Louth's seniors produced a brilliant series of displays in the 2010 championship, to all-but-win the Leinster championship. Though the history books will show that Meath collected the Delaney Cup at Croke Park on July 11th and that Dublin and Kildare went on to contest the latter stages of the All-Ireland, the Wee County will be remembered (if not celebrated) as the best team in the province. But for an inexplicable officiating howler, they would have been crowned Leinster senior football champions for the first time since 1957. For their brave and honest endeavours, Peter Fitzpatrick's side can be rightfully proud. 

It's impossible to review Louth's year without returning over and over again to that decision. Martin Sludden's ill-judged insistence upon incorrectly awarding Meath a winning goal in the dying embers of the Leinster final was the pivotal, defining moment in the Wee County's sensational season. The glory was taken away cruelly, in a puff of smoke, and Louth became the most pitied team in Ireland. It was painfully less than they deserved. They had effectively captured a first Leinster SFC in 53 years, only to have it snatched away by Lady Luck right at the death. Manager Peter Fitzpatrick's post-match reference to Dick Turpin was bang-on.
Amid the whole furore surrounding the daylight robbery at Croker on the second Sunday of July (which is covered in greater detail elsewhere in this publication), it's easy to forget just how well the Louth lads did in 2010. An indifferent (but at times impressive) league campaign opened with a 0-13 to 1-8 defeat of Wexford at Drogheda on February 7th but Louth were pipped by Sligo at Markievicz Park in the second round (1-14 to 2-10) before beating Cavan at the Gaelic Grounds (0-13 to 1-6). It was three wins out of four after the Reds travelled to Brewster Park to record a superb 2-11 to 0-10 win over Fermanagh. However, successive defeats to Roscommon and Antrim put paid to the Wee County's promotion hopes before they closed their stop-start league programme with an encouraging 5-9 to 3-10 win in Fortress Tullamore.
While the team had shown flashes of brilliance, nobody could have been prepared for the quality that was to follow in the championship as - in his first year at the helm - Fitzpatrick guided his charges to within an agonising ace of ruling Leinster for the first time since the legends of '57 did their stuff. Victories over Longford, Kildare and Westmeath earned a provincial final place. Louth were full value for a win over Meath in the Leinster final but were cruelly denied in controversial circumstances only to lose to Dublin in the Qualifiers a fortnight later.
The players were hard done by. Sold short. Cheated. Denied the silverware they deserved. It could - and should - have been oh-so-different…
The Leinster campaign started with a routine 1-11 to 1-7 victory over Longford at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise on Sunday May 23rd. Louth could hardly be accused of setting the world on fire in this one, but they still did enough to progress and that's all that matters in championship football.
The Reds finished strongly in front of 7,122 spectators to book a quarter-final date with the Lilywhites. Captain Paddy Keenan got his incredible year off to the best possible start with the opening point and goalkeeper Neil Gallagher kept Louth in it with a fabulous save after the midlanders had drawn level. JP Rooney, Colm Judge and Brian White added to the winners' tally. However, despite another Judge score, the sides were level with half time approaching. But Shane Lennon burst through to score a brilliant goal and give the Wee County a 1-6 to 0-6 interval lead.
The losers fluked a goal upon the restart and then had a three-pointer disallowed for an illegal handpass, before moving ahead. Inspirational Man of the Match Keenan revived his side with a trademark score and the east coast outfit then soared ahead with unanswered points from White (free), Rooney and Judge (free). Mochtas clubman Declan Byrne clipped over the insurance point in added time after Louth also had a goal ruled out.
Louth - 2010 Leinster SFC V Longford: Neil Gallagher; Eamon McAuley, Dessie Finnegan, Ronan Greene; Ray Finnegan, Michael Fanning, John O'Brien; Paddy Keenan, Brian White; Andy McDonnell, Mark Brennan, Adrian Reid; Colm Judge, Shane Lennon, JP Rooney. Subs: Declan Byrne, Aaron Hoey. 
The team really came of age with a terrific 1-22 to 1-16 victory over provincial favourites Kildare at Navan's Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening, June 5th. The Reds produced an outstanding performance to record a truly sensational win. Midfielder and Man of the Match Brian White typified the Louth effort with an all-action display, while his centrefield partner Paddy Keenan also covered every blade of grass on the pitch.
The winners showed tremendous heart to reel off five consecutive scores in the last 15 minutes after Kildare had battled back to within two points. Ray Finnegan was also superb and his goal came straight out of the top drawer.
