Louth U20s have improved and are well prepared for tonight's Leinster quarter-final, says Garland

Seeing off Wexford in a thrilling Leinster semi-final two years ago still stands as one of Gerry Garland’s highlights in football, and the St. Mochta’s man once again has the opportunity to slay the Slaneysiders in Drogheda tonight.

The Louth Village man is expected to be a key player for Aidan Shevlin’s U20 team as they bid to qualify for a provincial last four skirmish with either Dublin or Longford.

Garland admits to not knowing much about Tuesday’s opponents, who overcame Wicklow in the first round recently, but acknowledges that there is a task at hand, with Wexford surely keen to avenge their 2017 defeat at U18 level.

“You don’t get many opportunities to play in games like that, a thriller in a Leinster semi-final, and to win it was obviously great at the time,” Garland says of that encounter.

“It’s a Leinster quarter-final and an opportunity to win a game.

“A Leinster semi-final would be nice, but we have to focus on putting in a performance and hopefully winning the game.”

Louth are expected to be improved from their Leo Murphy Cup displays, which returned three defeats, to Cavan, Antrim and Derry, on margins of 18, eight and 22 points.

Indeed, the availability of senior panel members, including Naomh Máirtín’s Eoghan Callaghan, who captained the Leinster final-reaching minor team, will only serve to strengthen the Reds.

“You have to expect that we can put in a performance,” Garland added.

“There’s been an improvement in training over the last couple of weeks after looking back on the league games and what we did well and what we didn’t.”

Throw-in is 7:30pm.