THE STORY SO FAR...
Louth supporters can be forgiven for needing a recap on the Reds’ journey to the brink of relegation, and not just because of the COVID-19 hiatus. It really has been a campaign to forget for Wayne Kierans’ side, but on the plus side there is plenty of room for improvement over the coming weeks. Here’s how their season unfolded...
LONGFORD LOUTH
An away defeat to a side tipped by many to be in the mix for promotion wasn’t exactly an unmitigated disaster, but there were early signs of just how badly Louth might struggle as the campaign progressed.
Longford laboured to take the spoils on offer, but there was a worrying lack of intensity to the Division 3 opener.
Louth were never too far away on the scoreboard, but in truth the points were decided from a long way out.
A Gerry Garland goal just before the break gave the half-time score an air of respectability at 0-9 to 1-3, but Louth had been off the pace.
The second half was an even affair but played at a slow pace, which suited Longford as they sat on their lead.
Louth did narrow the gap to three points on two occasions and that’s how it finished, but the home side were worthy winners.
LOUTH: Craig Lynch; Dan Corcoran, Dermot Campbell, Andrew Mooney; Emmet Carolan, Liam Jackson, Eoghan Callaghan; Tommy Durnin 0-2 (1f), James Califf; Gerry Garland 1-0, Ciaran Downey, Conall McKeever; Sam Mulroy, Declan Byrne 0-1(1m), Ryan Burns 0-5(4f). Subs: Oisin Murray 0-1 for McKeever (40), Eoghan Duffy for Garland (44), Bevan Duffy for Califf (55), Conor Grimes for Mulroy (55), Paul Mathews 0-1 for Byrne (62).
TIPPERARY LOUTH
Across the board this was a much better display from Louth, but they remained pointless as Tipp came from six points down to edge a narrow win in Drogheda.
In hindsight Louth probably didn’t make enough use of a gale force wind in the opening half as they adjourned with a 0-5 to 0-2 lead.
But a Tommy Durnin goal straight after the break gave them something to defend as Tipp launched an inevitable onslaught with the wind in their sails.
Louth’s two second-half points both came from Sam Mulroy frees, but it wasn’t enough to hold off a determined Tipp side, who nicked it at the death with a point from the wily Brian Fox. LOUTH: Craig Lynch; Dan Corcoran, Emmet Carolan 0-1, Fergal Donohoe; Eoghan Callaghan, Dermot Campbell, John Clutterbuck; James Califf, Tommy Durnin 1-1 (1m); Liam Jackson, Bevan Duffy, Paul Mathews; Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes, Sam Mulroy 0-5 (2f,1m). Subs: Gerry Garland for Jackson (48), Eoghan Duffy for Grimes (58), Conor Early for Mathews (62), Oisin Murray for Corcoran (67), Andrew Mooney for Donohoe (69).
OFFALY LOUTH
Postponed as a result of Storm Ciara, Louth’s re-fixed clash with Offaly was still largely dictated by the weather, as Storm Dennis blew in to Drogheda.
But once again it was Louth who came up short. This time they couldn’t narrow the gap with the wind on their backs in the second-half.
Offaly built up a ten point lead in the first half as two unforced errors led directly to goals making it 2-7 to 0-3 at the break.
The Faithful extended that lead to 12 after the break before Louth started to warm to their task.
Goals from Sam Mulroy and Conor Grimes helped to narrow the gap, but it was the introduction of Declan Byrne
that fueled Louth’s fightback.
But the deficit proved too great and despite closing the gap to the minimum, Offaly finished strongly to take the spoils.
LOUTH: Craig Lynch; Dan Corcoran, Niall Sharkey, Dermot Campbell; Eoghan Callaghan 0-1, Emmet Carolan, John Clutterbuck; James Califf, Tommy Durnin; Liam Jackson 0-1, Bevan Duffy 0-1, Paul Mathews; Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes 1-1, Sam Mulroy 1-1(1f). Subs: Conall McKeever for Duffy (24), Conor Early 0-1 for Califf (36), Declan Byrne 0-4 for Sharkey (43), Eoghan Duffy for Jackson (56).
DERRY LOUTH
A county rarely bounces back from four straight National League defeats and it was this agonising reversal in Celtic Park that Louth will look back upon and ask ‘what if’?
Again they coughed up too many scores in a poor start to the game, but managed to close the deficit to the minimum at half-time - 1-6 to 1-5.
A Ryan Burns brace saw them hit the front early in the second period and the game looked there for the taking.
At that stage the visitors were on top in virtually every sector, but just couldn’t find a way through Derry’s blanket defence.
To Derry’s credit they patiently soaked up the pressure and when the game grew a little more stretched in the final quarter they were able to slowly pick Louth off.
The home side deserved their victory in the end, but this was definitely one that got away.
LOUTH: Craig Lynch, Fergal Donohoe, Dermot Campbell, James Craven; Eoghan Callaghan, Bevan Duffy 0-1, John Clutterbuck; Conor Early, Tommy Durnin; Gerry Garland, Ciaran Downey, Conall McKeever; Ryan Burn 0-6 (5f), Declan Byrne 1-2f, Conor Grimes. Subs: Oisin Murray for Garland (ht), E Duffy for C Downey (53), Dan Corcoran for Donohoe (56), Ger McSorley for Grimes (60), Ronan Holcroft for C Early (67).