NFL Preview Louth and Dun na nGall

Ballybofey, Sunday 30th March 2 pm 

Our Clarkie getting the better of a certain Karl Lacey

Trip Down Memory Lane
2006 league final, one of the most underrated days in Louth GAA.
We beat a fancied Donegal side in the Division 2 final after a replay. They were two great displays and quality games of football.

6 Donegal players went on to win an All-Ireland in 2012 from that series of games.

so more of the same on Sunday please.


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Championship Draws!!

Tonight is the night you can start to really dream about winning one these cups below!

Draw's take place at 7pm in Darver,Tonight. Best of luck.

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Galway Positives

Here’s the test results from Sunday’s game:

 

All Positives

1.  Building from the back, without Lennon inside we had no quick ball option like all top sides we are now learning to be patient. Building effectively, looking for the support player always and recycling and switching the play. It took us 5 games to get there but, we are there now.

2.  Aswell as this, Reido and Crilly joined the attack with great effect and they should always be looking to do so…especially Crilly…when these two play with freedom Louth usually play well.

3.  The intro’s of Shane O’Hanlon for his debut and John Kermode were not to be sniffed at both had positive effects on the game. Great boost to the manager and squad competition.

4.  Not one but two goals Sunday!! It’s a great lift to the crowd and for that reason I’m glad we broke our duck at home. Nice for the supporters to leap out of their seats with joy!

5.  PK, virtuoso performance. Having him in this mood with games to go gives us a really good chance.

6.  Gally’s Kickouts superbly picking out men in space and giving us valuable possession and a platform in the game. He did have a few shaky ones in the second half but he didn’t throw the baby out with the dishwater he kept trying them and the more he tried the more they worked. Excellent progression!

7.  Andy Mc’s form….he’s been given a role that doesn’t suit him inside but he’s got on with it and improved as a result. Seen at the finale of Sunday’s game, Winning ball out in front and turning composing himself for a score.

8.  Sunday was all about performance it was great to see a Louth team play with freedom, get goals, not lose, show heart to come back and fight for a point.

9.  We still can do this….escape relegation I mean we’ve already improved as a team ahead of the championship so survival would be a great bonus.

10.             Finally me actually having something to be positive about! Is surely a positive in itself!

THANKS FOR READING

Louth Galway Preview

JP's finest performance for Louth

Our backs are to the wall, actually not even the wall! we're on the ground! battered and bruised, bottom of Division 2 with no points.

Our luck is out, the county hates the manager, some our best players are injured and morale amongst the lads is at an all time low.

Basically we can go no lower.

However, we are at home and we have 3 games to save face on our 2014 league campaign.

I'm not talking miracles, I'm talking about performance.


Galway come into this game with something we seek not 2 points but confidence. They turned over Down last weekend in Tuam. We've done well against Galway this past two seasons winning by 6 last year in Drogheda and a draw the year before in Salthill

So we really have nothing to lose and we are working extremely hard and if you remain to work hard your luck will change.

Through this process Our Kickouts have improved, Freetaking, 45's and turnovers also.

We now need to move the ball at pace from the backline run directly at them will force them to foul or get black carded...also we need to isolate Derek Maguire he'll burn his marker or at least force a free if he gets the chance.

Our luck is going to change this weekend. I can feel it.


Things to Expect:
-For the love of god a Louth Goal

Louth Meath Again U21

Louth and Meath U21 Replay Tonight 7:30pm NAVAN

so here we are again.

90 minutes in Dundalk the other night couldn't separate them.

 

 

Replays is usually the place where the underdogs finally get put to the sword.

With us being the underdogs everyone predicts a Meath win.
even more so now that the game is in Navan.

But, if we ignore this so called prophecy and believe, then there is no reason why we can't get a win tonight.

Two simple instructions that got us here and why we should have won the last day 
Work-Rate and Our Full Forward line. 

