Louth's re-animated hurlers certainly made their mark during the season gone past, powering all the way to the 2002 Division Three National Hurling League final and coming within an ace of securing promotion to the second flight. Louth faced Longford in the 2002 Division Three National Hurling League final at Pairc Tailteann in Navan on Sunday May 5th. Although the final ended in a disappointing 1-12 to 0-12 defeat, it was nonetheless an historic occasion for the Wee County stickmen as the match provided them with arguably their biggest support ever, as it was part of a double-header which also featured the Leinster SFC meeting of Louth and Longford. As curtain-raiser to the drawn football match, the Division Three NHL final got underway at 1.30. The match had an interesting backdrop: Louth had beaten the midlanders in the last round of league matches three weeks earlier to secure their place in the final! That 0-14 to 0-12 defeat of Longford epitomised the amazing spirit of Joe Power's side. They trailed by five points at the interval but fought back for an incredible win, underpinned by eight points from the inspirational Sean Byrne. And let us not forget that the talismanic Padraig Mulholland - who netted five goals in the four previous rounds - missed that match through injury! Unbeaten Louth qualified for the final as the division's table toppers by virtue of victories over Sligo, Fermanagh, Armagh and Longford as well as a draw with Donegal. The midlanders, meanwhile, required a play-off victory over Donegal to secure their place in the decider. The 2002 NHL Division Three final was a repeat of the 2000 decider, in which the Wee County, captained by goalkeeper Eddie McArdle, had prevailed by 0-16 to 1-11. The prize on offer was promotion to Division Three. Louth got off to a dream start and led by five points, 0-6 to 0-1, after twelve minutes, five of those scores coming from Sean Byrne frees to supplement a seventh-minute Ger Collins score. However, Longford powered back into the game and had reduced theri deficit to the mimimum by the time the short whistle sounded, 0-8 to 0-7. Louth led well before their opponents opened their account in the tenth minute and were 0-7 to 0-2 to the good after 20 minutes thanks to Byrne's sixth point of the afternoon. Three successive Longford points preceded a well-taken 28th-minute score from Collins Connolly's who was excelletnly spotted by substitute Paul Dunne. Byrne struck again in the first minute of the second half and Louth were dreadfully unlucky not to get a crucial goal a minute later when Paul Sharkey's goalbound effort was deflected over the bar by the stick of Longford custodian Stephen Lynham. Another Byrne free in the 44th minute gave Louth a four-point cushion, 0-11 to 0-7, but that was as good as it got for the easterners. The Wee County could only manage one more score for the remaining half-hour (including injury time) as Longford gradually got on top. The match-winning goal arrived in the 46th minute when Longford full forward Mark Cassidy rather fortuitously netted a rebounder after Eddie McArdle had brilliantly blocked his original shot. Amazingly, Louth were still on level terms with two minutes remaining in normal time but Longford took the laurels with three late points in the 68th, 73rd and 76th minutes. It was a sad and unfitting end to what had been a superb campaign from the Louth stickmen, who did not deserve to finish the season without some silverware to show for their sterling efforts. Sligo opener Louth's hurlers made their competitive bow in 2002 when they took on Sligo in a first-round NHL Division Three tie at Tubbercurry on Saturday March 9th - their first meaningful outing in seven-months It was new manager Joe Power's first game in charge and - even though it was a potentially treacherous assignment - hopes were high that the Louth stickmen could give a good account of themselves. Despite the recent poor weather, Louth had organised three training sessions a week under the watchful eye of John McCabe of Dundalk Rugby Club. A total of seven who started Louth's last competitive match (against Roscommon in August) were unavailable for selection, with long-term unavailability being a major concern - Diarmuid Murphy and captain David Dunne were ruled out for the season while David Black and Diarmuid McCarthy had retired from the intercounty arena. As part of their preparation for the game, Louth faced Monaghan in a pretty competitive challenge. The preparations couldn't be faulted, nor could the team spirit and commitment demonstrated by the Wee County on the day. Joe Power's men got their campaign off to the metaphorical flyer with a wonderful 2-11 to 1-9 victory, two splendid late goals from full forward Padraig Mulholland finally breaking Sligo's considerable resistance. The match was somewhat undermined by the fact that the appointed referee didn't show up and fourth official Pat Maguire from Sligo finally took charge, to the satisfaction of both