Louth gave an exhibition of offensive football in the first half and hit nine points from play to power into a commanding 0-14 to 1-6 lead at the break. With Keenan and White providing a solid platform in the middle of the pitch and the Wee County's full forward line showing first for every ball, Kildare were totally outplayed in the opening 35 minutes and could consider themselves extremely fortunate to turn around just five points adrift.
Padraig O'Neill gave Kildare a lifeline with his 13th-minute goal but Louth's full forward trio of JP Rooney, Colm Judge and the excellent Shane Lennon registered eight points between them in the first half, with midfielder White on target four more times.
Louth were absolutely electric in the opening period and some of their point-taking was textbook stuff.
They had a dream start when Lennon banged over the lead point after just 18 seconds. Rooney caught White's poorly-struck free and fired over a second Wee County point in the second minute. Cooley clubman White stretched the Reds' lead - a great point from play - and the No.9 thumped a free right through the middle of the sticks to make it 0-4 to 0-1 after eight minutes. Rooney extended the Wee County's advantage after good approach play from Keenan, White and Andy McDonnell.
All Louth's good early work was undone in the 13th minute when a defensive error culminated in a Padraig O'Neill goal, set up by James Kavanagh. The Lilywhites were clean through for another goal 60 seconds later but Ronan Sweeney was happy to take his point from close range with a free man on either side.
Judge levelled it from a simple free in front of the posts on 15 minutes and another White free had Peter Fitzpatrick's men back ahead: 0-7 to 1-3 at the end of the first quarter. White (free), Lennon and Mark Brennan brought Louth's tally to ten points inside 26 minutes. Judge and McDonnell made it 0-12 to 1-3 and Rooney registered the 13th Louth score on the half-hour before Lennon pounced in added time to make it 0-14 to 1-6 at the break. An astonishing first-half display by any standards.
After Kildare battled back within two points, Finnegan stole forward to stick a stunning goal into the top corner of the net. White followed up with a free, as did Judge, to leave seven in it. But the Lilywhites came back within two points by the end of the third quarter. However, this Louth team proved that they are something special by reeling off five successive points to take a commanding win.
Louth - 2010 Leinster SFC V Kildare: Neil Gallagher; Eamon McAuley, Dessie Finnegan, Ronan Greene; Ray Finnegan (1-0), Michael Fanning, John O'Brien; Paddy Keenan, Brian White (0-6); Andy McDonnell (0-3), Mark Brennan (0-1), Adrian Reid (0-1); Colm Judge (0-4), Shane Lennon (0-4), JP Rooney (0-3). Subs: Declan Byrne, Aaron Hoey, Darren Clarke, Stephen Fitzpatrick. 
With two wins under their belt, and having given one of the best performances of the summer against Kildare, Louth now set their sights on a first senior provincial final appearance since 1960. Westmeath stood in their way and a 1-15 to 2-10 victory was duly recorded at Croke Park on Sunday June 27th. The Lake County came strong with two second-half goals but Louth stood firm to progress. Peter Fitzpatrick's charges were determined early on, with midfielders Paddy Keenan and Brian White along with full forward Shane Lennon all bagging a brace of points each in the opening half, as Louth led by 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval.
Colm Judge got the all-important goal in the second half, providing the cushion that would see the Reds through. Louth raced 0-4 to 0-1 clear by the seventh minute with scores from White (2), Keenan and Lennon. Teed up by Adrian Reid, Keenan added another in the twelfth minute before Reid made it 0-6 to 0-2. Westmeath closed within a point by the 29th minute but Lennon and Judge made it 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval.
Substitute Paraic Smith and White added to the winners' total before Westmeath converted a penalty. Judge fired the crucial three-pointer in the 58th minute and Brennan struck a late point before the midlanders came again with a 65th-minute Martin Flanagan major. There would be no more scores as Louth held on for a historic win.
Louth - 2010 Leinster SFC V Westmeath: Neil Gallagher; Eamon McAuley, Dessie Finnegan, Ronan Greene; Ray Finnegan, Michael Fanning, John O'Brien; Paddy Keenan (0-3), Brian White (0-4); Andy McDonnell, Mark Brennan (0-1), Adrian Reid (0-1); Colm Judge (1-2), Shane Lennon (0-2), JP Rooney. Subs: Paraic Smith (0-1), Derek Maguire (0-1). 
