Beaten Minors face major test in All-Ireland series
UNFORTUNATELY it wasn’t to be for the Louth Minor team in Croke Park on Sunday.
Wayne Kierans’ side put up a gallant fight but left themselves with too much to do after the worst possible start, conceding two goals in the opening six minutes.
We recovered somewhat midway through the half to bring it back to 2-5 to 0-5, but Dublin kicked on again before the break to land the final six points of the half.
The second period was a more even contest, without us ever threatening to get back into the game. We needed some goals, but the Dublin rearguard never looked likely to cough them up. The Dubs were worthy winners, but Louth never really got a chance to show what we were capable of.
We do, however, have an opportunity to atone for this under-par performance as we now enter the All-Ireland series at the quarter-final stage in early August. But the opposition doesn’t get any easier as we face Munster champions Kerry who are bidding for their fourth All-Ireland title in succession.
In the senior games Dublin and Tyrone were much too good for both Kildare and Down.
Most of the local club championship games over the weekend went to form, with the notable exception being Newtown Blues’ 0-14 to 0-10 win over Dreadnots.
The Clogherhead men must now defeat Kilkerley in the final match of the group on Saturday night in Stabannon to remain in the competition.
Favourites St Pats also need a result against O Raghallaigh’s the following evening at The Grove.
It’s the last chance saloon for many teams over the weekend, so there’s bound to be plenty of thrills and spills around the various venues.
Champions League
Dundalk’s remarkable recent European record continued last Wednesday night with a thoroughly deserved 1-1 draw with Rosenborg at Oriel Park.
This Norwegian outfit are no slouches when it comes to European football, yet the Lilywhites matched them every step of the way and should probably have been two up before the concession of that sloppy equaliser just before the half-time break.
There was a great atmosphere in the ground prior to kick-off, and with Dundalk completely in control and on the front foot for most of the opening half, ‘the shed’ really began to get going.
My thoughts sentimentally wandered back to the late 70s and early 80s. Back then Jim McLaughlin’s side matched all comers to Oriel Park and neither Celtic nor Tottenham enjoyed their visit to the town during those heady days.
David McMillan’s exquisite header on 18 minutes awoke me from my slumber as the roar almost lifted the roof off the top of the covered terrace. This was fantastic stuff.
My visits to Oriel have been all too infrequent in recent years, but I still felt a huge sense of place with the crowd as Dundalk pushed for a second goal. Rosenborg offered very little during this opening period and the chant ‘get into them - they’re easy’ seemed most appropriate for their limited endeavours.
However, following the concession of a questionable free kick right in front of me along the touchline, Rosenborg somehow scrambled an equaliser through a ruck of bodies.
Stephen Kenny will be very disappointed with the way his defence dealt with the in-swinging cross as the visitors welcomed the relief of the Romanian official’s half-time whistle.
The away goal seemed to put a bit of a damper on proceedings for the second half, although the conductors at the front of ‘the shed’ never relented for the entire 90 minutes.
I’d love to be heading for Trondheim on Wednesday, but domestic chores mitigate against me. I’ll have to settle for watching it on the box, but I feel there is a real chance of getting a result in Norway. Last season has shown that Dundalk have the capability to score away from home, so you just never know what might happen.
The financial rewards for progression in this competition are enormous and last week’s thirdround draw threw up the added incentive of a mouth-watering clash with Glasgow Celtic in the next round.
And finally, wasn’t it marvellous to be able to host the Rosenborg game in Dundalk instead of heading 60 miles down the road to Tallaght. Hopefully there will be more big European nights to come.
Sideline Bet
The result in Oriel Park added another €50 to our Sideline Bet total. This week we go for Clare at 3/1 to cause an upset against Tipperary in the All-Ireland Hurling qualifiers at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday.