Naomh Mairtin v Newtown Blues

Sam Mulroy

Conor Whelan Stephen Campbell Eoghan Callaghan Conor Healy Brian McQuillan JP Rooney Wayne Campbell Padriag McDonagh John Clutterbuck Gavan Mooney Thomas Sullivan Eoin Wright Fra McCullough Jack Murphy 4-11 3-9 2-1 0-6 1-3 1-2 1-1 0-3 0-2 0-2 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 Ciaran Downey Ross Nally Conor Branigan Andy McDonnell Colm Judge Robbie Carr Jamie Kelly John Kermode Thomas Costello Hugh McGinn Stephen Moonan 0-16 1-12 1-6 0-9 0-8 0-5 0-3 0-3 1-0 0-2 0-1 TALK is cheap and with 21 senior titles Newtown Blues know that better than anyone. It’s easy to say the current generation could and should dominate Louth football in a similar manner to St Patrick’s between 2003 and 2015, but the first challenge on the road to that kind of supremacy is to retain their title. The Blues are past masters at back-to-back triumphs and they have even managed a four-in-a-row in the 1960s. But since their last double in 2000/2001 only Pat’s (3) and Mattock Rangers (1) have managed to come back and successfully defend their crown, while the Blues tried an failed on three occasions during the same timeframe. It’s a notoriously difficult thing to do, but reaching the final again is more than half the battle and the Blues are now just 60 minutes from immortality. The second best team in the county right now stand in their way and all things being equal Naomh Mairtin are arguably in better form than the reigning champions. They have been beating good teams with plenty to spare, but this could well turn out to a be a great Blues team. The Jocks will get limited possession on Sunday so they will have to be economical with it, which is no mean feat when you’re trying to stop countless runners, all capable of kicking a score. The Blues will have to defend smartly too, but we suspect that if they bring something close to their A-game to the table, they should hold on to Joe Ward with five or six points to spare.