There was heartache for Louth in Croke Park on Leinster final day as an injury-time goal-that-wasn't from Joe Sheridan gifted Meath a 1-12 to 1-10 Leinster SFC final victory. With the goal incredibly allowed to stand, the Royals went on to take their first Leinster championship in nine years, while Louth were left licking their wounds after one of the greatest injustices witnessed at GAA Headquarters in decades.
The Reds seemed to have done enough to capture their first Leinster title since 1957 after JP Rooney's 63rd-minute goal gave them a 1-10 to 0-12 lead as the match went into injury time. Three added minutes were announced and then with time nearly up Meath sent a miscued shot in around the goalmouth.
Seamus Kenny caught the ball but his shot was blocked brilliantly by Paddy Keenan before Sheridan grabbed possession and fell across the line with the ball in his hands. Not a goal in anyone's book, surely? Amazingly, the goal was allowed, and Meath took the spoils.
Meath had led by 0-8 to 0-5 at the break, while Louth hung in well despite managing just two points from play in that opening period. JP Rooney was inches wide with an early goal attempt but kicked the opening point after four minutes before Paddy Keenan doubled the lead. Meath hit four in a row and Brian White replied from a free at the end of the first quarter. Another White free levelled matters and Lennon came close to a goal on 20 minutes. Judge popped over another free but Meath finished the half strongest with a flurry of points.
White (2), Judge and Reid had the underdogs in front by the 47th minute.
After Meath regained the lead, McDonnell dinked over a beautiful point from play to make it 0-10 apiece. Then, incredibly, in the 63rd minute, beneath Hill 16, Rooney slotted a magnificent goal right into the top right hand corner of the Meath net to make it 1-10 to 0-10. A stunning goal from Louth's most experienced player. Ward scored two frees to leave Louth hanging on and White nervously missed a late free before the match referee handed Meath victory with a truly ridiculous call. What more can we say about this game?
Louth - 2010 Leinster SFC finalists: Neil Gallagher; Eamon McAuley, Dessie Finnegan, Ronan Greene; Ray Finnegan, Michael Fanning, John O'Brien; Paddy Keenan (0-1), Brian White (0-4); Andy McDonnell (0-1), Mark Brennan, Adrian Reid (0-1); Colm Judge (0-2), Shane Lennon, JP Rooney (1-1). Subs: Stephen Fitzpatrick, Aaron Hoey, Paraic Smith, Declan Byrne. 
Needless to say, Louth never recovered from that cruel blow and were only a pale shadow of the team that had lit up the summer when they lost to Dublin by 2-14 to 0-13 in a Round Four Qualifier at Croke Park on Saturday July 24th. Having used exactly the same starting XV for all four games in Leinster, the manager made one tweak for the Dublin match, introducing his son Stephen in place of Ronan Greene, with John O'Brien moving back to marshal Bernard Brogan. Three Brian White frees was the sum total of Louth's first-half scoring as they trailed by 2-6 to 0-3 at the break, with the determined Eoghan O'Gara bursting through for a brace of Dubs goals.
Declan Byrne got Louth's first score from play after the restart and fellow substitute Darren Clarke bagged the fifth Louth score in the 40th minute. Andy McDonnell and Clarke (free) had the gap at seven with 22 minutes left. Lennon fisted one over but Dublin replied with three points. In truth, Louth were always playing second fiddle. Reds captain Keenan powered through for an excellent point and substitute Derek Maguire popped over another nice score to make it 0-10 to 2-12 with seven minutes remaining. Byrne bagged his second point in the 64th minute as we learned that Louth have some decent talent throughout the squad, with their subs impressing.
Dubs replacement Mossie Quinn calmly stroked over a free from the ground to put eight in it with five minutes to go. Keenan and Bernard Brogan traded points in the last minute of normal time and Clarke arrowed over an injury time free as time ran out on luckless Louth's year.
Louth, SF Round Four Qualifier V Dublin: Neill Gallagher; Eamonn McAuley, Dessie Finnegan, John O'Brien; Ray Finnegan, Michael Fanning, Stephen Fitzpatrick; Paddy Keenan (0-2), Brian White (0-3); Adrian Reid, Mark Brennan, Andy McDonnell (0-1); Colm Judge, Shane Lennon (0-1), JP Rooney. Subs: Declan Byrne (0-2), Darren Clarke (0-3), Ronan Carroll, Derek Maguire (0-1), Derek Crilly. Tweet

Most Read Stories