Louth GAA: It’s down to business in the chase for Joe Ward

Now for the real stuff. The sorting process in the Louth Senior Championship has taken place, and Newtown Blues, St Bride’s, St Fechin’s and Dundalk Gaels find themselves on the outside looking in, while the other eight teams gear up for this weekend’s quarter-finals.

The draw is well known by now, but just to recap: St Patrick’s play St Mochta’s, Geraldines face up to Naomh Mairtin, Dreadnots have a match with Cooley Kickhams, and it’s St Joseph’s who have the task of trying to wrest the title from St Mary’s.

(Just wondering: Is it good to have your team named after a saint? Five of the eight above have, and all head the other three in the betting. And on continuing on an ecclesiastical theme, a question: How many of Louth’s clubs are named after a saint. Answer at the end of this story.)

This is not a preview, but a look back on some aspects of the competition so far, though we’ll still have a stab at naming the four winners: St Patrick’s, Naomh Mairtin, Dreadnots and St Mary’s.

There’s been a mixture of the good, the bad and the exciting in the games played, all of them in the group stages.

In saying that, we’re not disguising the dislike we, and many others, have for the football most teams are playing.

Let’s categorise how the competition has unfolded:

BEST COMEBACK

Though it amounted to just two points, Cooley Kickhams’ smash and grab in their match with St Bride’s had nothing to match it.

The game had long passed the regulation 60 minutes and Bride’s, having turned over five points down, looked good to advance.

Cooley, however, wouldn’t accept defeat as inevitable.

They picked off one point, and after that it was all hands on deck in search of the equaliser, which, if it came, would put them through.

There were 66 minutes on the clock when centre-half Fearghal Malone won possession on the right, moved a little infield and then put in the most judicious of strikes.

The sides were level, Cooley were through and Bride’s were left to wonder why the final whistle hadn’t been blown earlier.

BEST SCORE

Until David Maloney came up with the most audacious of goals in Dundalk Gaels’ match with St Mochta’s, one of Ciarán Downey’s points against St Patrick’s would have been the selection.

It’s one that might not be remembered by all at the match, but anyone who likes the game played the way it was in their father’s day, would have appreciated it.

It was simplicity in itself, Downey soaring in the sky to make a great catch from a kick-out, then turning, positioning himself, and from about 60 yards out, planting the ball between the posts.

More of that, please.

Maloney’s goal was of the ‘cheeky’ variety. He had his back to the Mochta’s goal standing on the edge of the square as a pass from Seán McCann came in. Rather than turn, he flicked the ball using both hands over his head past a bewildered Liam Kindlon.

BEST GAME

There was plenty to like about St Joseph’s clash with Newtown Blues.

It was up and down the field with some well-taken scores. A draw was a fitting result.

Better, however, was St Mochta’s against Naomh Mairtin, a repeat of the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup final, which Mochta’s won.

It had a top billing, Mairtin’s one of the favourites to win the Joe Ward against a team wearing the ‘lively outsider’ tag.

It lived up to expectations, the recent-year champions doing just enough to hold the lead going into the closing stages.

Mochta’s weren’t to be denied – Ben Goss-Kieran came up with an equaliser.

A further meeting of the sides is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

BIGGEST CROWD

A continuation of the above, Mochta’s and Mairtin’s drawing a huge crowd to Darver.

Those who say Monday night football is not a good idea might need to have a rethink.

The biggest crowd of the championship season so far turned up for this league final repeat, and while everyone had a good view of proceedings, many would have had a long wait before exiting the grounds.

The Centre of Excellence lives up to its name when it comes to training facilities; and its pitches are of the highest quality, in particular the one on which this game was played.

Surroundings, however, can’t cater for a huge amount of traffic.

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

That’s the season tickets which the County Board put on sale at the beginning of each championship season.

For example, there were eight matches on the schedule the weekend before last, from Friday to Monday, and it would have been possible to take in all but one of them because of the way in which the throw-ins were timed.

Zealots they may be, but there are some who’d have taken in the seven matches, and they’d have been through the gate for each of them with just a show of their smartphone. None of this weekend’s quarter-finals clash.

NEAREST MISS

St Bride’s took a hiding from St Mary’s in their opening group match, while Cooley Kickhams did much better against the title-holders.

It meant that nothing but a win from their game with Cooley would have got the Knockbridge side through.

As shown above, one more point – over the bar – at Clan na Gael Park would have done it for them.

THE SLOWEST FINISH

That had to be in the meeting of the Saints, Patrick’s and Joseph’s, at St Brigid’s Park.

Pat’s had already qualified for the play-offs, but Joe’s needed to win or not be beaten by six points or more for them to make it.

Pat’s led by two points coming towards the end when Danny Connor missed a great chance of putting his side five clear, shooting narrowly wide.

After that, both sides shut up shop, Pat’s playing the ball across the middle of the field and Joe’s calling everyone into their own half.

If there were any Newtown Blues representatives present, they wouldn’t have been happy with the way the game wound up.

(Answer: 14 – Patrick’s, Mary’s, Bride’s, Moninne, Joseph’s, Mochta’s, Finbarra, Fechin’s, Nicholas’, Mairtin’s, Kevin’s, Malachi’s, Oliver Plunket’s and Fechin’s HC)