L&P's final words

48 hours after our win I have a summary first and few talking points to digest for afters

Louth and Proud’s Final words

Everyone involved in the game the weekend knew how crucial the game was and it showed...there was a tension in both sides. This pressure didn’t allow the game to open up for any significant period. Players were afraid to play and express themselves. All the ingredients for a drab affair littered with mistakes and that is exactly what the game was.

The pace of the game was pedestrian and you wouldn’t blame sparse crowd in Haggardstown if they started chanting are you Division 3 in disguise?

The most worrying thing about Louth’s performance was the amount of unforced errors made when in possession, some dreadful forced footpasses was prominent in the first half and the litany of ball’s dropped into Gary Connaghton’s hands in the second half.

At the back of everyone’s mind, the players and especially Fitzer’s was that this game wasn’t about performance but more about just getting across the line. And in fairness to them they did that.

But it was the manner in which they just crossed the line. We were helped by Westmeath more than anything. Since Fitzer is not Trappatoni (or Jimmy McGuinness for that matter), He is not running a highly organised defensive system of holding out and choking teams.
We were just less bad at shooting, Westmeath had their chances they just failed miserably to take them, Their inexperienced team could only reply with wides to any of our scores.

Paddy Keenan was the difference he was playing at the right standard for this division and it showed, he drove Louth on with solo runs, kicked points from play and boosted Donnelly’s clean hands beside him.

But that will not suffice as we go on.

We are due a Maroon and White upgrade next week. Galway are a different animal, Division 1 players with All-Ireland Under 21 winners last season with a new manager on the back of a big win away to Derry.

Other players must raise their standards quickly if we are to survive. We can’t rely on Paddy Keenan all the time, As we still let Westmeath back into the game on a number of occasions.

The difference next week will be our concentration lapses will get punished, Paddy will have his hands full and we will actually be playing in Division 2.

Although now that the pressure is off, the trip to Galway might just be the tonic for our players to bond as a unit firstly and secondly open up out on the pitch and raise their level of performance.

TOMORROW: A look at Galway and our best team to face them.