Louth Ladies produced "excellent performance" says Larkin
Manager Kevin Larkin was pleased with his team's semi-final display against Longford
Louth Ladies delivered a dominant performance on Sunday to defeat Longford and book their place in the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Final.
Under the guidance of manager Kevin Larkin, the Reds produced a clinical display in testing conditions, with a mix of composure and scoring power that left their opponents with no answer.
Speaking after the final whistle, Larkin paid tribute to his players’ attitude throughout the contest. He said: “Going by what we were talking about last week, about just the performance, I think it was very tough conditions out there, the weather and that, but the players are just amazing.
“They stood up, they controlled the ball when they needed to, they took their scores. Apart from maybe the first 5-10 minutes after that, we took control of the game, and it was just an excellent performance. I'm just so happy with the performance.”
Byrne's goal
While the opening stages of the match were tightly contested, the momentum shifted in Louth’s favour following Eimear Byrne’s well-taken goal, which proved to be a key turning point.
“Look, the more patient we are, we will wear down defences and things like that because we have great players like Aoife (Russell) and Eimear (Byrne) and Kate (Flood) and all that will unlock defences.
“So, it was all about just when that chance came, we took it and in fairness to Eimear, she took a great goal. Like I said, it's a great feeling and these days are to be enjoyed as well. We're still in the hunt for that trophy, so we won't pat ourselves on the back just yet.”
First half
Despite being well ahead, Larkin insisted there was still plenty to work on at the break. The second half was all about cutting out errors and maintaining the pressure.
“I think at half-time we needed to tidy up a bit. There was a few fist passes and stuff, just basic unforced errors that was just a bit silly and it gave Longford a bit of momentum.
“But to be fair to the girls when they came out in the second half, they tidied that up, they tagged on a few scores, and it was just a great performance.”
Squad depth
Kate Flood was once again at the heart of the scoring threat, finishing with ten points, but Larkin was quick to highlight the depth and versatility within the team.
“That's the great strength in the panel if teams want to mark Kate (Flood), that's grand because we have players like Aoife (Russell), Eimear (Byrne), and Lucy. We've so much talent, even Aine Breen from midfield.
“Like I said, it's great for Kate, but I know Kate, the type of player she is, she's not happy with that. She wants to be walking up the steps in Croke Park.”
Unfinished business
Louth’s return to Croke Park has been long in the planning, and now that they’ve reached the final, their focus has shifted firmly to finishing the job.
“Oh, absolutely. It's great to get to Croke Park, that's good in itself, but we still have unfinished business there. Like I said, we won't be happy, and we spoke about it until we're watching Aine Breen walk up the steps there. That doesn't change.
“We're not tapping ourselves on the back just yet. We still have a job to do and I'm just looking forward to the next three weeks now. It's a nice thing to have to be prepared for, but by God will we be prepared.”
Subs
Larkin made full use of his bench on a hot afternoon, ensuring game time was spread across the squad and the energy levels remained high.
“Oh, absolutely. Like I've been saying to you all year, our biggest strength is our panel. We have players in every position that can come on and do a job.
“That was proved today because the girls just fit right in and nothing changes. They're the ones that are finishing the game off for us, so I'm really happy with that.”
The final
Looking ahead to the final, Louth will renew old rivalries with Antrim, a team they’ve shared a stage with in previous All-Ireland deciders.
“I'm looking forward to just watching the game and taking a few notes on that. To be fair, Antrim are a very, very good team so, look, we're just happy to be there.”