Williams wants Louth to make up for last year

Louth remain unbeaten after two games in their Football All-Ireland Senior Championship campaign after a dramatic draw against Monaghan in Round 2 on Sunday.

In a game that the Wee County dominated for large spells they will be disappointed to not come away from Clones with two points and a win.

Defender Anthony Williams said: For large parts of the game we were very happy with the performance” when assessing the game.

“We will all be bitterly disappointed coming away with a point. The first thing I said to Ger (Brennan) when I came off is that I feel we have left that one behind us,” he said.

“I felt like we controlled the game for most parts. Monaghan had their period at the start of the second half and came back into it. But the way we reacted to that we got back five points ahead again and pushed on more in good control.

“Mistakes happen and we let them back into the game, but I think we could be coming away more disappointed than Monaghan would.”

Louth were in control and had Monaghan under wraps until a soft goal gave the home side some much needed belief and momentum.

The Dreadnots clubman said: “It gave them life to get back into the game because it felt like we were getting our kickouts away, we were controlled in possession at the back picking our times when to attack. 

“We were in complete control and just that slipup let them back in and gave them a bit of energy and turned momentum for a while. That is what happens when momentum is hard. In these big games you hear the home crowd roaring and lift the team.

“They got their momentum, they got back into it, and it was touch and go at the end then for both teams, but we are feeling worse coming away with a point than they are.”

“They had plenty of chances at the end and we started dropping a wee bit too deep. At the end, our press line was too far back, and it gave them chances to come and run at us,” he continued.

“In the first half, it was the opposite; we were pressing them well. Sam (Mulroy) was brilliant from frees again it is such a benefit to have someone in your team that can do that.

“We have had a good spread of scorers over the last few games in the championship and we needed that a bit more today as well as we were depending a bit on frees.

“We will take it away, go back and look at it for two weeks. I am sure that everybody is ready to step up now. It will be good craic against Kerry in two weeks' time.”

Ger Brennan's side are in goalscoring form and finished off two superb goals with Craig Lennon hitting the net for the second week in a row and Conor Grimes' fine finish just before half time.

Williams said: “It felt a lift in us going in even the turnover we got when they came on and tried to get a score right before halftime, they are massive moments. 

“The scores are big, but turnovers are even bigger to solidify the defensive structure. That is what we want to do to turnover teams. 

“There were lots of big moments in the game. Kiki (Ciarán Keenan) again on the 40 linking all the play and we have danger from everywhere. 

“We need to extend that more into the second half when teams are having their purple patch, we need to go at them again, which didn’t happen in the second half. 

Monaghan hit their purple patch at the beginning of the second half as they scored three points in succession to claw their way back into the contest. “Straight away from the second half they got a point, and they chipped over another one”, said Williams.

“We shrank a bit. I think we were overly defensive then and we needed to press them a bit more. Obviously, they were probably told to run at us more and carry the ball. I did feel that some of the frees where soft people were going down. 

“We were trying not to give away soft frees because that is what kills us, especially when we are set up so well. It is definitely something we have to take away. 

“When teams have their purple patch, you can't just be giving them frees to get back into the game; it is too easy rather than taking their chance and shooting. 

“We had the mark, we had frees, and we had our chances. At this time of the year, they are the chances that you have to be taking, you can't let any of them slip away. 

“We are playing the best teams' resilient teams, so you have to take every chance you get to put them down. To be fair to Monaghan they had their chances at the end, so it was nip and tuck at the end.”

Over 11,000 people traveled to St. Tiernach's Park to watch both counties battle it out in the All-Ireland series with many of the supporters cheering on the Reds. The defender said the feeling was “electric” when describing it from a players point of view.

“When you hear the roar of the crowd, and you look around all you can see is a sea of red, it is brilliant. It was the same last week in Inniskeen. You could really feel that. This has been building for years and we have always said that. 

“We even put up the picture of Croke Park in the Leinster final last year and you see the sea of red which is something that motivates us as players. 

“To see the support that we have behind us, everyone coming out and following us, and cheering us on. It means a lot to us. When we do go behind and we hear that push from the crowd it is massive to us.”

When comparing where they have come from over the last couple of years to where they are at now Williams is eager to mix it with the best teams on the island and represent his county with pride.

He said: “At this time of the year these are the games that you want to be in. We spent long enough playing one or two games in the back door and then gone, your summer is over. 

“You want to be here at the business end of the season with every chance fighting for every game and playing the top teams as well. 

“We feel we have gotten to a stage where we want to eat at the top table, play these teams, show them what we are made of, go out and represent ourselves well.

“We are looking forward to making up for last year's game against Kerry when we went 25 or 26 points behind, so we must make up for that. That will be motivation for us.”

Louth's last Group 4 fixture against Kerry has been confirmed and will take place on Sunday, 16th June at 3pm. With just under a fortnight until the game against the Kingdom, Williams explained that the extra days will be beneficial to the group in the run up to the match.

He said: “There are a lot of sore bodies there, especially championship football. The ground is hard, there are big hits going in and you are working hard so the two-week gap will suit us well. 

“It has given us time to analyze Kerry and look at them, look at our own performance and what we can improve on. We will spend the first week doing that. 

“Then get the bodies right and have one or two good hard training sessions to get set up for the game so it will be a nice build up now.”