Eamonn McEneaney's tenure as Louth senior football manager got off to the perfect start when the Wee County blazed to outright victory in Division Two of the national football league. Louth were a team transformed as they won eight of their nine 2006 league outings, clinching promotion to the top flight and garnering some much-needed silverware into the bargain. When Monaghan man Eamonn McEneaney was unveiled as new Louth football manager, expectations were modest. A long-term (five year) plan was being implemented and the manager was quick to ask supporters to demonstrate patience. It was ridiculous to expect an overnight fix, he contended ... then he only went and led the Wee County to a magnificent national football league Division Two success! It's the second time in seven years that Louth have captured the secondary league title (they defeated Offaly in the 2000 decider), but the '06 success was arguably more notable than the last one as the Reds approached this campaign from a decidedly lower ebb. Indeed, despite an encouraging show of spirit in the qualifiers in 2005, Louth football was close to an all-time low when the new management regime assumed control and nobody could possibly have predicted the turnaround we were about to witness. Akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes, Louth defied all the odds to top the Division 2B table before seeing off Limerick and Donegal (after a replay) to finish top of the Division Two tree on the last day of April 2004. It was a remarkable accomplishment. Louth had finished top of a section that also included Westmeath, Cavan and Sligo, and had gone on to see off the best two teams from what was perceived as a much stronger division. Brilliant. Donegal Part II Like the drawn game a week earlier, the replayed 2006 national football league Division Two final was staged at Breffni Park, Cavan. Though the so-called experts wrote the Wee County off once more, arguing that they had missed the boat the first day, Louth delivered a wonderful spirited display to prevail by 1-12 to 1-9. Louth played with confidence, composure and commitment throughout - solid at the back, inventive up front and powerful in the middle. Up to 10,000 Louth supporters made the trek to Cavan to witness a strong 70-minute showing, with impressive fitness levels. Clearly, Eamonn McEneaney had already imprinted a practical and effective new playing style on the team. Though they had lost a seven-point lead in the drawn game and looked dead on their feet for the last 25 minutes that day, Louth performed with unbelievable conviction to put a talented Donegal side to the sword on April 30 2006. Donegal used eight forwards over the course of the match and, between them, they managed just three points from play. After an unlucky early wide from Darren Clarke, excellent wing back John O'Brien opened Louth's account in the sixth minute. The score owed a lot to the industry of JP Rooney and the strength of Aaron Hoey. Louth had a couple of wides before captain Martin Farrelly got on the end of a flowing six-man manoeuvre to double the advantage. Clarke made it three and Donegal replied on the 15th minute with a Damien Diver point. Michael Doherty (45) got the Ulster county's next score and Hoey was on hand to steady the winners with their fourth point. But Donegal took the lead when Stuart Reynolds was forced into conceding a penalty which Doherty converted to put Donegal ahead for the first time. The two Christys - Grimes and Toye - traded points before influential midfielder Paddy Keenan levelled the scores again. Three players from each team got yellow cards as exchanges became fractious and Donegal went two ahead. However, two minutes from the end of the opening half, Louth registered arguably the most important score of the match when they scored the goal that gave them a one-point interval advantage: Mark Brennan sent a lob into the goalmouth and Mark Stanfield was on hand to punch a trademark goal. Despite playing into the wind, the underdogs led by 1-6 to 1-5 at the short whistle. Quickfire points from Clarke (2) and Stanfield had the gap at four shortly after the resumption and Donegal began to ring the changes, as they had done to good effect in the drawn encounter. Gradually, they closed within a point again but Keenan picked out Hoey for another Louth point and Clarke made it 1-11 to 1-8 at the three-quarters stage. Adrian Sweeney and Stanfield completed the scoring and Louth keeper Reynolds had to be alert to deny Donegal's All Star attacker a match-salvaging goal. At the final whistle, Louth were full value for their three-point victory and the 2006 national football league Division Two crown. Donegal Part I Louth had been superb in the first half of the drawn final at the same venue on Sunday April 23 and led by 2-6 to 0-5 at the break. However, Donegal took control of proceedings shortly after the resumption and scored twelve times in the second half, while Louth managed just three scores. The Wee County needed a late goal and point from Martin Farrelly to force a replay, 3-8 to 0-17. The introduction of full forward Adrian Sweeney at half time tipped the balance very much in Donegal's favour. Early points from Farrelly and Christy Grimes put Louth ahead by 0-3 to 0-1 but Donegal had edged in front by the 16th minute. Darren Clarke traded scores with Donegal captain Christy Toye but Aaron Hoye