Sure, Ryan Burns will lose that little bit of the unknownness to the Meath defence but he is still more than capable of causing problems and his extra attention could possibly act as a decoy, allowing others like Conor Grimes and Conall McKeever to step up to the plate.

Thats where we will get our believe from.
Once you have the forwards the work rate follows.

The players and managers are exact same as the other night, 

nothing has changed. Except our Belief. Hopefully.

Best of Luck lads, Thanks for reading.

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Scorers Chart 2014 4 games in

Colm Judge is right out there on top now.
 
1 C Judge (0-13,  9frees) 
2 D Byrne (0-9, 6 frees) 
3 Brian White (0-6 2f 145)
4 P Keenan (0-5)
5 D Maguire (0-3)
6 Andy McDonnell (0-2)
- E O’Connor (0-2)
- B Donnelly (0-2 1free) - Darren Clarke (0-2 1free)
- Kevin Rogers (0-2 2free's) 
11 Derek Crilly (0-1)
- Patrick Reilly (0-1)

48 points tally. We're only team in all divisions that hasn't scored a goal this year!

Top of the singles Chart
This week goes to the return of the White special....he kicked 3 of em on Sunday. so take your pick!

Mon Recap Baby Steps

Another away defeat yesterday, this time by 8 points against current Ulster Champions Monaghan but, I can see still some positive glimpses.

Clones steps

In such a tough division, you learn the hard way and you learn even more when you lose.
You are probly thinking We must be learning alot this year so!! 

but we have, and they are all valuable lessons.
 
Our Kickouts
They were smart, they were snappy, they gave us possession all afternoon. Credit must go to Gally, he's obviously worked on them and he is well able to do it and is quite good at it too. It not only gives us a foothold in every game it gives us a chance to win the game.
Final third
We are working extremely hard for scores and it was always going to be that way with Lennon and Casey Byrne not being there. The former was our Plan A B and C last season we are slowly, nearly too slowly for our division 2 status adjusting our playing style without him.

We have a tendency to look up and kick it inside and usually giving it away. Instead now, we are better at retaining possession and running from deep through the hands it will improve because it is working and come the end of the Monaghan game I think our players even realised it. We definitely turned a corner you could actually see the 14 players figuring it out as the game went on.



Character building
Like I said you learn an awful lot about yourself when facing adversity we are in a serious lull and confidence vaccum at the moment but we are still working hard as ever on the field and off it. It will turn around and in our favour and we will be the better for it when it happens. 

Hopefully in the summer. 

These lessons will stand to us come championship time against Westmeath who, at the end of the day are on the same boat having not won a game at all this season aswell.




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NFL BUild UP: LOuth MOnaghan Preview

LOUTH Vs MONAGHAN 
Clones 2:30pm Sunday
 
The Under 21 game midweek was a nice distraction from the perils of Division 2. Where we’ve gone from good (first half v Armagh) to Bad (Armagh Draw and Laois loss) to Worse (Down humiliation)

And that’s it...I’ve drawn a line under those three performances and we are now officially moving on...

I don’t even care about relegation anymore...it is about getting our house in order and getting this group of players back on track for the sake of our championship because we can go no lower than last Saturday night.

We simply just have to take it game by game, half by half, minute by minute whatever it takes to get our confidence back. Confidence can come from the strangest places and Clones is as strange as place as I’ve been over the years.

It’s the perfect opportunity if you ask me, playing the current Ulster champions in their home patch. I don’t even think we will win and I am the eternal optimistic Louth fan. But like I said earlier this is not about 2 points or relegation it is about gaining confidence. So why not go out and have a go against a team we are expected to lose to and give them a really good rattle.

I’ll compare to when you are underage and you have to mark or be marked a player much older than you, nobody expects anything from you but when you do anything and I mean anything! The most mundane thing of getting a ball in front of your marker or breaking the ball, you are lauded for it!

