Anchor Tours SFC – The State of Play

GROUP 1

St Josephs

St Josephs have reached two league finals in succession and will enter the Championship with plenty of confidence. However, they face a major test in a group containing essentially one of the county’s established top-four sides.

Conall McCaul and Ben Collier provide the leadership, while the two McKeowns, Ben and Cormac, are emerging as serious talents. They have enough quality and experience throughout the squad to navigate the group, but a big result against one of the stronger sides would really underline their credentials.

Verdict: Should have enough to come through the group.

St Fechins

It is difficult to get a clear read on exactly where St Fechins stand after a mixed Division 2 League campaign. There are certainly positives, particularly in goal where Niall McDonnell remains one of the top goalkeepers in the county.

The fitness of Paul Mathews could be hugely significant, while Ryan Walsh and Aaron McGlew will be expected to lead their charge. Colm Hackett and Michael McGlew, both members of Fergal Reel’s Louth U20 setup this year, will need to make their mark at senior level.

There are simply too many question marks at present, and a relegation playoff could well await.

Verdict: If they can get their full team out, they are more than ready to cause an upset. Although, they may find the going tough.

Naomh Mairtin

Naomh Mairtin will have to do without the services of Eoghan Callaghan due to an ACL injury.

The reigning champions are once again primed for a serious tilt at the Joe Ward Cup. Naomh Mairtin fear nobody and their consistency is remarkable – they have appeared in seven of the last eight Championship finals, winning three of them.

Sam Mulroy and Dara McDonnell are two of the finest players in the county and will lead the charge once again. The absence of Eoghan Callaghan through injury is a significant blow, but the return of John Clutterbuck and Conor Morgan certainly helps ease that loss. Thomas Sullivan and Wayne Campbell are also proven performers at club level.

They are simply too experienced and too consistent to expect many slip-ups.

Verdict: Should top the group.

GROUP 2

Ardee St Marys

Fergal Reel has his Ardee side on a mission. Already crowned Division 1 League champions, they will look to lay down another marker when they face St Mochtas on Monday evening.

Donal McKenny, Tom Jackson, Ciaran Keenan, Daire McConnon and Liam Jackson provide a formidable core, while an exciting group coming through behind them – including Tiernan Markey, Keelin Martin, Tadhg McDonnell, Sean Callaghan and Adam Gillespie – gives Ardee an excellent blend of experience and emerging talent.

They look primed for another serious Championship challenge and will have their eyes firmly set on a fourth Joe Ward title.

Verdict: Very difficult to see them finishing anywhere but top. The bigger question is whether they can dethrone Naomh Mairtin come the business end.

St Mochtas

‘The Dressing Room’ pundit Paul Crewe has tipped Shane Lennon to shine in this year’s Championship

St Mochtas will enter the Championship reeling from the loss of their main man, Craig Lennon, who suffered an ACL injury while playing for Louth against Mayo. There are also question marks surrounding the fitness of Shane Lennon, which leaves the Louth Village side with some serious concerns.

Declan Byrne, Darren McMahon and Gerry Garland remain the ever-reliable performers, while Ciaran Byrne will be expected to step up and have a major Championship.

The unavailability of key players is undoubtedly their biggest issue, and, without Craig Lennon, they face a much tougher road than they would have anticipated.

Verdict: Still have enough to reach the Quarter-Finals, but they are up against it.

Hunterstown Rovers

Hunterstown could hardly have asked for a tougher group on their return to the top flight.

They are managed by Paul McKeown, a member of Gavin Devlin’s Louth backroom team, with the evergreen Jim Matthews and former player Alan Landy also involved. There is plenty of experience around the setup, but the big question will be whether they can produce enough scores at this level.

If Ryan Burns can be curtailed, they may struggle for an attacking outlet and will need to find another source of scores. Tony McKenna and Jason Monaghan will be expected to lead a hard-working middle third.

They can cause a major scalp, but progressing from this group looks a difficult task.

Verdict: Capable of an upset, but the odds to advance on their first year back in the top flight are stacked against them.

GROUP 3

Newtown Blues

Ciaran Downey will lead the charge for Newtown Blues

Newtown Blues were relegated from Division 1 and now face the challenge of responding when the Championship arrives. The question is whether there is another kick in this group of players.

