Running people close is no good any more

Whenever Cathal O'Hanlon scanned the Dublin team sheets over the winter season, something struck him. "I found I didn't know some of their players. A few years ago, the idea of just not being able to rhyme off the Dubs' team would have been laughable. But they have changed radically. Even now I'd be pressed to match a name with every position off the top of my head."

Not that the Louth player is obsessed with Dublin, you understand, it's just that they've had a certain sort of relationship over the years. It's been based on a kind of mutual understanding - they meet once a summer and after that, O'Hanlon finds himself eating dinner on Sundays.

"I've played on Louth teams that have been beaten by Dublin three or four times. Their players walk under this banner, they carry a certain expectation of winning, a presumption that they will beat the likes of Louth and the self belief and skill to carry it through," he says.

"Louth have gone down in five Leinster semi-finals now and this past few years, we have been pushing teams close but I suppose deep down, that tradition we have of not closing games haunts some of the players. It's hard to pin-point what it is. It can't be fear of losing because we get beaten every year. It's just we haven't been able to push that bit more for a win."

So when they met in the league this year, manager Paddy Clarke said to hell with worthy ambitions of progression in the winter competition. Louth had beavered away for years trying to shoulder a way to the top of the league table only to have the authorities mess with the system when they seemed to be on the brink.

"I took a break myself before Christmas and to be honest, I enjoyed it. I dunno, we gave the league a lot over the years and nothing really came of it. And watching the league final this year, the showpiece of the competition, well, it didn't really set the place alight, now. So we began with really heavy training in the New Year, you know, the up and down mountains kind of stuff. It was hard to raise the energy to play games."

And their results reflected that. While they methodically humbled the weaker teams in the division, there were aberrations, such as the 2-13 to 0-6 mauling they took up in Roscommon. A couple of years ago, Paddy Clarke walked into the Louth camp and suddenly the skies brightened. His influence on the mindset of the current crop of Louth players has, according to O'Hanlon, been vital.

"Paddy is just a very laid-back, easy-going fella. He has his own approach, he lets the players have their say and it has worked. The camaraderie in the squad now is brilliant and, I mean, I'm here 11 years or so and it still seems fresh and good fun."

O'Hanlon knows that, at best, he has a handful of sporting summers left now.

Back in 1991, he was just 20 when Louth scythed through a Kildare side who were league finalists managed by the wily Mick O'Dwyer and universally admired. That the lily-whites were felled by Louth was greeted with shock.

"I suppose that's a highlight that would have been recognised nationally. And we have had a few good wins but never really developed the consistency. I have loads of great memories from my time with Louth but I want to win something before I finish up."

Most people, though, are expecting Louth to do the decent thing and perform adequately before bowing quietly over the last ten minutes.

"That has been our way. But we have worked so hard for this. I'm sure Dublin are expecting a tough game but yeah, deep down they'll be confident of winning it. For us, this running people close is no good any more. The thought of Sunday and Croke Park in front of 40,000 people is something any sports person would get a buzz out of. I'll be bitterly disappointed if we don't leave with a win."