Hurlers hoping to end the year with silverware at Croke Park
THE Lory Meagher Cup final is not a revenge mission according to Louth hurling manager Paul McCormack as his side face their first round conquers Fermanagh this Saturday in Croke Park.
The Ernesiders rocked Louth with a smash and grab victory at the death in Darver, Fermanagh wing forward John Duffy crashing a late goal to stun Louth. Despite what went on that day McCormack is quick to dispel any added motives.
‘There is no real beef between Louth and Fermanagh’,
McCormack insisted
‘However, it is a final. The result against Fermanagh turned out to be immaterial. If we had to have won by two points or four points that day we still would’ve had to grind out a result against Cavan the last day anyway.’
‘We know that if we get up the gears and bring our game to them we’ll be hard to talk to, but it is easy saying that. So the challenge is to get a huge performance again. Focus on the process, going through the game, each quarter now as it is getting our shots off, defending well, playing smart and being up for the battle.
Winter hurling, blessed with the weather in the semi final but this weekend it could be a monsoon and windy conditions, but I believe now after the Cavan win we’ll kick on. We have good spirit in the group and again we’re looking for another big game from us.”
With Louth suffering at the close of both games so far in the competition, what exactly is McCormack looking to work on with his side ahead of the decider.
‘Just small little things,’ he revealed.‘Not rushing the tackles you know. Other things defensively like standing the men up and then moving the ball that bit faster because we’ve got quality forwards.’
McCormack altered his side from that opening day loss and the inclusion of Geoghegan and dual player Paul Mathews in the forwards has worked a treat.
‘Darren Geoghegan, a good striker of the ball. Paul Mathews just has that X-factor and I seen it last year in the championship, September ‘19 and I knew that he is just a natural ball player, football or hurling. And he’s brave, he puts himself about and even at the end of the semi final coming out and winning a few balls.’
As well as tweaking his side, McCormack is constantly looking to develop the hurling players at his disposal in his adopted county. This development has seen seen him work with players on both ends of the age spectrum.
‘Ronan Byrne spoke about the strength of the panel, another man who soldiered for so long. Missed out on the last time they were in the Lory Meagher final because he was sent off in the semi final and I’m sure that broke his heart. I met him last year and I said you know, ‘we’ve have one more chance at this’ and he’s grabbed it and I’m delighted for him. I’m delighted for all of the boys in the group and the clubs at home and it will give the younger fella’s in Louth something to aspire to.
McCormack continued; ‘I’ve young Sean McGill in training with us, Naomh Moninne, 18 years-old, can’t play but he’s there. Finn Comiskey, the younger fellas in the clubs they need something to look up to and hopefully they can do that over the coming years.’
In his second year with Louth what would winning the Lory Meagher Cup personally mean for McCormack, vindication?
‘Yeah sometimes you can
make progress without getting the results,’ the Keady man concludes.
‘I felt throughout the league we were making huge progress and people were saying you are going well without getting the results. So yeah, it is certainly unbelievable but our aim is to win things eventually but developing the group, developing the team play, developing the spirit, keeping that and pushing on all the time. Getting better. We’ve a chance to win something at the end of 2020, an unusual year, but wouldn’t it be great to end the year like that.’