That’s the scenario in Clones tomorrow (Sunday) we’re the raw young lad with nothing expected of us. Start from there and the confidence will grow and after that stranger things have happened...


Interesting Fact:
Stefan White won both Louth and Monaghan senior championship with the green and yellow of the Castleblayney Faughs and Clans. 

There will be 2 Paddy Keenan's on the pitch in Clones Sunday.
Alas, we haven't genetically morphed a dolly the Sheep version of the Louth player but Monaghan have a new player this year and his name is Padraic Keenan. Good player he is too!  Baaa baaaa



Things to expect:
-A Conor McManus dive, shameful habit he has.
-Our Under 21 contingent rested (hopefully).
-Derek Maguire goal and Louth’s first of the year
- Stealth-like long range free taking exhibition between Beggan and White and maybe Decie out of the hands 

 
Eternal optimist Warning:
I don't know why I do this to myself butttttttttttt


If we beat Monaghan we will join them on 3 points.

Then, all we need is the top 3 (Donegal,Down and Laois) to win 
which, is not out of the question 
and it would leave Galway and Meath below us 
and we'd also join Armagh on 3!

with Galway then to come at home,a nice bonding trip to Donegal away and then Meath at home last day.....we could stay up.....we can do this!!!! 

NFL BUild up: Louth Team to Play MOnaghan

All going well, it looks like the strongest team we have available


Talking points still to come.....

Talking Points

-Arguably Our Strongest team named, to start so far this year fourth game in.

-With Crilly in from the start, it looks like we might actually go with 6 forwards...with Reido straight-up playing at right half forward.

-Nice to see Bevan get another crack at the whip, played on the wing the last day and taken off before half time hopefully he plays midfield and gets a chance to prove himself.

-Curve ball In saying that, Dessie could go midfield again putting Bevan on the wing with Reido dropping back?

-Potential for a Newtown Blues swap during the game between Andy and Colm Judge.

-Under 21 Paddy Reilly is rested mean we'll more than likely not see Cian Doyle and James Stewart either

-No room for Gerry Hoey, Brian White, Brian Donnelly and Darren Clarke means we've a strong looking Bench. if needed.


Marking assignments
Pop picks up Conor McManus Jobser on Jack McCarron

Their two best forwards our two best markers simples.



Thanks for reading,Best of Luck lads

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Leinster U21 championship Preview Louth Meath

Wolfe tones John Horan

Louth V Meath 
the Clans 
7:30pm Tonight

Be there!!





It goes without saying that this Louth Meath tie will have some needle to it, but between this particular set of players, this one really is bit of a grudge match and it goes wayyyyy back to 2011!


We beat them in the opening round of leinster minor only for them to beat us in the  semi after they went through the back door!

So, three years later, this group of players gets the opportunity many minors don't get. A chance to act out some revenge and have a final say on matters forever.
 
The Team

Players in Bold (4) played last year. Players in italics (6) played for the seniors this year

Looking through the side, it is quite impressive.

Brodigan and Reilly should be a straight swap when the game starts while Stewart will look to filter back, leaving plenty of space for our five forwards to operate. 

Cian Doyle is our most well known forward he's named in the corner, but as we all know he loves to roam expect him to link up again with his O'Connells partner in crime Quigley.
Conall McKeever is on his home pitch.
 
Ryan Burns is still a minor and after a super season with Hunterstown he's earned his place in the side. interesting to see how he links up with Big man on the edge of the Square Conor Grimes. The Tullyallen man impressed and played the whole O'Byrne cup and Sigerson for DIT thete...he should give Burns protection also if he needs it.

Verdict 

This group of players will hold no fear for Meath as this set of players are so familiar with them and they know they actually know they can beat them also.

Since 2011 we've lost Ciaran Byrne while they've gained Eamonn Wallace. It's going to be ultra tough but, an ambush in the Clans is not out of the question.

Going into the game tonight there is alot to be confident about, We have a strong spine with a number of scoring forwards. 

