By Cian O’Connell

Positives and points have been accumulated so Wayne Kierans is encouraged about Louth’s future.

Between defeats to Longford and Carlow, Kierans’ young Louth outfit chalked up three wins on the bounce so they remain very much in promotion contention.

Matches against Westmeath and Down await, but Kierans is content that Louth are highly competitive in a lively Division Three following relegation last year.

“The take I'd have from the start is that it had a significant Leinster flavour, and that it was going to be really, really tight in terms that there was never going to be much between the teams,” Kierans admits.

“That has proven to be the case. Every game there is a bounce of the ball in it - we beat Sligo well - but in all of the other games you are talking two-point defeat, one-point defeat or a couple of points wins. So it is very tight and I really thought that from the outset it was going to be that way.”

A selector in 2018 under Pete McGrath, Kierans saw how quickly hope can drain from the system so it was critical to be primed for this spring.

“Yeah, it was important to arrest the slide really because we had been on a long League unbeaten run stretching back a couple of years,” Kierans says about 2016 and 2017.

“So it was important because when you are losing matches all people want to tell you is how much that losing streak is.

“It was important to arrest that slide in order to get a bit of confidence going putting those few wins together. We were confident we could do that. We are happy with where we are, but it isn't a surprise to us.”

Kierans is adamant that significant talent is dotted around Louth, who he wants to develop in the coming weeks and months.

“That is exactly the goal, to get to the next level,” Kierans acknowledges. “Certainly there is loads of talent in Louth football at the moment. We have numerous young players in our squad at 19 or 20 years old, it is young for them, but if they are good enough they will be involved with us.

“We have as many good players as any team in the country, it is just a question of selling the inter-county situation to them, giving them the best platform that we can possibly can to help them to develop.

“We have to help them develop individually before we get the benefit out of them collectively. So we have loads of talent in Louth, I would never, ever suggest we don't have any talent.

“I still think that there is an awful lot more to come from the group.”

Kierans, who guided Louth minors to a Leinster final appearance in 2017, has a keen interest in the coaching side of the game.

“I do sort of regard myself as a coach rather than a manager,” Kierans replies. “The bit I enjoy the most is being out on the pitch with the guys, going through the sessions, putting your ideas and philosophy across.

“I'm not sure whether it is the norm or not the norm, but the coaching certainly is a passion of mine. It is the part I'm really enjoying at the moment.”

So how did Kierans’ own coaching career commence? “I wouldn't say at a young age really, I didn't have a distinguished playing career myself,” Kierans states.

“I kept playing with my club until the body gave in. Then you are basically looking for something to substitute the time you spent playing. It was always a natural progression for me to go into the coaching.

“I actually started off coaching a soccer team before I went into the Gaelic. It was always something I was going to do - it was a natural progression definitely.

“It was a local junior soccer team, then I got involved with my own club and moved on to a neighbouring GAA club, I did well with them and then it was into the Louth minors. I suppose it was a fast enough progression into senior level, but it was always a goal, without a doubt.”

Having enjoyed success with Louth underage teams Kierans is delighted to see a string of the 2017 minors graduate to the senior panel.

“We have four in the panel at the moment,” Kierans comments. “That was a great campaign in 2017. I think it was the first time in 46 years we reached a provincial final so that gave everybody a boost in the county.

“To go back to a previous point it shows everybody that the talent is really there. It is just a question now of bridging them into the senior team, that is difficult in itself. The guys involved at the moment they are excellent players with excellent attitudes. They can play many games for Louth well into the future.”

It is one of the chief reasons why Kierans is so optimistic. “The underage structures are definitely improving,” Kierans adds.

“Have we seen the fruition of that come to the fore? At this moment in time not just yet. We have made changes to the structures with our schools teams.

“The 2017 minor crop were excellent and the minor crop coming this year are highly regarded also. So great work is being done at development squad level in Louth. All we need is just to keep going to get that bit of luck to make a breakthrough.”

Boosted by the news that Ryan Burns will be available for the remainder of the League, Kierans believes Ciaran Byrne and Conor Grimes might just return in time to be in contention for the Championship.

“Ryan Burns definitely will feature in the rest of the League,” Kierans confirms. “He is pretty much back in contention. ‘Casey’ Byrne I don't think will, he still has a little bit to go.

“We have another long term in Conor Grimes and the League will probably come too soon for him, but maybe for the Championship we will see with both those guys. They would be massive boosts.”

Kierans is adamant that Louth can prosper once more and is relishing the current challenge of trying to reclaim Division Two status.

“Absolutely, historically our League situation has been decent,” Kierans says. “We have been yo-yoing a little bit in the last number of years which is something we would like to address, to consolidate in whatever Division we are in and then try to move up from that level.

“There is a more positive feel about the county in the last couple of years than maybe in previous times and that is something we are hoping to keep in place really, to try to keep progressing.”

Two vital encounters are scheduled against Westmeath and Down so Kierans is eager to examine how far Louth can travel.

“Exactly, we would be very positive ahead of the run in,” Kieran responds. “All we can worry about now is Westmeath this weekend. It is going to be very tough because they are having a good year. They have progressed really well since the O'Byrne Cup win so it is going to be a tough game.

“There is very little between any of the teams in Division Three, it is all about who produces a performance on the day. I know everybody says that, but I firmly believe if we put in a performance that what we are capable of, we can beat any team in Division Three.”