Inside Track: Louth teams in a winning groove

A colleague pointed this one out to me: Covering the minors, under-20s and seniors, Louth have won each of their last seven games.

The seniors rounded off the league with four straight wins, the under-20s have cleared two hurdles in defence of their provincial title, and on a mission to redeem for last year’s championship final defeat, the minors got the better of Meath in a first-round tie.

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Nothing breeds success like success. This is a prime example. There’s a winning mentality abroad, and as happened last year, it could be the signpost to competition wins.

The under-17s were set a more difficult task than the older age group, asked to face a highly-rated Meath team in Skryne in the league section.

Originally scheduled for a Tuesday evening, the game was switched to the following Thursday, which so happened to coincide with the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off tie with Czechia.

Time for supporters to show their true colours, you could say. Many of them did, enduring poor weather and bypassing the televised game from Prague.

The travellers among them were rewarded, Louth piecing together a fine performance to win by a point.

Pauric Maguire’s sublime two-pointer was the crucial score, coming after Meath had edged in front near the end.

Next up for the Eamonn McEneaney-coached side is a clash with Laois at Darver this evening. It could be the next step in the county’s winning run.

The under-20s are also out this week, taking on Wexford. A chance, perhaps, for manager Fergal Reel to test the strength of his squad.

It’s the third match in the league series, but having already beaten Westmeath and Dublin, Louth are guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.

The win over Dublin came at Parnell Park last Tuesday night. It was tight at the finish, but really shouldn’t have been. Ahead at one stage by eight points, Louth began to freewheel.

It could have been fatal had Padraig Tinnelly not come in with a late goal, and Dublin not spurned a great chance of an equaliser with time almost up. Three points divided the sides at the finish. A lesson learnt perhaps.

There could be another meeting with Dublin at the knock-out stage. If there is, it’s unlikely to be played in the weather conditions prevailing at last year’s set-to in Darver.

If there was anyone leaving the venue that night not drenched or beaten into submission by a near-hurricane-force wind, he or she must have watched from a car or the upper deck of the Darver Centre.

Championship wins over Meath and Dublin – even beating one of them – would have been a major talking point a few years ago. Now it’s common practice. The most recent under-20 win was Louth’s third in succession against Dublin.