Inside Track: Louth at last creep from under a sky-blue cloud
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
It can be out to bed at last, the story of Louth’s 1973 championship win over Dublin.
The reason it has had so many readings – and the photo of the team that enacted it published every so often – is because there hadn’t been a result like it in the 17 meetings of the sides, up to last Sunday’s.
Some of Dublin’s wins were by big scores. Others gave them a narrow win. They came in the first round, semi-finals, and the deciders of 2023 and 2024.
Some came in journeys that took Dublin all the way to All-Ireland wins.
But the long wait is over. It came to an end at Croke Park on Sunday.
Meeting in the opening round of the All-Ireland series, these one-time keenest of rivals played out a game that had 47 scores, loads of good play and excitement, and a result that no-one could question.
Louth finished with a three-point advantage, 4-18 to 1-24, and now find themselves in a winners’ group, guaranteed at least two further games.
The draw for the first of them takes place this Tuesday morning. It has Louth bracketed with Cork, Armagh, Mayo, Westmeath, Tyrone, Donegal and Galway.
Exalted company, but few can say Louth don’t deserve to be rubbing shoulders with those teams from the four provinces. Sunday’s win came against the odds.
When the sides met a number of weeks back in the Leinster championship, Dublin emerged with a double-score win, 0-20 to 0-10.
That game was at Portlaoise’s O’Moore Park – Sunday’s was in Dublin’s backyard.
The home team had one of the country’s best, Con O’Callaghan, back after injury, and playing alongside players who had tormented Louth the last day, the likes of Niall Scully, Cormac Costello and Paddy Small, with Ciarán Kilkenny partnering Brian Howard at midfield.
The result, most pundits agreed, could only go one way.
What they hadn’t factored in, however, was a Louth team determined to show they had much more to offer than the last day.
Something, perhaps akin to what was seen in the high-profile league defeats of Derry, Tyrone and Cavan.
What Louth came up with, especially in the second half, which took off with them trailing by six points, was a performance that saw them claim 2-5 in a brilliant third quarter.
Then, after Dublin had regained the lead, put in a flying spurt for the line, picking off the scores, a goal included, that separated the sides at the finish. It was all something to savour.
It’s as old as the game itself, the saying, a team’s strength is in its subs. Gavin Devlin gave a run in the second half to a number of those who’d started on the bench.
Three of them, in particular, paid their way – and more.
A player who’s been dogged by injuries in recent seasons, Ciarán ‘Casey’ Byrne, was a revelation when he came in, scoring three points and then, in the game’s dying embers, putting in a vital catch that was straight from Aussie Rules, a game he engaged in during his time Down Under.
That catch, plucked from the skies, has already had many plays on television – it will have many more before the season is over.
Outpointed at midfield in the first half, missing out in the air and in loose play, Louth benefited from Tommy Durnin’s introduction to the area; Ryan Burns also paid a dividend when he came in.
There were stars among the starters as well. The save Niall McDonnell brought off after 15 minutes of the second half was crucial, Kieran McArdle took his goal and point brilliantly, and James Maguire slotted two home and was denied another in the opening half by a goal-line save.
Craig Lennon likes scoring goals against Dublin. He got another here, his late effort putting the game beyond doubt.
Prior to that, he got through a mountain of work, himself and the excellent Ciarán Downey covering more ground than anyone else.
Conor Grimes justified his selection before being replaced, and there was also a forward showing from Conal McKeever, the Clan na Gael clubman, rightly included from the start.
And Sam? Maybe not involved in as much open play as normal – he was tight-marked from the start – the team captain registered an important two-pointer at a time early on when Dublin were showing signs of opening up a big lead, having put their name on four of the game’s first five points.
It may be the Máirtíns man, who finished with 0-5, was not fully free of the injury he sustained when falling victim of nasty tackle in the previous meeting of the sides.
He remains crucial to Louth’s chances of making further progress in the competition, a player who raises expectations when he’s on the ball.
There are many Louth supporters who were there on Sunday who can remember retreats from Croke Park, Navan, and recently the one from Portlaoise, after championship defeats by Dublin, their tails between their legs.
They, more than anyone else, will rejoice in their side at last creeping from under the sky-blue cloud.