Work hard enough and they'll be in with a shout!

Thanks for reading,Best of Luck lads

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U21 Leinster Championship Meath Scouting report

Meath Under 21

v Louth 

Scouting report.

I regretted not doing one of these last season and swore I'd do one for this year. The more information and familiarity we have on our opponents the better. Here goes.



1. Andy Colgan (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
In Meath's Fitzsimons cup panel early on in the season.
Large presence. Booming Kickout.

 

2. Simon Carty,(Dunderry) 3. Conor McGill,(Rathoath) 4. David McQuillan(Pats)
Both corner backs played in this fixture last year, While McGill is the first of the Ratoath crew, he is a real leader, 2011 minor captain. Conor Grimes will certainly have the size and strength to cause problems and then hopefully Burns and Doyle can work off this platform.


5. Padraig Harnan, 6. Shane Melia, 7.Shane McEntee;
Two UCD men play at wingback. Looks to be a very hardworking line. What they lack in flair they make up in mobility.
Quigley and Mckeever on our wings will have to be on their toes.

8. Adam Flanagan (Clonard), 9. Conor Sheridan (Simonstown);
Out and Out power houses, Flanagan can play abit too. While Sheridan has featured for Meath earlier this season.

10.Charles Brogan(Carnaross), 11.Bobby O'Brien (Ratoath), 12.Neil Shortall (Curraha);
Bobby O'Brien played full forward last year and moves out to the forty. 
He is the key to their forwards being from Rataoth he will look to link up with his whole Ratoath full forward line. Man Mark him and frustrate him and we frustrate their supply. He also lacks size so our CB be it Brodigan or Reilly can attack opposing kickouts as well as being an option for our own.

On the wings Captain Shortall (left footer) will play the defensive role as he played wing back for the under21's last season, Brogan a natural midfielder is on the other wing. Hopefully Gers man Sean Thornton who is a forward by trade can cause him problems going forward from half back.

13. Eamon Wallace (Ratoath), 14. Bryan McMahon (Ratoath),15. Joey Wallace (Ratoath). 
The Wallace brothers in each corner pose a huge threat to us. How we handle their pace is going to be interesting. Don't be surprised if eldest and Starman Eamon starts further out the field and attack us from deep. McMahon (white boot merchant) started in the corner last season and he is their free taker also.
They lack height, so we can afford to play in front and risk a high ball over the top. We need to apply pressure on their Half backline stopping the supply at source.

Their Form in 2014
Meath were able to play in the Hastings cup for the first time this year.

In their Group they beat
Wicklow 2-18 to 1-6, 
Leitrim 1-12 to 13
and 
Tipperary

Semi final 
They beat Longford 0-8 to 0-5

Final 
They lost to Roscommon
13 to 1-3

 
Quick Recap

7 played in this fixture last season.
Carty, McQuillan, Sheridan, Shortall, O'Brien, Eamonn Wallace and McMahon

3 Players  are part of the current meath senior panel.
Eamonn Wallace, Padraig Harnan and Bryan McMahon.

7 in total of this team have played with the seniors this season.
The 3 above with Colgan,McQuillan McEntee, and Sheridan



Backboned by a good Ratoath underage side, 5 players in total and like last season they provide the whole full forwardline! 
 
Conclusion

They will be fluid. They will be mobile but, if we clogg up the D force them wide, stop the supply at source we have a chance.

We will have to work extremely hard especially across the midfield to do so.

Turing them over, frustrating them will take discipline and Luckily, we have the reliver option of a long ball to Grimes at full forward if needs be. We can utilise his ball winning strength inside. It is the perfect ploy to our counter attacking gameplan.
 
Thanks for reading, Hope it helps

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Scoring Chart 2014

Colm Judge is still on top but he is joined by Decie Byrne after 3 rounds.
 