There is certainly enough quality. Ciaran Downey, Emmett Carolan, Andy McDonnell and Daire Nally are among the best players in the county, while Conor Mac Criosta is emerging as a serious talent. Alan Connor, Conor Branigan, Jamie Kelly and Ciaran Cluskey-Kelly add further quality to a squad with plenty of experience.

The ingredients are undoubtedly there for a deep Championship run. The challenge is getting everything to click at the right time.

Verdict: If they click, they should have too much for the other sides in the group.

Dreadnots

Dreadnots will be very wary of this group following an excellent Championship campaign last year. They are a strong defensive outfit, with Dermot Campbell, Anthony Williams, Conor Clarke and Padraig Rath providing plenty of strength and experience at the back.

The major question mark is at the other end of the pitch. Jay Hughes can produce scores, but who else will step forward when the pressure is on?

They should have just about enough to get past Cooley Kickhams, but this is a tricky group to call and Dreadnots will need to find more attacking consistency if they are to repeat last year’s run.

Verdict: Should progress, but far from straightforward.

Cooley Kickhams

Cooley Kickhams are a young side continuing to find their feet under former stalwart Alan Page.

Niall Morgan, Enda O’Neill, Emmett Duffy and Cian Connor are all capable players, but the big question is whether they now have enough experience around them to navigate a senior Championship campaign.

They looked short of the required level when losing to Dreadnots in last year’s Quarter-Final. The big question heading into this year’s Championship is whether those young players have developed enough since then.

If they have, Cooley could surprise a few people. They will need to.

Verdict: The potential is there, but a big step forward is required. Possibly a year too early.

GROUP 4

Roche Emmets

Roche Emmets arrive as Division 2 champions and will have genuine designs on making an impact in the Championship. They are difficult to read at this stage, but they have enough about them to believe they can navigate this group.

Their strength appears to lie in the middle third, where they can compete physically and control possession. The big question will be whether they have enough experience, particularly without the services of Peter Lynch.

They will need their attacking players to step up if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.

Verdict: Capable of progressing, but a relegation playoff remains a real possibility.

Dundalk Gaels

Thomas O’Connell heads up a lethal Gaels’ attack

Sean McCann’s Dundalk Gaels have everything required to go all the way. Their potential forward line alone tells its own story, with Tony McDonnell, Thomas O’Connell, Dylan McKeown, Michael Quinlivan and Gerard McSorley all capable of making an impact.

There is quality throughout the middle third too, with James Stewart and the Murray brothers providing plenty of strength and creativity. At the back, Padraic Tinnelly can nullify even the most dangerous forwards.

They look to have too much quality for the rest of this group and should have their sights set on far more than simply reaching the Quarter-Finals.

Verdict: Expect them to top the group comfortably before launching a serious tilt at the Joe Ward Cup.

St Patricks

This St Patricks side loves the battle, as they showed last year against Dreadnots, St Mochtas and eventual champions Naomh Mairtin. They will fear nobody and have already shown they can stand toe-to-toe with the county’s best.

Conor Grogan, Barry Dunne and Leonard Gray provide plenty of experience, while Eoin O’Connor and Aidan McCann are as battle-tested as they come.

They are unlikely to make life easy for anybody in this group and should once again find themselves involved when the Championship reaches the knockout stages.

Verdict: Will expect to make another Quarter-Final – and from there, who knows?

‘The Dressing Room’ Episode 3

Available on our Louth GAA YouTube channel

The voice of Louth GAA, Colm Corrigan, hosts the latest episode of ‘The Dressing Room’ — Louth GAA’s weekly chatshow bringing you closer to this year’s Championship.

From our studio at Ferdia Homevalue Store in Ardee. With this weekend marking the beginning of the Anchor Tours Louth Senior Football Championship, this week’s episode focuses on all things Joe Ward Cup, with three guests bringing a wealth of experience from across Louth and beyond. We also review and preview all the games in DKIT Sport JFC.

This Week’s Guests:

Paul Crewe – Former Clan na Gael footballer, current Louth Minor Football Coach and Senior Football Coach with Cremartin in Monaghan.

Fra McCullough – Former Naomh Mairtin footballer and Cardinal O’Donnell Cup winner.

Jim McEneaney – Former Louth and Geraldines footballer. 2013 Louth and Leinster IFC winning captain. Current Louth Minor Football Coach.