Maybe in the end some kind of karma was at play

VIEW FROM THE COUCH

Former Tyrone footballer Sean Cavanagh described it as “the 2010 karma”. Filling the role as RTE analyst the Ulster man was referring to how Louth were awarded a free in the closing stages of Sunday’s Leinster SFC final by Monaghan referee Martin McNally after Meath were pinged for committing a foul on a Louth player, Conall McKeever.

The free was awarded just outside the 40-metre arc as the contest drew to a conclusion. Two-point territory. Louth captain Sam Mulroy stepped up to take the kick and slotted the ball between the posts. The free looked a harsh punishment on Meath. Very harsh.

Just before that Meath had turned the ball over in midfield and kick-started a move that finished with Jordan Morris passing to Mathew Costello who fired to the net for a super-charged goal, superbly taken. That put Robbie Brennan’s side 1-18 to 3-11 in front.

“Now what’s going to happen?” asked RTE commentator Ger Canning to nobody in particular as he sought to find words to express the excitement and tension felt by supporters both in Croke Park and watching back home on TV. “What an amazing game,” he added immediately.

What did happen was the Louth were given that very dubious free soon after Costello’s strike and Mulroy calmly pointed for his two-pointer to put the Wee County back in front – where they stayed to secure their first Leinster title in 68 years. “That’s a big call by Martin McNally,” said Canning’s co-commentator Dessie Dolan. Indeed it was.

Cavanagh in his karma comment was of course referring back to 2010 when an even more suspect decision allowed Joe Sheridan’s goal to stand and give Meath victory on a day when the Wee County should have ended their long provincial famine. This time the gods were wearing red.

This time the Wee County finally got over the line – and deservedly so. Ger Brennan’s team had far more possession in the second-half, holding onto the ball better than their opponents and dictating the direction and tempo of the play.

In the build up to the game RTE presenter Joanne Cantwell sought to convey just what it was like in Croke Park as a remarkable, raucous crowd of 65,785 created a hell of a din. “Listen to that noise what a marvellous atmosphere here at Croke Park,” she added as green smoke swirled around the arena. It was indeed hard to believe that this was ‘just’ the Leinster final and not the All-Ireland itself – or the Super Bowl.

Her two analysts – Cavanagh and ex-Dublin midfielder Ciaran Whelan – felt in the build up that Meath had what it took to edge it. The Royals certainly looked in good shape when they led 0-13 to 3-3 at the interval after notching seven successive points in the lead-up to the interval.

“That was a very strange half and Meath will feel they controlled a lot of that but Louth have got the goals and that’s what’s crucial here,” commented Whelan at half-time. “Robbie Brennan is in there thinking how did we let that happen? How did we let him cut through the heart of the defence,” he added, referring to Craig Lennon’s goal when the talented Louth All-star surged through the heart of the Meath defence unmarked before firing home.

“Meath have dominated this game, Louth have had six scores, Meath have had 18 shots, they were rocked by the Louth goals,” added Cavanagh. “They really had Louth on the ropes,”

“There’s only a single point in it, there could be plenty of more goals to come and there could be extra-time as well, maybe penalties,” commented Cantwell before she handed back to Canning for the second-half. She wasn’t the only one who felt the contest could go the distance – and beyond.

As it turned out there was only one more goal and that was Costello’s but as Canning pointed it was Meath’s only score in a long barren spell, extending to “23 minutes” when they didn’t trouble the scorekeeper. That told its own story of how much possession Louth had to work with in the second-half – and how much Meath struggled to get their hands on the ball.

It was understandable all the attention was on Louth afterwards as Cantwell and the analysts sought to get to the nub of how the Reds had finally won their first Leinster title in what seemed aeons. “What about Meath?” asked Cantwell to break the spell. “They’ll just have to build on the confidence they gained from beating Dublin,” offered Whelan.

Ah yes, beating Dublin. Even that significant, sweet victory appeared a scant consolation to Robbie Brennan & Co following the defeat on Sunday when a decisive, crucial decision went against them. Maybe in the end some kind of karma was at play.