then landed the first of Louth's three majors. The Wee County dominated the second quarter, adding 1-2 before the interval. Paddy Keenan and Clarke supplied points before Farrelly was hauled to ground bearing down on goal and Stanfield complied from the penalty spot. Louth were on a roll and the half-time whistle couldn't have come at a worse time. Donegal produced their ace for the second half and Louth did well to see off the resultant onslaught. Clarke interrupted the Donegal scorefest when he pointed a 45th-minute free but apart from that it was all Donegal. The captain was Louth's only scorer in the last 25 minutes - Farrelly goaled on 57 and pointed nine minutes from the end to put four between them. Donegal hit four points in the last four minutes to leave the scores tied at the final whistle. Brian McIver's side reportedly carried more momentum into the replay - but Louth had other ideas. They had learned their lesson… Cavan Louth opened their glorious campaign with a 2-9 to 0-10 defeat of Cavan at Breffni Park on Sunday February 5. It was an ideal start for the new management regime and they would finish their league programme in style at the same venue almost three months later. Louth led by 0-7 to 0-5 at the break, despite trialing by four points to no score after only seven minutes, and won the match with late goals from substitute Trevor O'Brien and Mark Brennan. The Collon man's injury-time strike was hailed nationwide as one of the goals of the year. Antrim When Antrim visited Clan na Gael Park, Louth sent them home with their tails between their legs, 2-15 to 0-12. Man of the Match Shane Lennon and Mark Stanfield got the goals at the end of the first quarter and the Wee County eased up in the second period after amassing a massive 2-10 to 0-6 interval lead. Sligo Louth were on fire again at the same venue on Sunday March 5 as they ripped Sligo to shreds for a third successive victory, 0-20 to 2-6. Sligo didn't score until the 22nd minute and the Wee County led by 0-10 to 0-2 at the short whistle, thanks largely to three points apiece from Christy Grimes and Darren Clarke. Ten different home players got their names on the scoresheet. Tipperary It wasn't as straightforward in Thurles a week later but Louth still made it eight points from a possible eight with a 1-11 to 0-9 win over Tipperary. Seven of the Premier County's scores came from Declan Browne frees, while John O'Brien fired the decisive goal in the 21st minute. The visitors led by 1-5 to 0-4 at the break and comfortably kept Tipp at bay thereafter. Wicklow A 0-18 to 1-12 victory over Wicklow at the Ramparts on March 19 sent Louth clear at the top of the Division 2B table. Louth trailed by 1-1 before Mark Brennan opened their account with an eleventh-minute point. The Wee County went on to hit nine of the next ten scores and led by three at the interval. The second half was something of a stalemate as Louth held out for a fifth consecutive win. Promotion was now a real possibility. Waterford Division One status for 2007 was confirmed when Louth ruthlessly disposed of Waterford at wintry Dungarvan on Sunday March 26. Louth conceded the first three points and didn't register themselves until the 16th minute. But the floodgates opened as they surged to a 4-11 to 0-5 success with 'Made In Ardee/Collon' goals from Darren Clarke, Ronan Carroll, Christy Grimes and Mark Brennan. Westmeath Already assured of top spot on the 2B table and promotion, Louth fielded some of their fringe players for the final group game against Westmeath at Drogheda on April 9. Not surprisingly, they suffered their only defeat of the campaign, 2-8 to 1-8, despite springing Christy Grimes, Darren Clarke and Mark Brennan in the second half. Limerick Newbridge was the venue for the semi-final against Limerick on Sunday April 16. Louth had got the better of the Shannonsiders in three of their previous four league encounters (1998, '99 and 2002), but Limerick had won the most recent meeting - at Ardee in 2003. However, it was to be Louth's turn again in '06 as a whirlwind start fired them to a deserved 2-13 to 1-9 win - and a place in the final. Louth led by eleven points before Limerick got their first score in the 26th minute. Mark Stanfield (45), Christy Grimes and Darren Clarke started the rout. Paddy Keenan and Martin Farrelly tagged on points and JP Rooney grabbed the opening goal on 18 minutes. Grimes, Aaron Hoey and Stanfield (another 45) stretched the differential to eleven and the winners led by eight points at the break, 1-8 to 0-3. Farrelly extended the lead within seconds of the restart and points from Stanfield and Clarke left it double scores twelve minutes after the restart, 1-11 to 0-7. Limerick never got closer than six points and Clarke produced two long-range points before substitute Trevor O'Brien found the net again after the omnipresent Mark Brennan had struck a post. An excellent afternoon's work was embellished when Louth went on to win the final and claim the silverware. Team - Louth, 2006 national football league Division Two winners: Stuart Reynolds; David Brennan, Colin Goss, Jamie Carr; John O'Brien (0-1), Peter McGinnity, John Neary; Martin Farrelly (0-1), Paddy Keenan (0-1); Christy Grimes (0-1), Mark Brennan, Mark Stanfield (1-2); J.P. Rooney, Aaron Hoey (0-2), Darren Clarke (0-4). Sub: Ronan Carroll Tweet

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