Inside Track: Minors out to make it to their final

The Anchor Tours bus carrying Louth teams is certainly running up the miles. And there are many more to cover.

It’s been all over Leinster and on one occasion crossed into Ulster. Newbridge, Tullamore, Inniskeen and Dublin, to mention just a few destinations, have been visited, Newbridge more than once.

Séamus Keenan will be behind the wheel again tomorrow, Wednesday evening, transporting the county minors to Naul where the lads will be renewing acquaintances with Dublin.

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The first meeting – a few weeks ago at Parnell Park – resulted in a win for Dublin, but only by the narrowest of margins and in quite dramatic fashion. Louth showed a point in front well into time added on, and were, as they say on the race track, being shouted home.

Up until this point, several Dublin players had been shy about trying for a two-pointer. Not among them was Mubarak Salami. When the full-forward got his chance he took it, sending his side through to the last four.

Defeat, however, didn’t end Louth’s championhship dream. As losers they were into the quarter-finals, with Westmeath in opposition. That game took place much closer to home on Thursday evening last – at Hunterstown’s Páirc Báile Fiach.

Louth were favourites and justified their market price, but not until they’d been given a searching test. It ended with four points between them, 3-16 to 3-12, after Louth had been ahead by much more than that.

The last ten minutes or so didn’t show Louth at their best, only making it hard on themselves. Indeed, but for Senon Connolly’s outstanding goalkeeping, a seeming loss of concentration and a fade-out at midfield could have been costly.

No doubt this is something the management will have worked on over the weekend. They’ll know that nothing but a repeat of the Parnell Park performance – and maybe more – will be needed if their team is to follow the under-20s and seniors into a provincial final.