Half the Louth football team went AWOL after defeat to Wexford in the Leinster quarter-final on June 17th but somehow manager Eamon McEneaney reorganised a depleted group and they managed to find a way past Limerick, Gavin Cummiskey reports.
The reward is a trip to Newbridge on Saturday to face Kildare. Win that and, remarkably, they have attained their pre-season goals.
The North American GAA Board hurt a number of middle-to-lower-tier intercounty panels by bringing forward the cut-off date for their championship registration from July 20th to July 1st.
(Of course the GAA is an amateur organisation, so surely the mass exodus each summer is not motivated by monetary gain?)
Cavan felt the pinch recently when Seánie Johnstone, Martin Cahill and Paul Brady took flight across the Atlantic after defeat to Down in the Ulster championship. Manager Donal Keoghan stated the trio would not play again for Cavan while he holds the reins.
Louth lost seven players, seemingly, immediately after the snore-fest against Wexford at Croke Park. David Reid, Jamie Carr and Mark Brennan took up the offer of football Stateside. JP Rooney, Nicky O'Donnell (both replaced during the game) and Christy Grimes left the panel for different reasons.
The team that forced the defending All-Ireland champions, Tyrone, to a replay this time last year looked to have been dealt a mortal blow by the defections.
McEneaney has refused to elaborate on the absentees but did note the problems posed by our GAA cousins across the ocean: "They've changed the goalposts this year in that players had to be out by July 1st. Players always had the safety net of playing up to the 20th so they could - in other years - have been playing this weekend.
"Unless teams got to the last 12 it wasn't a factor and it has put more pressure on the county player. Maybe that is something the GAA should be looking at and speaking to the North American Board about.
"For any guys . . . looking to get a trip away or whatever it's putting them in the position where they have to make a choice. They are probably saying, well, we're not going to win the All-Ireland. But it's still not right that they are put in that position."
Limerick, who barely raised a gallop when losing to Cork, were afforded what should have been an ideal campaign tonic against McEneaney's ailing troops. The game went to script until Darren Clarke and Ronan Carroll (both deemed unfit to start) were unleashed from the bench in the last quarter. Three points from the duo set up extra-time, and Mark Stanfield slotted the winning point deep in injury-time.
"Limerick were looking to salvage their season as well," said McEneaney. "We were short nine of the panel who played against Wexford for one reason or another . . . so we were delighted the lads went out and played with pride and passion and took the game to them. We lost our way at the start of the second half but we came strong at the finish.
"I think an injection of new blood into any situation . . . in our case, it was fortuitous that these fellas were training with the panel anyway on what we term the extended panel so they knew what was required. Plus it upped the stakes at training."
The goal this season was to make round three of the qualifiers - via either the Leinster final or the qualifiers. They can achieve this by beating Kildare on Saturday.
So, Louth may have changed significantly from the team that produced such an entertaining three-game saga against Mick O'Dwyer's Wicklow, but they are still there.
If Kildare's John Doyle rattles off 1-8, as he did in Roscommon last week, the remaining Louth panellists may also have a summer to explore options.
"We have nothing to lose here," said McEneaney. "We're not under serious pressure to win, and sometimes when you're like that teams produce their best. I think the boys see this as a real chance. It's not a provincial title on the line but there's a great reward if you win."
