Inside Track: No room for error as senior championship reaches quarter-final stage

The Louth senior championship is down to the quarter-finals, and that means for those still in the field, there is now no margin for error.

A team can suffer defeat in the league section of the competition and still go through. Indeed, six of the eight still standing were beaten at some stage, but went through on score difference.

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It’s now down to a straightforward knock-out. All four matches go ahead this weekend, and good sport is in prospect. Without doubt, the most attractive fixture brings St Mary’s and Newtown Blues together.

Mary’s, the short-priced favourites, met with no obstacle in their section, but Mairtín’s, dual champions of recent years, had it all to do when they met Blues, having previously won a rollicking contest with St Joseph’s.

Blues are Blues when it comes to the championship. This is their favourite competition, a point emphasised by their place at the top of the list of all-time winners.

Aside from giving Mairtíns the fright of their lives, the Drogheda side steamrolled Joe’s, and would now appear to be cherry ripe for their outing with the champions of the past three years.

League form hasn’t worked out too well. St Mochta’s were always near the top of the Cardinal O’Donnell table, putting themselves in place for a second title in three years. They met Joe’s in the final, and won in a hack canter.

But now both finalists are among the non-runners, Mochta’s losing out in their section by the skin of their teeth. They lost one game by two points and won their other one by a point. But in the closest finish imaginable, the Villagers had to give way to Dreadnots and St Patrick’s.

Roche Emmets were another team to win their final match, but having suffered a big defeat to Dundalk Gaels, their win over Cooley Kickhams wasn’t big enough to put them through. St Fechin’s got close to Mary’s, and then had the expected win over Geraldines to finish second in their section.

What we now have is a line-up with four title-winners since the turn into this century, Mary’s, Mairtíns, Blues and the winningmost team in those years, St Pat’s.

They’re joined by Fechin’s, Cooley, Dreadnots and the only team that competed outside of this year’s senior league, 2024 intermediate champions holders, Gaels.

Left to compete in the relegation battle are Mochta’s, Roche, Geraldines and St Joseph’s.

While the Mary’s/Blues quarter-final is the chart-topper, the others are not lacking in appeal. Mairtíns weren’t a major threat in the years Pat’s were kingpins, winning seven titles in 13 years. But they go into this meeting of the sides as favourites.

In betting parlance, you could say it’s evens each of two in the other quarters. Yes, there are plenty up around Clogherhead who’d be keen to take that price about Dreadnots beating Cooley, but if the peninsula side are to lose, it won’t be without a fight.

Gaels/Fechin’s is a novel pairing. While the memory from which this piece is gathering its facts is not as sharp as before, it could be as far back as the late 1980s, when the blue last came up against the green. It will be no surprise if this tie produces the closest finish.