A welcome throw-back to full-blooded football

SUNDAY’S O’Byrne Cup win over Meath was arguably Louth’s best performance since 2012 when on Easter Sunday we beat the same opposition at the same venue 2-14 to 1-8 to preserve our Division 2 status and relegate our neighbours to Division 3.

Although many of us have been lamenting the current state of Gaelic football, this local derby at times offered a bit of a throwback to old-style, passionate and full-blooded football.

The possession style of play nowadays, combined with what I would call ‘Premiership’ type officiating, doesn’t really allow for a whole pile of physical contact. Rather than go with their natural competitive instincts, players have now been forced to err on the side of caution and adapt their challenges to suit the referee’s currently overloaded rulebook.

The result has been many dull and insipid type matches with little or no physical contact and poor entertainment value for supporters.

Sunday’s game, however, was different. The large crowd of 6,000 or 7,000 created a great atmosphere and to some extent Laois referee David Moore added to this as he allowed for the spice of tribal rivalry.

However, he did nonetheless dole out 11 cards (one red, two black and eight yellow) and that number could have been even greater had his officials spotted all of the antagonists during the first-half melee.

Louth were full value for their win, even taking into account Meath’s numerical disadvantage.

Some poor wides and several unforgiveable attempts which dropped short into the keeper’s hands had Louth supporters worried, but we were first to the ball throughout the park and dominated possession.

The defensive set-up was secure and we looked very dangerous going forward, particularly the half back combination of Anthony Williams, Derek Maguire and Liam Dullaghan.

The platform for victory was set up with eight points in a row, four each either side of the half-time whistle. Indeed, Louth could have been out of sight completely had they taken all their chances during this period of almost total control.

Having hardly had a serious attempt on goal for more than 30 minutes, Meath’s pride was dented and urged on by a large vocal support they were always going to enjoy a purple patch.

With 15 minutes remaining they closed the gap to just two points, but Louth reacted positively and ran out convincing winners, with substitutes Jim McEneaney and debutant Sam Mulroy impressing in the full forward line.

The final moments of the contest wouldn’t have been out of place at a Christmas pantomime. In the dying seconds Meath keeper Jack Hannigan was black-carded as he third man tackled Mulroy and conceded a penalty.

Sub keeper Joe Sheridan was then introduced to the fray on the public address system like a boxer entering the ring. You couldn’t make it up if you tried.

His arrival sent up the biggest Royal cheer of the afternoon and it almost drowned out the ‘welcome’ he received from the travelling fans. The pantomime villain, however, couldn’t save the day as McEneaney almost burst the net with a decisive strike.

Colin Kelly will be delighted with the team’s performance, but it’s still very early days yet and nobody will be looking beyond the first round of the league against Laois on Saturday week.

There are, however, noticeable signs of improvement and Louth’s graph has been on a steady upward curve since that heavy qualifier defeat to Tipperary in Thurles 18 months ago.

When compared to last season, this display indicates a notable increase in terms of physicality and strength. Louth are not a big physical team by any shape or means, but on Sunday they were tough in contact, strong in the tackle and regularly turned the ball over.

Every player appeared confident in possession and seemed comfortable with their individual role within the team. Fitness levels were very impressive and there was also a positive impact from the bench.

Andy McDonnell, Tommy Durnin and Bevan Duffy got through some trojan work in the middle third and Craig Lynch’s kickouts were excellent.

With several more players still to come back into the squad, Kelly finds himself with a welcome selection headache for the first time since he has taken charge.

On the evidence of this performance, Meath manager Andy McEntee has a difficult job ahead of him in 2017. His task of whittling the current 50-strong panel down to manageable proportions for the league will not be an easy one.

Meath are operating in Division 2 this season and face Kildare in the opening round in Navan.

Louth’s reward is a home final against the Dubs in Drogheda next weekend where Jim Gavin will probably allow Paul Clarke and his young guns finish the competition they started.

However, with just one week to go to the start of the National League, he may be tempted to include some first-team regulars in preparation for their Division 1 opener against Cavan on February 5th.

It will also be interesting to see how the Gaelic Grounds’ official health and safety capacity copes with the volume of the crowd.

With no time to issue the paperwork for an all-ticket fixture, how will officials cope if huge numbers turn up on the day? Will a full house sign be nailed to the gate when the reduced health and safety capacity is reached? Could spectators be turned away? How would they react?

With deafening silence still emanating on the subject from the corridors of power, Louth’s dire and embarrassing county grounds situation could be placed firmly in the national spotlight