Dublin team full of future stars ended our Leinster U21 title dream in Dowdallshill

IT’S BEEN a good two weeks for both the Louth U17 and U20 football teams with two wins from two in their respective Leinster championship competitions. I wasn’t able to attend any of the matches but tuned in to Clubber TV and caught up on all the action.

Two players that caught my eye in the opening fixtures for one reason in particular – their long-range scoring – were Ardee St Marys’ clubman Tadhg McDonnell (U20) and Cillian McQuillan of Naomh Fionnbarra for the minors.

Practice makes perfect and long distance point-taking is a skill that needs to be practised more and more in today’s game of blanket defences.

Both of these young players showed that they have what it takes to perfect this skill. Against Offaly, McDonnell had the ability to score from distance against a gale force breeze in the first half, using the outside of his right foot. He followed it up in the second half with another equally impressive strike from 50 yards out with the wind behind him.

Having been part of the U20 management team last year, I enjoyed working with Tadhg. He was always keen to learn, willing to take instructions and knew how to play to his strengths.

The following night, it was McQuillan’s turn to showcase his scoring range in U17s’ brilliant comeback win against Westmeath. His third point of the evening, in the 63rd minute, which put Louth into the lead, was a beauty. Eligible again for next year’s competition, the future is bright for Barrs clubman.

MY MINOR DAYS

It’s hard to the believe that it’s now 16 years since I represented Louth minors. Back then it was U18 and I believe that this should still be the case, but that discussion is for another day.

Having been a selector since the start of our development squad phase four years previously, my dad, Johnny, took over as manager from Eamonn McEneaney, who went on to manage the Louth senior team.

We had a good side and a number of the panel went on to represent Louth at senior level, most notably James Califf, Ruairí Moore, Jim McEneaney, Kevin Rogers, James Craven and, of course, myself.

Before our Leinster championship campaign commenced, and with no provincial league in place, we competed in the Ulster league. We played against Antrim, Tyrone and Fermanagh, losing all three, shipping a very heavy defeat to eventual All-Ireland winners Tyrone.

I can remember my dad being under severe pressure prior to our opening Leinster championship game against Meath a few weeks later by the then Louth minor board hierarchy.

As the son of the manager, I remember desperately wanting to succeed for him and felt the added pressure to perform well. All of the lads stuck by him and the selectors, Gerry Reynolds from Stabannon Parnells and Leo McGuigan of Cooley Kickhams.

Our campaign didn’t start off as we had hoped and we were well-beaten by Meath in Navan, but went on to beat two fancied teams in Laois away and Kildare at home. Facing Longford on their patch in the quarter-final, we were dealt a late blow when James Califf, who was a key man at midfield, failed a late fitness test on the day after picking up an ankle injury in the win over Kildare.

He, along with Jim McEneaney and Peter Flynn (Dundalk Young Irelands), was a big loss for us and we were beaten by four points on the day.

Two years later, in 2010, I was involved with the U21s, while also with the Louth seniors at the same time, playing in the O’Byrne Cup and then the National League.

It was a year in which we thought we were in with a good chance of winning Leinster U21 silverware. After hammering Wexford in round one, we took on Dublin in Dowdallshill and that will be a game remembered as one that we left behind.

I can recall us focusing on it just being another game and not fearing the Dubs. We fully believed we could win that day.

We were going quite well and should have won the game but lost out after extra-time to a Dublin team consisting of James McCarthy, Jonny Cooper and Dean Rock. They ended up All-Ireland champions that year, with the aforementioned trio having unbelievable careers with Dublin at senior level.

LEINSTER OPENER

With Wexford’s comprehensive win over Carlow last weekend, Louth will face a Division 4 team who will feel aggrieved that they didn’t gain promotion at Leitrim’s expense after a dubious penalty was awarded late on in their round three fixture, sealing a win for Leitrim.

Expectations will be high on Louth to progress and face the winners of Kildare and Wicklow. Not many would have forecasted Wexford beating Carlow so comfortably but if anyone in the Louth camp thought they were in for an easy ride on Sunday, they will now know that this won’t be the case.

Louth should have too much experience for Wexford and playing in Division 2 for the second year in a row will also stand to them.

With injuries also starting to clear up and Louth possibly at full strength, it’s hoped that we will be back in Croke Park in two weeks’ time.