Louth U20s have "Got to the final, but we've won nothing" says Reels

History was made on Friday evening as Louth’s U20s edged past Mayo in a nail-biting All-Ireland semi-final to secure their first ever appearance in the final.

The Wee County showed massive character to battle through tense moments to come out on the right side of a one-point win.

After the final whistle, manager Fergal Reel spoke about the bravery his young side showed in the face of adversity.

READ NEXT: Louth defeat Mayo in thriller to reach historic All-Ireland U20 final

It wasn’t the most polished performance of the campaign, but it was certainly one of the most courageous.

Reel praised the resilience of his players who dug deep when it mattered most. He said: “When you play well, and you come in and you're after a really good, tidy performance, you feel proud of them, and you feel good with it.

“But when you get that sort of performance, and you dig it out, and Mayo kicks a couple of two-pointers, maybe someone would fold, who didn't fold. And that's a testament to the lads, because they put an awful lot of work into it.

“Sometimes, when you put as much into it as they put into it, you're not going to give it up too easily, and they weren't giving it up too easily. So, it's great.”

Far from perfect

Louth struggled at times, especially in the second half, when chances went begging and Mayo edged into the lead. But even in the messiest of patches, Reel's team held their nerve.

“Probably the worst. Especially in the second half, and even the first half, we left scores behind us. I think we kicked one from six in the second half, in the first 20 minutes. But there was a lot at stake at that stage.

“You know, nerves creep in, and they're only young lads at 18, 19 years of age, so you have to take that into consideration as well.

“But when you go to the business end of it, and they found a way, they can always seem to find a way, so you have to give them loads of credit for it.”

Scorching conditions

The warm conditions made life difficult for both sides, and while Louth’s bench played a part late on, it came down to energy and endurance.

“It was very draining for the lads, on both sides. We probably could have emptied the bench a wee bit earlier, we tried to put them in in numbers at the end, probably got away with it.

“Tough, tough night for the lads. There are sore bodies in there, we'll have to recover and we'll go again.”

Goals

The two goals Louth scored in the first half proved crucial in the final reckoning. They came at a time when the game was still free-flowing and open.

“Yeah, probably the difference. But as I said earlier, the closer you get to the edge, the prize on offer is massive. 

“You start looking for the line, and maybe concentration goes, looking to finish the line, looking for concentration.

“You lose sight of structure, you lose sight of the game plan, you lose sight of minding the ball, you lose all sight of the things that were probably put into them over the last four or five months.

“But as I said, at the end of the day, maybe the character was the thing that got them through, and they showed a lot of character.

“They believe in themselves, there's no fear of anybody, and I think that compounded there tonight. They just weren't giving it away.”

Composed 'keeper

One of the standout performers on the night was goalkeeper Tiernan Markey. His blocks in the first half and crucial two-pointer late on were pivotal.

“He's been brilliant all year, in several games, he is with Ger (Brennan) as well, and Ger would say the same about him. He's a great lad, but I couldn't single any of them out.

“They just don’t give in. They're in there, they're happy, and it was an awful job to get them in, but at the end of the day, we won nothing tonight.

“We got to the final, but we've won nothing. So we have to put that into perspective. That's what I think of it anyway.”

Late drama

The second half was all about tension, as Mayo hit a series of two-pointers that pulled them into the lead. But Louth responded just in time.

“They had, yeah. Mayo wasn't renowned for two-pointers, and we looked at that, but they kicked a few then, and then left us chasing a wee bit, probably the first time that put them in the front.

“We got our two-pointers, or whatever, maybe one, maybe two, I'm not sure.

“With the new rules, the game's never done, and Adam (Gillespie) got in and got the fisted point, very cool under pressure to get that job done. We had a few more turnovers then after that, and just let us see it to the whistle.”

Exciting end

The final few minutes were almost unbearable to watch for Louth supporters, as the lead swapped hands and the nerves kicked in on both sides.

“Yeah, it wasn't one for the faint heart; there's no point in saying it was. I said play to the end, four minutes into the game, you're looking, you say, my God. But you just have to keep going.

“I say, at that stage, probably from both perspectives, the game plan says you have to win.

“It doesn't play into it anymore, it's all about just trying to get it done, and winning the ball, and winning the ball, and concentration levels are low because the bodies are tired, and there's so much to evaluate at that stage, it's hard for lads.”

Gillespie point

Adam Gillespie had the composure to make the right call when it mattered most, fisting over what proved to be the winning score.

“Oh my God, the point every time, he needed to just fist it over the bar, like I was swinging at it myself to fist it. Just because the score at that stage is massive, and they had to kick out to deal with them and all that sort of stuff.

“But in small margins, Mayo, quality team, massive history, and to come here and beat them, it's great. Listen, it's well documented with Louth football on the rise and a bit of a rollercoaster at the minute.

“But I don't buy the rollercoaster, they're there because they deserve to be there, all the teams that have worked hard and set it up in the right way.

“All the people around Darver and clubs and schools, coaches, and development, set it up in the right way to be where they're at, so it's no fluke and there's no jinx and it certainly has to be commanded.”

Tyrone final

Louth now face the reigning All-Ireland champions Tyrone in the final. The challenge is huge, but fear won’t be a factor in this Louth group.

“No, we'll look at that tomorrow, the bodies have to be freshened up and looked at and sorted out, and then we'll look at Tyrone.

“Listen, Tyrone's the benchmark that won five Ulster Championships in a short period of time, they're reigning champions, you know, what can you say about them? They're going to be a big ask.

“But listen, I'd rather be there and challenge them than going home and out of it.”