1 C Judge (0-9,  7frees) 
- D Byrne (0-9, 6 frees)
3 P Keenan (0-4)
4 D Maguire (0-3)
5 Andy McDonnell (0-2)
- E O’Connor (0-2)
- B Donnelly (0-2 1free)
- Darren Clarke (0-2 1free)  
9 Brian White (0-1)
- Patrick Reilly (0-1)
- Kevin Rogers (0-1free)



36 points tally. Two goal chances.

Top of the singles Chart

Decie tops the singles chart and you could pick any of his three strikes but we're going with the first long range free. I
t was taken from beyond the fifty out of the hands slight cross breeze struck by on the outside of the right...it was a real fizzy highlight on a misty night hence the name of the single 'Alka esler'!

The Down-Low on Saturday night

Right, where do I begin? I'm still trying to get my head around Saturday night in Esler

Division 2?

First of all, if you are expecting this blog post to call for AOR's head you can stop reading now. It's not the solution it's time for reflection and not for making any rash decisions.

If you are still here, good. Lets discuss the nights events and see where we can go from here.

The Start.
Down were favourites to win on the night no doubt about that, we were the underdogs all along. As they are all but a Division 1 team, to win, we needed everything to go for us on the night. 

Right from the get-go that didn't materalise.

Straightaway, we made life easy for Down, even before any ball was thrown in...by the way the team lined out.

I'm not talking about personnel or attitude. I'm simply talking about how our team walked up to their starting positions and shaking hands with their marker.




This would be fine or a non issue if we lined out as per programme, but the team lined out as per our game plan positional switches and all! We were always going to make positional switches, but for all of players to do so before the game it effectively making life easy for Down and their markers. 

I'll explain further, I'll chose Bevan Duffy as an example. He was named to start in midfield but he wanders out to the wing before throw in. The half back now knows, the Down midfield now knows and the Down management see the switch and worse for us, they have time to react. 

Whatever chance of confusing the opposition and gaining an initiative is now gone. So annoying.

The whole point of positional switches is to create confusion in the oppostion and for us to hopefully catch them unaware and gain an upperhand. School boy stuff.



Gameplan 

The extra defender is not working for us....it's working for the opposition but it shouldn't be persisted with. It is too hard to play at the best of times nevermind without our full team.

Management should swallow their pride and scrap it.

Playing with five forwards means they have an extra man back there, Our major problem is in this area. We are so loose to picking up runners from deep and good teams like Down will punish you for it. and they really did punish us.
There was little or no pressure on the ball coming in and you had to feel sorry for our inside defenders who stood no chance of getting near their markers.

As well as that, it has a knock on effect on positions and players roles within the team. 


PK is running around like a mad man and killing himself. Credit to him and his work ethic but he is everywhere bar midfield...he does less with the Pats, a club side!

Frustratingly it's having a detrimental effect on the team. It allows others to hide and pass the buck  marking responsibility wise.




and 

in the end, we have no shape or discipline.

We need to simplify the gameplan and get right back down to basics.

It could be as simple as playing the player in their correct positions.

Reido left half back not right half back.
Bevan Duffy in midfield not on the wing.
Paddy Reilly centre back not in middle.

In case you didn't notice, these 3 were then taken off, bit of a coincidence? I think not!

Crisis in Confidence.


It's as clear as Pairc Esler's floodlights, that the whole team is lacking in confidence. 

When you aren't confident, you aren't playing freely you end up making bad decisions and silly mistakes.It drains every drop of energy from your body no matter how fit you are.

Perfect example is Colm Judge kicking a scorable free short and then the move broke down when he was well able to score and did so in the same area in the second half.
 
For me, alot of this crisis in confidence stems from AOR's brother and selector, Martin on the line, his demeanour does nothing to help matters. He is the first point of contact if they do something wrong and he really lets the players know if they've done something wrong.

You'll probly be thinking that the players are not babies and should be man enough to take the flak but, from my experience the players are the first to know when they've done something wrong and it's definitely not needed, when things aren't going well in the first place!

