Minor Matters 2014 Reflection

Disappointment was not the word leaving Drogheda Saturday evening, a humiliating 13 point defeat at home to Wexford.
It was nearly as bad as 2005 when the Kilkenny minors beat us.

But how?

Looking at the squad beforehand,
the management team’s experience
and
even the home advantage.
I could do nothing but tip us to win.

But, in fact, all these factors actually went against us on the day.

It can sometimes happen to young players, it’s a big day they’ve looking forward to for so long and when you want to perform the most it just doesn’t happen.

These factors instead of relieving pressure actually compound to sap the energy from our talented lads legs hence the lack of intensity we showed.

It’s common for young players to think, sometimes in the actual game we should be beating Wexford!! and we’re not!! You could see the panic setting in on Saturday. The more they tried and the more things didn’t work and as a result it takes away all their confidence which then affected their decision making and we left with forcing things such as missing goal chances and kicking away simple free’s.

The Wexford lads with no pressure on their shoulders found it easier to get into the game and do the simple things and their confidence grew and grew. Quite simply, the opposite happened our lads.

These lads will be back though, all good players that every club in the county would love to have, they’ll learn from the game and most importantly the occasion and bring it to Longford on the 30^th of this month in Drogheda.

Just wait and see.

 

Sidenote: Hunterstown Rovers have a gem in Ryan Burns as we all know but Goalkeeper  Niall Carrie from the same club also has a Bright future. Matthew Corcoran also, who I think can play again next season was highly impressive on the day.

 

Minor Matters2014

Louth Versus Wexford
3pm Gaelic Grounds
 Saturday 19^th April

Minor football is the pinnacle of pure underage football.  As the naivety is still there and there is plenty of time for their young minds to be filled with cynicism but for now the talent has yet to be moulded. How a player fairs at this age moulds their outlook on football forever. Hopefully this bunch of lads can put their talent to good use and step into adult football positively.

They certainly have the talent to take that positive step.

Just look at the forward power of Dean Maguire, Tadgh McEneaney, Ryan Rooney, Darragh Lafferty and I haven’t even mentioned a certain Ryan Burns yet. This alone gets me excited about this certain crop.

I like the low key build up of this bunch, they’ve been working away very hard with low expectations as all Louth minor teams do but this bunch seem to do their talking on the pitch that to me shows this squad possess winners. 6 Gers lads who won the minor championship are on the squad, a number of the Ardee CS team that swept all before them are also involved so my hunch is right. If it was me, I’d have more of them involved, even one Marys lad seems low considering they were in the two minor finals last year but I’m not the manager.

Who is the management team you ask?

The management team is made up of Eamonn Dunne, Ken Rooney and Eugene Judge and they know their football that’s a given, but they know their Louth underage football having put in the years at their clubs. A sign of this is seen in the drafting of players who were not there before but have been playing well enough to break into these dreaded development squads which some many rarely do or are given the chance to. So big thumbs up to the management to make those calls!

4 of the squad played last year (Maguire, Lenehan, Burns and Lafferty) who were narrowly beaten by Dublin in the first round and eventually knocked out by none other than Wexford!

So hopefully revenge will served Saturday evening...and I for one expect it will.

Matthew Corcoran, Robbie Lynch, Cian Smyth, Paddy Geoghan, Niall Craven, Jack Traynor (Geraldines)
Kevin Carr, James Carter, John Connolly, Conor Moore (Newtown Blues)
Dean Maguire, Jordan O’Donoghue, Ryan Malone(DYI)
Niall Carrie, Ryan Burns (Hunterstown)
Peter Thornton, James Loughran (Cooley)
David Lennon, Ultan Larney (Mochta’s)
Conor Early, Adam Brodigan (Plunketts)
Cathal Clarke (Mattock)
Darragh Lafferty (Pats)
Paul Mathews (Fechins)
Tadgh McEneaney (Kilkerley)
Stephen Coleman (Clans)
Sean Halpenny (Stabannon)
Conor Lenehan (St Finbarrs)
Ciaran O’Brien (O’Connell’s)
Ryan Rooney (Marys)

 

 

NFL Louth and Meath Preview

Lets. 
Make. 
it. 
Happen.

Great Day in 2012

Things to Expect:
-A row perhaps?