Louth keen to cease Wexford’s run of form

Since Mickey Harte’s unexpected departure as manager last September, Louth footballers have been adjusting to a lower celebrity wattage. Quietly and unobtrusively they’ve maintained their Division 2 status and if that isn’t enough to safeguard a place in the last 16 of the championship, the prospect of another Leinster final appearance can’t be ruled out.

They are favourites today against Division 4’s Wexford in Portlaoise, even if the south eastern county has five wins on the bounce and a huge championship opening victory over Carlow under their belts last weekend. The winners will face Kildare or Wicklow, who meet in today’s curtain-raiser, in the Leinster semi-final in a fortnight.

Harte later claimed that the brouhaha over his exit had been misguided, that he and Gavin Devlin had completed a threeyear term as intended. Louth interests countered that in 2022, as disclosed by then chairman Peter Fitzpatrick, a two-year extension had been agreed.

Louth signed off last year’s championship with a 28-point hammering from Kerry in Portlaoise, with a number of senior players having indicated they would not be in a position to commit in 2024.

Into that vortex stepped Ger Brennan, whose first year has been well received, having inherited a side needing some reconstruction. Defensive linchpin Niall Sharkey had signalled to Harte his plans to travel and has completed some, if not all, of that mission. For the time being though he is back in the fold, having returned during the league campaign.

Liam Jackson, who had to commute from Coventry to play for Louth, also had a break but is restored to the squad, and the new manager has also had to find a replacement for the influential ’keeper James Califf, who stepped away at the end of last season too. Niall McDonnell of St Fechin’s, smaller in stature, has made the position his own with a very solid league, marked by important saves and interventions, notably in the wins over Cork and Kildare.

There is speculation that Bevan Duffy, whose last involvement was as a half-time sub in the drubbing from Kerry last June, could play a part in today’s match against Wexford, which would mark his 100th appearance. While Sam Mulroy is a recognised attacking threat the recent form of Ryan Burns has also been exceptional.

Wexford were leading Louth by a point a minute from the end of normal time when they last met in the championship in 2019, before they conceded the last six points from there to the final whistle.