LEINSTER SFC FINAL:IN ALL likelihood, Louth are merely the early summer bolters. There is always one. Meath will probably rein them in on Sunday and depending on the cruelty, or generosity, of the qualifier draw they will bristle for a game or two before fading. Such presumptions are based on their most recent Leinster championship form.

Dublin easily put them away in 2008, while last season they were undone by a Laois side that were clearly unsure of themselves. They simply refused to be beaten by Louth. That has always been the way – the real contenders find a way to silence the boys from the Wee County.

Something has changed in 2010. Under manager Peter Fitzpatrick, they will contest the provincial football final devoid of fear. Their captain Paddy Keenan’s valiant contribution to the campaign was recognised in Dublin yesterday by the All Star monthly awards for June.

In the recent semi-final defeat of Westmeath, Keenan and Brian White dominated midfield. Keenan even took a yellow card when his team demanded the sacrifice entering the last 10 minutes.

The progress of Louth is a familiar story. A few hardy veterans – such as Keenan, JP Rooney, Aaron Hoey and Darren Clarke – are rejuvenated by the new wave of talented kids.

They beat Kildare and the road opened up. The burst of form guided them to their first final in 50 years. Suddenly, anything seems possible.

“A lot of people would say the Kildare game was a turning point. It was the first game in a few years where we put 70-75 minutes together. But even before that, against Offaly in the last game of the league, we were struggling at half-time. We dug through that and won by a few points.

“That was in the back of our heads and when we did it again against Kildare it gave us another boost. Another bit of confidence. We carried that into the Westmeath game.”

The same circumstances occurred. They dug in again.

Fitzpatrick has been clever enough to allow others to influence his players.

The distinctive tones of Donegal and Armagh men can be heard in their camp. Louth may hail from Leinster, but their northern border rubs against Ulster.

Brian McEniff will forever be remembered for guiding Donegal to the promised land in 1992 while the tactical astuteness of former Armagh manager Peter McDonnell has also been embraced.

“Peter McDonnell and Brian McEniff coming in brought a lot to it,” says Keenan. “Brian just imparts a bit of wisdom. Peter is very good at pointing out areas where we can take a team out. It’s added another dimension to what we already had.”

Earlier in the year, the group travelled up to McEniff’s hotel in Bundoran for a weekend. He spoke to them. They all tuned in.

“There is a bit of an aura about him. He’s been there before. He’s been involved with an Irish team in the Compromise Rules. The first time we met him we were up on a weekend away in Donegal, up in his hotel. He spoke to us for half an hour.

“Sometimes when people speak for 30 minutes, footballers tend to fall asleep, but he captivated the whole lot of us. He gave you something to come home and think about.”

McEniff told them if they beat Longford in the first round of the championship he would stop by training once a week. They did. He has been in to see them ever since.

That said, Fitzpatrick has played a crucial role. He has them conditioned like greyhounds.

“We’ve done a lot of running this year,” says Keenan. “Fitzer would be a big fitness man. I knew what was coming from club there (St Patrick’s). We are fitter than previous years. I know I am.”

Meath stands in the way of a truly historic achievement (that would spark a wonderful pitch invasion). Meath who scored five goals against Dublin.

“We’re not really a defensive team to be honest with you,” Keenan adds. “In the last few years we have let in big scores. But we have forwards that will take any team apart on their day.”

This is true, but their forwards do hunt in packs when they lose ball.

“I thought Meath were going to beat Dublin. They look very strong team. Very big around the middle. Good forwards.”

Louth. The mid-championship feel good story. Surely that will be the height of it?

“I think the players were sick of losing to teams we know we had the ability to beat,” says the Louth captain. “It was time for the whole thing to change. A Louth team needed to stand up and win a few games other Louth teams would have lost. When we go through bad patches it clicked in the boy’s heads that they had to dig in, work a little bit harder.”