Inside Track: Louth just one win away from a place in All-Ireland semi-finals
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
Louth seniors go into their second All-Ireland quarter-final in three seasons this weekend. The first one had Donegal in opposition, and while Louth have upset the odds on several occasions in recent times, this time it was the runner-up spot.
Coached at the time by Ger Brennan, Louth deserved their place in the last eight. There’d been a second successive appearance in a Leinster final, this one, in comparison to the previous year’s, ending in a narrow defeat to Dublin.
There were good wins in the league section of the All-Ireland, which followed, Louth beating Meath and Cork in their adopted Grattan Park. Still, victory in the Donegal match looked to be too big of an order.
The season’s effort didn’t go unnoticed by those mandated to oversee the All-Stars scheme. Four of Brennan’s side, Craig Lennon, Tommy Durnin, Donal McKenny and Sam Mulroy, won nominations, and to the delight of the entire county, Lennon got the nod on the night of the awards presentation.
Two years on, and the question is: has there been progress in the meantime? Well, for starters, a Leinster title has been won, Division Two league status twice maintained, and there’s another All-Star is in the team’s ranks.
And, as a valuable back-up, underage sides have been more than competitive, one of them reaching an All-Ireland final.
Pitch all of that together and there can only be one answer to the question – an emphatic yes. If there was disappointment – and there was, a lot of it – over the seniors not making the provincial final, the slate is now shining, wiped clean with vigour.
The championship win over Dublin in the All-Ireland qualifiers – a reversal of the Leinster result – put to bed forever talk of 1973. In the follow-up, Armagh, champions of two years ago and strongly fancied to regain the title, were beaten in a memorable Grattan Park tie.
Gavin Devlin is now in charge, having taken over from Brennan late last year. The Tyrone man is not new to the Louth set-up.
He coached the team during Mickey Harte’s two-year reign, and though both came in for strong criticism when they skipped across the Border to manage things in Derry, even though their term here had time to run, they have to be given credit for lighting the fire which has been glowing since.
Devlin was quick to re-unite with the county, running affairs at underage level. He was on the line when Louth minors were desperately unlucky not to win the Leinster last year, and after that, missing out by the minimum margin after extra-time in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
His side is playing with confidence, adapting to the new game as good as any other county. But probably and, probably their greatest trait is refusing to throw in the towel.
There were sizeable deficits to be made up in each of their recent games. They did it on both occasions with some style, the win over Armagh coming with the help of a late goal.
Yes, it was a snatch and grab in Inniskeen, but still a worthy win. If the players and management were looking for credit for it, they wouldn’t have found it on The Sunday Game.
What seemed more important to McManus and O’Shea was the supposed absence of a hooter and time-indicator at Grattan Park, and the legitimacy of a Louth point.
But no mention of Coror Grimes’ point. If it had been given the same forensic examination as the point that supposedly wasn’t, it would have been seen that the Glen Emmets clubman’s kick was from outside the arc.
That’s history. What’s coming up this weekend is a game which has no second prize. If Louth are successful, they’ll be among just four sides with a chance of winning the All-Ireland.
Devlin’s men couldn’t be in better shape going into it – nor could they ask for a stronger backing from what they are going to get from the stands and Hill 16 when Mulroy leads them on to Croke Park.
(See back page for the quarter-final draw).