Louth go west in search of second win on the trot
LOUTH will be hoping wins are like Dublin buses as they head to Carrick-on-Shannon for a second round All-Ireland Qualifier clash with Leitrim on Saturday night (7.00).
The Reds didn’t manage a single National League victory this season, but will be warm favourites to make it two wins in quick succession in Pairc Sean McDiarmada.
And while Pete McGrath looks set to resist changing a winning team, his attacking options should be significantly improved for the journey west.
Ryan Burns returns from suspension and Jim McEneaney may also be available as he nears the end of his recovery from a long-term shoulder injury.
And McGrath may also try to convince Sam Mulroy and Ross Nally to return to the Reds’ panel this week.
The talented duo missed the trip to London with Mulroy torn between his commitments to the under-20 squad, which he captained, and the seniors.
However, with the under-20s now out of the championship, Mulroy is free to concentrate on the seniors if McGrath is open to recalling the Naomh Mairtin man.
After kicking 1-8 in the U-20 win over Carlow, the full forward bagged 1-5 on Sunday morning in Offaly, albeit in a 12-point defeat to the Faithful County.
Nally’s situation may be a little more complicated as he was already ruled out of under-20 contention after featuring in the Leinster SFC defeat Carlow. Like Mulroy, he didn’t travel to Ruislip.
And while Louth’s attacking options increased this week, it emerged that Leitrim look set to be without ace forward Keith Beirne.
Rumours are rife in Leitrim that the Mohill man is heading abroad for the rest of the summer and manager Brendan Guckian has also lost Mark Plunkett and Oisin Madden with the duo indicating earlier in the year that they would be heading to the States once Leitrim’s Connacht Championship campaign was over.
But after bagging 3-37 in just seven league and championship outings this season, it’s Beirne’s absence that will be of most concern to Leitrim followers.
The Connacht side endured another indifferent Division 4 campaign, finishing a point below London, albeit after giving the Exiles a walkover.
In the Championship, after scraping past New Yory in Gaelic Park, they suffered a 0-24 to 0-10 defeat to Roscomon in the Connacht semi-final.
Louth, of course, have also endured a torrid campaign, but McGrath’s troops now have a Championship victory behind them following the win in Ruislip.
The sides have met twice in recent years with Leitrim recording a narrow league win in Carrick -on-Shannon in 2016, while Louth prevailed in a Qualifier clash between the sides the previous summer in Drogheda.