McEneaney: Louth “delighted to come out on the right end of it” 

Louth manager Eamonn McEneaney praised his side’s resilience after they opened their Electric Ireland Minor Football Championship campaign with a hard-earned one-point win over Meath in Skryne on Thursday night. 

The Wee County emerged 0-14 to 2-7 winners to grind out a result that owed as much to character as it did to quality. 
McEneaney was quick to point to the difficult elements that defined the game.

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Speaking after the game, he said: “Very difficult conditions. It's a crosswind breeze; it's very, very hard to play in because you have to let the ball out past the post to bring it back in.

“You could see that from both sides tonight, there was a lot of wides on both sides, and we're just delighted to come out on the right side of a close game.”

Both teams struggled for fluency, with the swirling wind and heavy surface making clean execution a challenge throughout.

The visitors led at the break but were rocked early in the second half when Meath struck for a goal, and another followed just as momentum appeared to be shifting.

“Certainly, the second goal, I think maybe other teams might have folded after the second goal and let them pull away, but our lads fought back and then we got ahead again.

“So, it was hugely impressive from our point of view, the way that the boys battled. It wasn't a pretty game out there; it wasn't a game for pretty football.

“It was a game for our team to get stuck in and try and keep battling away to the final whistle, and that's what the boys did.”

Mentality

Despite the victory, the concession of two goals remained a concern.

“The boys would be disappointed in the dressing room with the goals they gave away, they weren't happy with themselves and were apologising to me, and I said, ' Look, you still battled away and kept working at it and didn't let it really affect you.

“I think that was the key to the win in the end, that we never stopped battling and we never stopped working.”

Maguire delivers

The winning score came late on, with Pauric Maguire landing a crucial two-pointer to edge the young Reds in front by the minimum.

“He has, and we have other lads that can do it as well, but just didn't get the opportunities or the accuracy tonight.

“Again, it's things that you can work on, and you'll take the learnings out of this game and put it into operation hopefully in the next game and try and improve against Laois.

“Every team improves as they go on and they launch their championship because they get a game under their belt and they learn some things and they try to improve so that's what we'll be trying to do as well for the next game.”

Conditions

Conditions underfoot added another layer of difficulty, with players from both sides feeling the strain late on.

“It was, and in fairness, the pitch had come back great from a pitch that was unplayable two days ago, but it was still heavy to run, and you could see boys getting cramps there at the end.

“One of our lads and one of their lads were getting cramps in a 60-minute game, and both teams were well conditioned, but the conditions didn't help.

“Slippery ball, ball sliding on the ground, boys slipping and falling, but I think both teams were accredited the way that they battled, and certainly there was nothing in it as everyone could see at the end.

“They had a chance where maybe they should have been more cool-headed and took their mark and took their score, but we'd be very happy with our lads in the way that they battled.

“Your first game away in the Championship was a tough one. We had two away games in the draw; it was a tough draw. We've taken the first step forward, but that's all it is.” 

Squad depth

The win also reflected the competitive edge within the Louth panel.

“The three boys that were on the panel last year, and then there were three on the stand-by panel, and they have brought a lot of experience to the team this year.

“But the most important thing that they're all advocating is to keep working and keep trying and keep battling.

“They're pushing each other hard for places. We had 12 fellas that didn't get togging out today, and they're all pushing hard for a place.

“The way things go with training, we'll probably have changes on the panel for the next day because that's how hard they're pushing each other.”

Laois next

While satisfied with the result, McEneaney was measured in his assessment of its significance.

“Absolutely, it's a step forward, it's nothing more than that, it's the first step on the way but it is better to win it than lose it.

“We're delighted to come out on the right end of it because so many times in the past teams come out on the wrong side of it and it puts you on the back foot.

“From our point of view, very positive. We've been looking at this game now for the last number of months since the draw was made.

“Hoping that we would put in a performance and get a result, and the boys worked hard, and they got the result.

“It's the first step of hopefully many, but you never know in this game, football can always come up and bite you in the next game. We'll settle down after this one and be ready for the next one.”

Attention now turns to a home tie against Laois after a two-week break.

“The boys will be confident having won, but they'll know it's another challenge, and Laois lost their first game, so they might be coming harder in the second game to try and get points, so we have to be ready for that.

“The one thing you know in this minor grade is you can take nothing for granted; there is nothing between an awful lot of the teams on any given day.

“You have to go out, and you have to perform, and you have to put in the work, and I think these boys will.

“That's the biggest thing for me, I'm not worried that they won't work or they won't try because for me that's their strongest quality.”