All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Group Three, R2
Down v Louth
Saturday, 5.30pm, Páirc Esler
By Peter McGrath Jnr
A one-point defeat in Drogheda at the back end of February was, ultimately, the result that defined Down’s league campaign. Relegation on their head-to-head with Louth meant the Wee County’s narrow victory that day was the difference between the two.
Fast forward a touch over three months and the landscape has changed dramatically for Louth. A historic win over their old rivals and dear neighbours Meath ended a 68-year wait for a Leinster title, securing the place of this team in the annals of Louth’s Gaelic footballing history.
However, Ger Brennan’s side were beaten by Monaghan last weekend in their first game of this All-Ireland group, while Down secured a comprehensive win at Clare in their opening game.
That loss to Monaghan last week (Louth’s home fixture, even though it was played in Kildare) will, Louth hope, have shaken the Leinster celebrations out of the system.
However, they could have been beaten by more than the final scoreline eventually reflected.
Read the full story in the current issue of the Mourne Observer
