Louth Academy award winners

WITH his black and green jersey barely visible with muck, a rainsoaked Dundalk Young Irelands midfielder Sean McLoughlin refused to let the miserable setting deter or hide his delight at his side reaching a Leinster final.

‘It is a fantastic feeling,’ he beamed.

McLoughlin acknowledged it wasn’t a day for football but a day for winning and he felt their preparation went a long way.

‘We knew they were going to be a physical team,’ he revealed.

‘We knew they had Walter Walsh, obviously a very experienced hurler so we expected a very physical game from them and thats what we got. The conditions were wet, it was heavy going so that further escalated it, a physical match all round.’

‘Yes every team will have their purple patch and they had their purple patch at the end of the first half but we knew we could do it,’ the big man added.

There was no programme provided on the day in New Ross but his direct opponent Walter Walsh needed no introduction, as his star quality was apparent. McLoughlin knew handling the hurling great would go along way and he enjoyed his after- noon travails.

‘I was on Walter Walsh, he might be a bit sore tonight,’ he declared summing up his battling qualities but McLoughlin was quick to deflect attention to his team mates and focus on a home Leinster final.

‘Happy enough, it is a credit to all the lads a big team performance. It is great for Seatown and everybody involved.’

‘Working all year since early January and over a hundred training sessions and it all climaxes with a final back in county Louth. It is great for county Louth football in general actually.’