McKenny, the third to go up for the toss this season, made a slow start, but displayed what we’ve come to expect from him after the interval. An intercept of his at a crucial stage late on was crucial.

Peter Lynch was solid at centre-half when he had to be, and wasn’t slow to get involved in attack; Ciarán Downey, a firm candidate for man-of-the-match, set pulses racing whenever he was on the ball, and for the third game in a row, Niall McDonnell kept a clean slate, making a number of vital saves. Any bad memories the Fechin’s clubman has of the league have surely been banished by now.

Ryan Burns was more than an adequate replacement for Mulroy when it came to placed kicks. He easily beat Killian Roche with his penalty, and converted a 45 with verve, judging the wind perfectly. Dylan McKeown made the best use of the time he had on the field, ‘making’ a goal and taking his point with style.

And ‘Casey’ Byrne? He looked completely at ease in the No 14 jersey, taking his scores well, and, important for him, showing no ill-effects of the injuries that have so often disrupted his career in recent years.

The semi-final with Kildare will be a repeat of last year, and – if the game is played in Pairc Tailteann – a reminder of a memorable 2010 quarter-final between the sides, which Louth won before advancing to a first provincial final in 50 years.