McEneaney: Louth minors “gave it their best” in Cavan win
Louth minor manager Eamonn McEneaney praised his side’s character after victory over Cavan
Louth minor football manager, Eamonn McEneaney, praised his side’s character after they secured a 3-13 to 2-8 victory over Cavan in the All-Ireland Minor Football Tier 2 Championship at Dowdallshill this afternoon.
The win keeps the Wee County’s campaign alive and sets up a meeting with Monaghan next weekend.
McEneaney felt one of the key differences from Louth’s previous outing was their ability to convert chances and remain calm in possession when the game was in the balance.
Speaking after the final whistle, he said, “Today we took our scores compared to what we did the last day.
“We showed great character in the end and were a bit calmer on the ball and found men in the right positions.
“The guys that come off the bench made a big difference as well. I think we got 1-1 off the bench. That's what has to happen for you to win games; we didn't get that the last day.”
Cavan
The Louth boss was quick to highlight the quality of the opposition and the significance of the result.
“Cavan are as good a team as they are around they lead Tyrone by 11 points last week with 13 minutes to go and lost the game. They were hurting today as well.
“Then Tyrone went on and won the Ulster. Cavan is a very good side, a good team for us to beat. We look forward to the match against Monaghan next week.”
Half time
Despite dominating possession for long periods in the opening half, Louth led by just a goal at the interval. McEneaney was satisfied with the position his side found themselves in.
He said, “We were happy enough because it might not seem like it. But there was enough of a breeze there to make a difference. Particularly on kick-outs, etc.
“We were happy at half time with where we were at. We mentioned a few things to the boys that we needed to tidy up in the second half. Which I think we managed to do.”
The manager also felt his side was unfortunate in the lead-up to a Cavan goal but praised the response that followed.
“I think we were unfortunate to give away that goal. The referee was talking to one of our men when the game went ahead.
“The character the fellas showed to come back and keep answering and keep getting scores and keep chipping away. Then we got our scores near the end that made all the difference.”
Lessons learned
McEneaney pointed to the Leinster Championship loss to Kildare as an experience that helped his players handle pressure more effectively this time around.
“We talked about that half in the last game and said to the boys. One of our biggest attributes has been good on the ball and calm on the ball, and minding the ball.
“We didn't really do that in the second half against Kildare. Because it was a Leinster Championship.
“You were at home, and you were panicking because you weren't getting scores. But I think the boys learned from that, and we didn't go down that line today.”
The Monaghan native was particularly pleased to see his players earn another opportunity to continue their season.
“In fairness, I'm delighted for the boys because they're such a good bunch of lads that we deserve to get another outing. That's all we're looking at the next day out.
“It's a good experience for the boys. It keeps them playing at a higher level. It means that you get going deeper into the year, and they're not breaking up and gone.”
Bouncing back
The defeat to Kildare had left its mark in the immediate aftermath, but McEneaney said his squad responded positively in recent weeks.
“The first week was very difficult because they were obviously very disappointed. But the last couple of weeks have been good.
“This week, I would say ten days out from the match, it's been good. With the training, etc. They were pushing each other on.
“In fairness, there was no slacking off in what they were doing. They did their best, and they gave it their best today. That's all you can do.”