There doesn’t seem to be any room for the underdog in big game decisions

It’s been happening since Adam was playing schools football and Eve was trying her hand at camogie – the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Right now the Louth senior footballers are among the less well off, and worse, seem to be destined to remain there until finding a place at the top table. If Donegal are not mixing it with the super-rich, let’s just say they’re higher in rank than the team they played on Sunday.

What we’re talking about here is profile. Donegal have it, now that they’re been coached by a man who brought glory to the county a dozen years ago. They have a more prominent place in the narrative than Louth, and if you think that’s not important, see the way in which 50/50 decisions, or even the 40/60s, go, let’s say, to the better known teams.

A television profile a few years back centred on a referee as he took charge of a hugely important match. He was monitored and could be heard calling some of the players by their forename.

You could say there’s nothing wrong with that, but just consider this: If one of the teams playing that day in Croke Park was out in a league match the following spring, taking on a team from a lower rank with the same referee was in charge, let’s be kind and say, human nature being what it is, is the ref not likely to favour a player he’s on first-name terms with if there’s tight decision to be made?

Until Donegal were awarded a goal with ‘dubious’ written all over it, Louth were right in the mix, still with a chance of pulling off what would have been a famous win. Fifteen minutes were still on the clock and Ger Brennan’s side, playing with the advantage of a stiff breeze, trailed by just two points.

It wasn’t a question of Louth having been tugging on Donegal’s coat-tails: they were dishing out as much as they were being served, Conall McKeever and Tommy Durnin an inspiration to all around them.

Three questions that can be asked after the ball landed in the Louth square: Was there a foul on a defender? Was the Donegal player in the square when he won possession? Did the scorer box the ball to the net from his hand? The umpires answered no, no, no.

Donegal came in immediately with another score to extend the lead to six points, and though Louth, as they have done in all of their five games to date, battled bravely to the end, halving the deficit at one stage, the goal Donegal were gifted had more value than just three points.

No point in giving traction to the penalty in the Meath match a few weeks ago that wasn’t given, or questioning the legitimacy of the Cavan goal just after half-time last Sunday week; it just seems Louth are not getting a fair shake of the stick.

The sad fact is that with just two games remaining, Brennan’s side are keeping very bad company, in danger of being relegated. That said, if they can replicate all that was seen in Sunday’s first half, and, it has to be said, be able to take advantage of the wind, the points can come this way.

Sunday’s game was the third in succession that the Reds failed to make it pay when left with the wind on their backs in the second half.

It might help as well in the Ardee match with Fermanagh a week from next Saturday if pressure is put on the other side’s kick-outs right from the start.