counties. Louth trailed for the greater part of the match and, indeed, only took the lead for the first time in the 55th minute. Sean Byrne's point was the visitors' only score of the opening 25 minutes and the Wee County trailed by 1-4 to 0-1 with the interval approaching. A Collins Connolly '65' and a Byrne free left the half-time score at: Sligo 1-4, Louth 0-3. Paul Sharkey hit a fine early point on the resumption before top scorer Byrne knocked over his only point from play (he finished the afternoon with a personal tally of 0-7). Not for the first time, Eddie McArdle brilliantly denied the Yeats County another goal and Louth continued to fire with further points from Byrne and corner forward Tony Corcoran. Sligo only managed a point in the third quarter and Byrne drew Louth level in the 50th minute, before swapping points with Sligo sensation Paul Seevers. Seevers then edged Sligo back in front before Mulholland completely turned the game on its head with his deadly brace of goals, either side of Seever's eighth point. Tony Corcoran got the final score of the day to round off a fine day's work from the Wee County. Round Two, Fermanagh Louth faced Fermanagh at Knockbridge in the second round a week later, on Saturday March 16th. They administered a sound beating to the Erne County but were once again insulted by the powers that be: whereas the referee had failed to turn up the previous week, this time we were subjected to a no-show from one of the linesmen. Despite trailing by three points to no score after eight minutes, the Wee County took complete control of proceedings thereafter to finish clear winners on a scoreline of 3-14 to 0-8. Louth levelled by the 12th minute, thanks to a trio of scores from Sean Byrne. A minute later, Tony Corcoran blasted to the back of the Fermanagh net after some impressive approach play from Padraig Mulholland. Byrne and Corcoran added points as the home side pulled further clear. Louth supporters club Hurler of the Year Trevor Hilliard got his county's next point and the Ulster side registered two points of their own before being denied from the penalty spot by the tremendous agility of Eddie McArdle. Over the course of the match, the Naomh Moninne clubman made a number of fine stops. Fermanagh added on another couple of scores and Louth's half-time lead was of the decidedly slender variety, 1-6 to 0-7 Paul Sharkey and Corcoran hit two quick points on the re-start before McArdle dived in spectacular fashion to prevent a certain goal. Sharkey then placed Gary Brodigan for Louth's ninth point and Byrne continued to apply the pressure with three more converted frees. Completely outclassed, Fermanagh got their only point of the half nine minutes from time. Two minutes later, Mulholland maintained his penchant for late goals with two more last-gasp strikes. He got his third major of the campaign when pouncing on the loose sliothar in the goalmouth before adding an identikit score on the stroke of full time. Substitute Niall McEneaney rounded off the merciless scoring spree with an injury-time point. Draw in Donegal Louth played their third competitive match in 15 days at O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny on Saturday March 23rd and had free-taker Sean Byrne to thank for earning them a draw with a late, late strike. Louth looked a safe bet to maintain their 100% record when leading by 2-6 to 0-6 at half time but had to withstand a ferocious onslaught from the home team in the second half and, in the end, were grateful to leave Letterkenny with their unbeaten record intact. Byrne's equalising point arrived two minutes into injury time and left the final scoreline looking like this after a pulsating encounter: Donegal 1-14, Louth, 2-11. The Wee County started tentatively and grabbed their first score on eleven minutes when midfielder Padraig Murphy cancelled out Donegal's early opener. Donegal edged back ahead only to be pegged back this time by a Byrne free. The northerners registered the next two points to lead by double scores but the advantage was short-lived as Mulholland put the visitors ahead for the first time with a terrific 20th-minute goal. Points from Byrne and Corcoran to a solitary Donegal reply saw Louth take a 1-4 to 0-5 lead. After Donegal sneaked back within the minimum Louth received the perfect tonic when awarded a 34th-minute penalty, which Byrne calmly blasted to the net. Two further points from scorer-in-chief Byrne in first-half injury time ensured his team of a six-point interval advantage. Within ten minutes of the resumption, Donegal had reduced the arrears to two points thanks to four converted frees from Neil Campbell. The homesters then scored again before Padraig Murphy relieved the pressure with a fine point at the other end. That was Louth's first score of the half and it arrived in the 52nd minute. Paul Sharkey took inspiration from that socre and extended the Louth lead to three, before substitute Niall McEneaney cancelled out a home point. The