Peter thrilled as Louth overcome injury blows
Louth defender Barry Murphy in action. He helped his team recover from a defeat to Donegal by beating Roscommon in Dowdallshill.
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Wednesday March 17 2010
FROM being 'shocked' at the departure of three players through injury in the first half to a sense of elation at the final whistle, Peter Fitzpatrick went through the full gamut of emotions in Brewster Park.
The win over Fermanagh was a huge boost to the county, and while the Reds might have been fearful of getting dragged down to the wrong end of the table before the match, their sights are now set on a place in Division 2 next season with leaders Antrim still to play.
What pleases the Louth manager most is that his team have their destiny in their own hands as far as promotion is concerned.
'I told the players before the game, if we win we are fighting for promotion, if we lose we are in a rat race, the division is so tight,' he said.
Fitzpatrick has set a target of winning two of the last three matches, starting with the visit of Roscommon next Sunday.
' We've no problem if Antrim keep winning, but we can't take Roscommon for granted. They are a strong, physical team who ran Antrim to two points.
'If we can win next Sunday it will go a long way towards getting us to Division 2,' the manager continued.
Paddy Keenan, Ray Finnegan and Sean O'Neill were the three players who gave Fitzpatrick anxious moments when they were forced to retire injured, and he believed that made the team's subsequent efforts to overcome those losses all the more creditable.
'The boys were pushing hard to play, though they could have done with an extra week. But they moved really well in training on Thursday night, and I was shocked they didn't last long.'
It was then a case of re-jigging the formation, and the Clan Na Gael clubman was delighted with the way things worked out.
'We re-grouped, and had a good chat about it at half-time. Derek Crilly and Brian White did a great job holding the midfield,' he enthused.
- Francis CARROLL