I hate to keep harping on about Kickouts but at least Gally is trying to work on them there is no jackpot without a gamble, so when one goes wrong and he gets berated how is he expected to hit the next one when he is under such scrutiny!?

Reality Check



Finally, a mention to Down in all this, they showed us a level of intensity physicality we've not experienced in a long time and we were simply not able for it. 
They showed us the difference in decision making under pressure of a division one side compared to us, a lower Division 2 side and we were just not able to get there.

It didn't help we took to the field without our best forward Lennon and in form defender Pop. However I'm not making excuses, that is why we want to play in these high Divisions, to learn and improve. Hopefully we become better for it and all the while building towards championship.

The Down-low on the game is simple, it was a Reality check, not only for me but for Louth fans in general. We must and will learn from it. Roll on Monaghan!


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NFL Build UP: Down Match Preview

 DOWN Vs LOUTH  7pm Pairc Esler
 
The Break 

The team who used the break the wisest will win and for us the break came at the perfect time.

On the back of two poor performances against armagh and Laois at home we needed it badly. we all did, especially AOR who was actually experiencing a backlash from the fans.

Hopefully the break has allowed AOR to regroup and refocus his troops. Get amongst the panel and draw a line in the sand and where better to start afresh than away from home against a team he formerly worked with.

We know AOR prepares his teams ultra well,the extra time and extra information he'll have on Down will help him make decision during the game and that gives me great confidence for tonight.


The game
Is it just me or does this game feel like final? The fact we are desperate for points let alone a win, makes it feel like at worst, a knockout game.Hopefully that bit of fear will give us an edge on the night. 

The shackles are off, we are away from home and not expected to get anything from tonight, no pressure. Hopefully we can hone that freedom to fuel intensity into our performance.

Along with the hunger we need to be well set up, AOR has reflected on our first two games and has taken action. 

Written all over his team selection.
 
The Bevan Duffy call is a brave one, Whether Donnelly is injured or not AOR obviously feels that Keenan needs a more shared workload around the park, Bevan a rugby player up until recently is not shy in that department. What we lose in the air we gain on the ground and that will make us harder to beat. That is not a bad thing considering how easily we've rolled over at crucial times in the past two games.

Down's forward line is packed with flair and industry, they are a Division 1 team going forward any slip ups will be punished. Look out for newcomer Jerome Johnstone's wizard of a Left foot. So our defence needs to be really needs to be on the ball.

To win, we need to at least create goal chances I’ll be surprised if we haven’t worked on this in the break. Alos, no changes in our forward personnel shows AOR trusts them to do damage against Down's defence and that vote of confidence will give our forwards eh, confidence!

Our half forward line specifically has the potential to make serious inroads against their halfback line.

Verdict 
I've been to Newry recently not for some cheap groceries but for the All-Ireland club semi final between Ballinderry and the Vincents in Pairc Esler.
I was so impressed with the set up, the main stand, facilities and the pitch itself second to none. The place itself seemed to inspire players that night and why wouldn't the players want to perform in a top class venue.
Tonight will be no different, big crowd, local derby, under lights it's gonna be special. I can't wait.
I expect us to be inspired tonight, majority of our performances away from Drogheda are really good. (Draw in Portlaoise and win in Armagh last year for example)

We need the points more and I think it will simply come down to that. 

Louth win, by hook or by crook.



Interesting Fact
Former Down Legend Mickey Linden was once offered the Louth managers job in 2005, but alas he turned it down and we got Val Andrews as manager instead!



Things to Expect
-A wave of County ground envy as soon as you reach Pairc Esler.
-Our White Jerseys, surely make their first appearance of the year.
-Decie Byrne not to be taken off, hopefully. 
-Nepotism (Wee James is the manager, his brother Dan is corner back expect the other brother Eoin to come on aswell!)
-AOR not on the touchline but in the stand getting a better viewpoint on his troops.