game was dramatically placed in the melting pot seven minutes from time when the plucky Donegal men conjured up an equalising goal. Byrne steadied Louth nerves with a lead point before Donegal finally reclaimed the lead with a late brace. But Louth's goose wasn't quite cooked and Byrne found the range two minutes into overtime to guarantee the Wee County a deserved share of the spoils. With five points from a hectic three-game schedule, Joe Power and his team benefited from a welcome break the following weekend before returning to action a fortnight later against neighbours Armagh. Armagh and a remarkable winner Louth's 3-8 to 2-8 defeat of Armagh at Knockbridge on Saturday April 6th will forever be associated with one of the most amazing goals in the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Full back Aidan Carter captured national headlines after scoring one of the most remarkable 'turning point' goals in gaelic games history. The Wee County trailed by a point with two minutes left when the No.3 whacked the sliothar to the net from close to the sideline deep inside his own 21 yard line! The thunderous puck was carried from the road goal end by a staggering wind and dipped ferociously under the crossbar to win the game for Louth and guarantee them at the very least a Division Three play-off place. The 24-year-old Wolfe Tones stickman was as bemused as anyone when he saw the green flag raised, revealing: "I had brought the free forward about eight yards but Armagh started complaining and the referee brought me back. "I just wanted to drive it into the square but their keeper must have been asleep. I didn't see it go into the net because the sun was in my eyes. I only knew I had got a goal when one of the Armagh forwards nudged me and called me something I don't want to repeat." Meanwhile, Micheal O'Muircheartaigh also had his say on the scorching score: "Years ago the Galway keeper Tom Boland drove a ball out at the other end from a puck-out at Croke Park and the pitch was 160 yards long at the time. But this could be a record distance for a score." The Wee County had appeared destined for their first reversal of the campaign prior to Carter's divine intervention two minutes from the end . . . an extraordinary score that turned the game on its head. The score gave the home team a 3-7 to 2-8 lead and replacement Paddy Mone put the icing on the cake with a late insurance point. Louth played into the strong wind in the first half and trailed by two points after twelve minutes. But Louth refused to lie down and took the lead in the 13th minute when Tony Corcoran finished a fine solo run by blasting to the roof of the net. Amazingly, Louth's second score of the day was also a goal, Paul Sharkey's effort giving the Wee County a 2-0 to 0-3 upperhand. But it was a match with 'Bizarre' written all over it and the Orchard County replied with two goals in as many minutes. And a further brace of points gave the visitors a 2-5 to 2-0 interval cushion. With the wind at their backs, Louth wasted no time in erasing the leeway with five points in as many minutes from Padraig Mulholland, Sean Byrne, Sharkey (2) and Padraig Murphy. The winners lost their momentum thereafter, however, and a brace from Joe Kennedy was all they could manage before Aidan Carter steeped up to steal the headlines . . . nationwide! Longford Pt. I A week later, Louth's hurlers had a National Hurling League Division Three final to look forward to after finishing top of their division. The Wee County's deserved 0-14 to 0-12 defeat of Longford saw them sitting proudly atop the table with four victories and a draw (against Donegal) from five outings. Previously unbeaten Longford were top of the table before the crunch meeting at Michael Fay Park on Saturday Arpil 13th but were left needing to win a play-off against Donegal to book a return meeting with Louth in the Division Three decider. Louth started well against the midlanders and led by three points to one after ten minutes. However, they lost their momentum somewhat thereafter and trailed by five at the short whistle. But Joe Power's troops were a different proposition in the second half and powered to a memorable win, inspired by impressive performances from Barry Murphy at midfield, defenders Joe Kennedy and Aidan Carter and goalkeeper Eddie McArdle. Determined Louth went ahead on the stroke of the hour when Tony Corcoran pointed the rebound from a Paul Sharkey shot. Further points from Niall Byrne and Sean Byrne (to a solitary Longford reply) were enough to book a final spot. The Louth team pipped by Longford in the 2002 National Hurling League Division Three final: Eddie McArdle; Seamus McDonagh, Aidan Carter, Shane Darcy; Donagh Callan, Joe Kennedy, Trevor Hilliard; Barry Murphy, Collins Connolly; Sean Byrne, Ger Collins, Paul Sharkey; Tony Corcoran, Padraig Mulholland, Gary Brodigan. Subs: Paul Dunne (17), Paddy Mone (56), Aidan Callan (62). Tweet

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