Reel “Couldn't have asked for more” from Louth U20s

It wasn’t the ending they had dreamed of, but the pride and spirit shown by Louth in Wednesday night’s U20 All-Ireland Football Championship final at the Athletic Grounds won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

In their first-ever final appearance at this level, the Wee County faced defending champions Tyrone, and it showed. 

The final score line of 5-16 to 0-17 doesn’t tell the full story, but the Tyrone forwards punished every mistake and were ruthless on the counter.

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Speaking after the final whistle, Louth manager Fergal Reel gave an honest account of how the game unfolded from his perspective.

He said: “The 5-16 is hurting. No point saying it isn't because I didn't think we were 5-16 that far away from them. Probably summed the game up.”

Reel felt the match developed as they expected, especially in the middle third.

“I think the game panned out the way we thought it would from the point of view of we had a lot of the ball, especially in the middle. 

“We thought we were winning a lot of the ball in the middle. We thought if we didn't finish the ball or kill the ball, their transition would hurt us.”

Turning point

Louth did respond well after the break. They hit a good spell of scoring before a key moment changed the game’s momentum.

“I think we scored maybe 4 or 5 (points). Then the ball hit the bar, then we crossed the line. 

“Now listen to the quality team, I'm not saying they wouldn't have come back into it, but we would have had momentum, a point or two up, playing down that side.”

Instead, Tyrone countered quickly and tagged on scores that took the wind out of Louth’s sails.

“Absolutely. I'm not saying that we would have not won the game, but we were put in a great place."

Wanted to win

Despite the proud achievement of getting to an All-Ireland final, Reel made it clear that the aim wasn’t just to participate.

“People say to me, it was a great year. I don't get that. We came here to win. I'm not saying we should have won, but 5-16 hurts, we weren't that far away. I can't take the bit that we played well, and we did alright. No, it doesn't cover it.”

The future

While the final didn’t go their way, there’s no doubting the potential in this young Louth side. Several of the starting 15 are still eligible next year.

“You have to look at that side of it. Losing the game that we lost, it's disappointing that we came here to win. Of course, we did.”

Reel was full of praise for his players, especially for their resilience after difficult moments, like the goal conceded just before half-time.

“Oh, no, Tiernan’s a good lad. Listen, there's always going to be a kick-out that's going to go astray in every match. You allow for that, but he bounced back and got the ball out.”

There was also admiration for captain Seán Callaghan’s performance in midfield.

“Listen, Seán was majestic in the middle of the field. They probably got a few mids and shorts, maybe one before half-time, but he was trying not to give them.

Louth support

If there was one bright note that shone through the heartbreak, it was the backing from the Louth supporters, who turned out in big numbers in Armagh.

“It was unbelievable. It was a thing I'll always remember. My hat off to the supporters of Louth. There’s all good lads there coming through, keen to learn, keen to pick up stuff.”

The journey

It’s been a long and memorable journey for Reel and his panel. Although the All-Ireland dream has ended, the memories and friendships will last.

“We spoke about the other night after the training, it was the last dance training, it was the last one for the year.

“We had good old banter, serious good old banter, so you'll miss that of course, everybody misses it, but they're a great group of lads and I couldn't ask any more for the whole 37 of them.

There’s no doubt this Louth team brought pride to the county, and while Wednesday was a tough night, the future is bright.

“It was just a phenomenal year for them, and they'll move back to the club now, but they'll be friends for life in the back of that and they did win a Leinster title.”