Louth captain reveals training quirk that helped overcome player deficit

Fascinating insight!

The Wee County were down to 14 men in the seventh minute, after Séan Callaghan was sent off for a heavy hit on Oisín McGorman.

In the end it mattered not, with Louth invigorated by losing a man - possibly unfairly - as they found a new level within themselves to advance to the semis.

Following the game, Louth captain Sam Mulroy provided fascinating insight into Louth's training and a possible reason as to why they were able to overcome the player deficit.

He said: "If I'm being honest with you, we've carried quite a small squad over the year and we've rarely played 15 v 15.

"Which has been lending itself to big pitches and the big spaces to defend against.

"So it's maybe helped us in a way, I don't know.

"But we haven't, I suppose, practised that scenario, in essence, no."

Louth: Niall McDonnell; Emmet Carolan, Donal McKenny (0-01), Daire Nally; Conall McKeever, Dara McDonnell (0-02, tp), Craig Lennon (0-01); Conor Early (0-01), Seán Callaghan; James Maguire (0-04), Ciarán Downey (0-02, tp), Conor Grimes; Kieran McArdle, (0-01), Sam Mulroy (0-05, 0-03f), Ryan Burns (0-04).

Subs: Ciarán Byrne (0-03) for McArdle 26-28 blood, Tadhg McDonnell (0-03) for McKeever 41, Paul Mathews for Grimes 43, Tommy Durnin for Early 55, Byrne for McArdle 56, Ciarán Keenan for Maguire 66.

Monaghan: Jamie Mooney; Ryan Wylie, Killian Lavelle, Dylan Byrne; Dessie Ward, Ryan O'Toole, Conor McCarthy (0-03, 1 tp); Mícheál McCarville, Oisín McGorman (1-00); Aaron Carey, Mícheál Bannigan (0-04, 0-01f), Stephen O'Hanlon (1-00); Jack McCarron (0-05, 2 tp), Andrew Woods (0-04), Ryan McAnespie.

Subs: Stephen Mooney (0-01) for McAnespie 41, Max Maguire (0-01) for Carey 49, Darragh McElearney for McGowan 55, David Garland for Woods 63, Robbie Hanratty for Ward 66.

Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone).