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LOUTH have leapfrogged Tyrone in the Division Two league table thanks to a deserved five point success over the Red Hands in Ardee on Sunday afternoon.
The home side grabbed the only goal of the game early on while they hit three two pointers to their opponents’ none, on a day when they also outscored Tyrone in the second half despite playing against the wind.
Manager Gavin Devlin, a former Red Hands defender, was delighted with the Louth win despite the fact that, he admitted, it wasn’t the best game of football.
“It was vital that we won today and I’m delighted with the result,” reflected Gavin.
“We put in a very big shift at Croke Park last weekend and came away with nothing against Meath losing out in the last 40 seconds.
“We played a lot of good football but in the end it didn’t do anything for us in the league table. Despite losing though we took a lot of positives and we came here to Ardee looking about a result and thankfully we got it. There was a lot of mistakes out there from both sides and I’m sure it wasn’t the best spectacle for neutrals, but we aren’t bothered about that. It was all about the result and thankfully we came out on the right side of it and hopefully we can kick on from here.”
The home support certainly played their part as they roared on the Leinster champions at a tight venue.
“Louth GAA and Ardee put in a lot of work to ensure that the pitch was playable as the weather this past few weeks as been atrocious.
“It was a matter of trying to retain possession as best as you could and take any chances that came our way, and it wasn’t easy in tricky underfoot conditions.”
Ciaran Downey got an early goal for Louth and while they only led by three points at the interval having played with the elements, they were caught.
“It wasn’t easy there for both keepers with the kickouts and what not,” admitted Gavin.
“Three points was a narrow advantage having had a strong wind but we told the lads not to panic. Tyrone retained the ball well in the first half showing all their experience, and I asked the lads to try and do likewise.
“I’m delighted that we were able to do that and then we got the boys into the right positions to get the crucial scores. It’s a massive win for us but will mean nothing if we don’t build on it.
“As you know Division Two is very competitive and points can go anyway on any given day. Tyrone no doubt will be disappointed today but they will be okay. They have a lot of quality in their ranks and with more players to come back they will be fine. Those conditions today didn’t suit Tyrone but they no doubt will have bigger things to look ahead to this season.”
Louth surely will be looking to retain their Leinster title in 2026 but for now its all about Cavan next weekend in another crucial four pointer.
“Cavan away is going to be a very tough test, especially after they got their first points against Kildare,” said Gavin. “We will get back to training this week and work hard for the Cavan game as we have to back today’s result up.”
