Louth manager says "They are going to have a good hard look at ourselves"

Louth senior football manager Ger Brennan was disappointed after his side’s 1-23 to 0-18 loss to Cork in the Allianz National Football League at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon.

A slow first-half performance left the Wee County with too much to do after half time and while there were improvements, Cork kept them at bay to secure the points.

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Speaking with the Dundalk Democrat after the game, Brennan admitted: “That was a very poor performance overall, and that's happened to us now the last two games.

“First half against Monaghan, very, very poor to come out and then again today, first half is really, really poor.”

(Sam Mulroy of Louth during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Louth at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

Cork's control

“We couldn't get our hands on the ball, they out-muscled us in the middle part of the pitch and that's quite disappointing overall,” Brennan said.

“And even the few possessions we did have, I think maybe we had the guts of 16 in the end, in the first half we just turned the ball over far too casually.”

It was a similar story to their last outing against Monaghan, where Louth left themselves with too much to do in the second half.

The manager said: “That’s the madness of sport sometimes, even though it's obviously to you and me and the players, and you do your analysis work and you practise those fixes at training, when the ball gets thrown in then on match day sometimes games can kind of take a life of their own and players switch off.

“Far too many of our lads weren't at the races for the first half. And again, that's happened two games in a row.

“So as a management and the group of players, we're going to sit down and have a good hard look at ourselves going into Meath next week in the Leinster Championship campaign ahead.”

(Brian O’Driscoll of Cork and Tommy Durnin of Louth contest a kickoit during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Louth at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

Too much to do

Louth trailed by 11 points at halftime, and while they improved in the second half, they never really threatened a comeback.

“I would agree with you there. We were certainly better in the second half, however, there wasn't enough penetration, enough energy in the squad to be able to claw back and ask questions of Cork going down the home stretch.”

Brennan praised the impact of some of his substitutes, with Ciarán Downey, Fearghal Malone, and Dylan McKeown all making positive contributions when introduced.

“There’s a hard-working panel there. We've got a few knocks that have been well documented and other guys then get an opportunity with some seasoned campaigners under pressure trying to get back.

“So while it’s disappointing in the here and now, hopefully, we can work hard next week, maintain the Division Two status, and push hard to try and get to a Leinster Final to give ourselves the chance to win the Delaney Cup and have a full panel to pick from.”

(Louth manager Ger Brennan during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Louth at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

Kickouts concern

One worrisome area that reared its head again was Louth’s struggles on kick-outs, something Brennan acknowledged.

“Absolutely. They out-muscled us on the kick outs, ours and theirs, in the first half. And then the few balls we did get, we were quite static, clustering around the ball carrier as opposed to trying to get a head up and get the thing moving forward and following in. So a good bit of work to do for next week.”

With injuries taking their toll, Louth’s panel has been stretched in recent weeks. Brennan praised the work being done behind the scenes to get key players back to full fitness.

“Well, it's certainly been tested as we've seen in the last couple of games, so we just have to work hard with the guys that are available to us.

“And at the same time, the medical team, with the support of the county board in the background, are doing tremendous work to try and get some of those key guys back up and running.”

(Sam Mulroy of Louth goes on the attack with his teammates as Cork defend during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Louth at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

Looking ahead to Meath

Attention now turns to a crucial clash with Meath, a team that has been in good form under new manager Robbie Brennan.

“Yeah, and look, Meath are going really well, to be fair. Robbie Brennan has had a great start to his tenure as Meath manager.

“And obviously, the history that exists between Louth and Meath football is huge, and no more so than the last couple of seasons where Louth have managed to, I guess, dominate more of the games than previous years.

“But the lads will be under no illusion as to what we're going to face when we take to the field in Inniskeen next Sunday.”

Brennan knows that his side will need to produce a far higher level of intensity if they are to have any chance of coming out on top.

“If we don't get that intensity, we’d be better out the gate, to be honest. We really have to ensure when the ball is thrown in that we’re at the races immediately, otherwise it will be a long 70 minutes.”

Louth’s Division Two status remains uncertain as they battle for a spot in the All-Ireland series, something which now depends on how they fare in the Leinster Championship.

“From what I gather now looking at the permutations, I think we have to get through to the Leinster Final to ensure we’re playing Sam Maguire football this year.”

Louth will need a strong performance in their final league game against their rivals to give themselves the best chance.

“I see Monaghan had a good win today over Meath. Roscommon then losing to Cavan and Cavan was probably one of our better games, although we came out the wrong side.

“We knew at the start of the year and the experience of Division 2 football for the players for the last three seasons, fellas know how important every two points is.”

(Brian Hurley of Cork in action against Sam Mulroy and Daire Nally of Louth during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Louth at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

Clinical Cork

Brennan also credited Cork for their performance and acknowledged that John Cleary’s side deserved their victory.

“John, a lovely man under an awful lot of pressure to be fair to him, and putting in huge hours for Cork football.

“I suppose over the last couple of seasons he might feel that it was their turn to get a bit of luck where Louth got it last year.

“But at the same time, we were expecting a far better performance from our players today.

“But you have to credit Cork, they worked really, really hard and battled hard. Won the majority of breaking ball and then their shooting was way more accurate than we were.”

With just a week to prepare for Meath, Brennan’s focus now is on ensuring his players recover quickly and approach training with the right mindset.

“Exactly, the quick turnaround, and look, those fellas are disappointed leaving here today.

“They’ve got to recover as quickly as possible and then come ready to learn and to work when we get back training Tuesday or Wednesday.”