Inside Track: Louth’s good win in league opener after a piece of unnecessary game-playing

“We’ll struggle to get a win from this game,” said a Louth supporter of long standing on reading the team that had been named for the league game with Offaly.

His concern wasn’t so much centred on the chosen fifteen, but on those who wouldn’t be playing.

“No Donal McKenny. No Tommy Durnin. No Ciarán Downey. No Conor Grimes. Are they injured, or what’s wrong,” he asked. He took some small consolation from Grimes being named in the subs.

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He needn’t have fretted. When the team was announced about ten minutes before the O’Connor Park throw-in, McKenny was included. So, too, was Downey, with Grimes promoted from the subs.

It’s still going on, this juvenile practice of putting a team out for public consumption, knowing there’s little chance of it being the one that will line out. Is it meant to hoodwink the opposition, or just keep supporters in suspense?

Presumably, those who were named on the programme and then had to take their places on the bench were told beforehand they wouldn’t be starting.

There was ample opportunity for this to happen. The panel was together over two days, taking in an overnight stay in Johnston House, in Enfield.

After all that, the day had a happy ending for those of a red hue. The team came up with a fighting, winning performance, 1-21 to 0-19.

Gavin Devlin got the result he wanted from his first outing with a real competitive edge to it, and travelling supporters, by far outnumbering the home contingent, went home in good form.

A good start is half the battle, they say. This was a good start to what’s going to be a tough campaign, but it amounts to much less than half the battle. There are many crunch ties ahead, beginning with next Sunday’s visit of Cork to Ardee.

The talk leaving O’Connor Park was that Cork had been beaten at home by Cavan. This didn’t happen. While the Breffni held a sizeable lead at one stage, the home side rallied, getting up on the line for a narrow win.

That’s next Sunday. What happened last Sunday was encouraging, Louth in their first game of real importance since last year’s championship defeat by Donegal, chasing down Offaly after falling four points behind early in the second half.

Louth were the better team in the opening half when playing against the wind, but with Offaly claiming two points from each of four shots on goal, the Reds had a three-point deficit to make up going out after the break.

Offaly’s lead was quickly undone, however, and there was lots more to follow. With the score standing at 0-17 to 0-16 in Louth’s favour, the game produced its only goal. And who else but Sam Mulroy to put his name on it?

The finish was good, Ryan Burns' part in the build-up maybe even better. The Hunterstown clubman did a ‘Dick Turpin’ on an Offaly defender, robbing him in broad daylight.

Mulroy was perfectly placed for a pass, and after that, the team captain had only to find a way past goalkeeper Seán O’Toole.

Louth out-scored the opposition 0-4 to 0-2 in the time that remained. But there was still need for some solid defending.

Craig Lennon, Dermot Campbell and Niall McDonnell stepped up to the mark, Campbell fielding high in the square, making a catch reminiscent of how it was around goals in the ‘old’ game.

And Lennon? Stout defending was only part of his game. Scything his way through defence as only he can, the No 7 finished with three scores, one of them a two-pointer.

For just a second, as he bore down on goals in the opening half, we thought he was going to test the goalie as he did in Croke Park last May. He was happy to take his point.

Paul Matthews had his best game in the county colours, playing on the right wing but often getting involved at midfield – and full of running as ever, Conor Grimes showed he has still plenty to offer in this grade.

We should have known there was something amiss when the original team had Peter Lynch at wing-full.

The Rocheman’s career has blossomed at centre-half, and it’s there were he began and finished on Sunday. He had an excellent 70 minutes, contributing to the scoresheet along with filling the gap.

Benefitting from Donal McKenny’s inclusion, the defence couldn’t have worked harder. With no wind to assist them, Offaly tried to channel the ball through to goal in the second half, but found few routes open to them.

When they changed tactics, going with the long ball, there was no dividend for them either. Louth backs were great in the air and at man-marking.

It’s no longer a 15 against 15 game. Rarely, if ever, will you again see a team finish as it started. Devlin called on three from the bench, Tadhg McDonnell, Eoghan Callaghan, and, near the end, Kieran McArdle.

None of them weakened the side – indeed, there was a lot to admire about how Callaghan and McDonnell, a recruit from last year’s under-20 side, went about their work.

It was a problem last season, and it’s still there – winning clean ball at midfield, but, more noticeable, getting a hand on the breaking ball. It’s something that needs to be worked on.