Louth urged to go 'hell for leather' against Donegal in All-Ireland clash

Irish Daily Mirror

5 hours ago

Tommy Durnin says that Louth must go "hell for leather" against Donegal - and finally produce a 70 minute performance as they face one of Gaelic Football's toughest challenges.
Ger Brennan's charges made it a summer that will always be remembered in the Wee County when they won a first Leinster SFC final in 68 years.
But having made the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals by beating Clare last weekend, their reward is a trip to Ballybofey to meet Ulster champions Donegal - one of the big favourites to lift the Sam Maguire Cup next month.
For Durnin, the three-point victory over Clare to progress from the group summed up the season so far.
They made a slow start and made some stupid mistakes mixed with some scintillating attacking play spearheaded by Sam Mulroy and Ciaran Downey.
There is an urgent need to now find a complete performance in an attempt to rattle Donegal.
"We have confidence, it's just that we're not playing to our full potential and that's the most frustrating thing," said the tireless midfielder.
"In that second half against Clare we did stupid things and I don't know why, when we should just kick on.
"Confidence isn't an issue, it's just getting 70 minutes out of ourselves. It's just going out there and expressing ourselves.
"Sunday was a big game with a lot of pressure on, but I wouldn't be happy with how we finished it out.
"Now it's on the day, it's about momentum, about winning kick-outs and you just give it all.
"If we play 70 minutes to our full potential then we can beat any team in the country. Again last Sunday we didn't start well but if we can put in that full 70 minutes then we wouldn't fear anyone."
Louth will have learned from last year's All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with Jim McGuinness' side at Croke Park, when they lost by eight points.
They will experience much more of a cauldron-like atmosphere at MacCumhaill Park, where Tir Chonaill fans will be expecting a home victory.
For Durnin, the key for the Wee County is to hammer any hard-earned advantage home by kicking the scoreboard ticking over.
"We're not finishing our games when we've had chances," the Ardee St Marys clubman admitted. "A six or eight point lead now is nothing, you need to kick on. It's never safe and so we need to keep taking those two pointers, one pointers.
"We don't make life too easy for ourselves. There were moments there in the second half only for Niall McDonnell making saves we would have been in trouble, but we got out in the end and we'll look forward now.
"We just need to start killing teams, we haven't done it all year. We've been good for 20, 30 minutes but then bad for 10 minutes after that.
"We're pulling results out but we keep the hearts beating, that's for sure. We do enough but we know ourselves we need to start killing games off.
"When we run at teams we're very good, sometimes we go over and back too much but when we do go at them directly we're very, very good.
"We need more of that. When you have Craig Lennon and Ciaran Downey and these boys running at you, they're very hard to stop. So it's just about opening the space."
While concerned that his side allowed the Banner back into the game at O'Moore Park, Brennan was pleased to give game time to young players - including Durnin's midfield partner Dara McDonnell, who impressed, and debutant Ryan Walsh off the bench.
"There's a lot of competition, there's under-20s coming in there now so there's a lot of big men looking for involvement and that's what we need, it's great," said Durnin.
"It's hell for leather in training. If anyone had seen last Saturday morning in training, there were boys taking scalps and that's what you need, nobody's position is safe in this team.
"Guys took their opportunity and it will be the same this weekend, we'll be ready to go.
"Let's go hell for leather and don't hold back, to the best of your ability and don't fear anyone. Whoever is in the first 15, that's their chance."