We fear no one, declares Carlow star Foley

UNLIKE Mickey Moran after Leitrim’s shock defeat of Sligo in the first round of the Connacht championship, nobody in Carlow is having a go at the pundits for not tipping them to beat Louth.

Because just like Leitrim against Sligo, the form book indicated the minnows had no chance.

It wasn’t a slight, insult or show of disrespect. It was a rating based on results and history.

Yet the players believed they would upset the odds and importantly, they got off to a good start to bolster that belief.

Fear isn’t a factor for youth of course, and Carlow have plenty of the latter.

We can confirm from being at Portlaoise on Sunday that they certainly possess very little of the former. Luke Dempsey named five debutants on Sunday.

Captain Shane Redmond was U21 last year. 20-year-old midfielder Darragh Foley had seen just 34 minutes of senior championship action, being hauled ashore just before half time as Wicklow cruised to a 10-point win over the Barrowsiders last year.

That was a significant motivation for the Kilbride starlet against Louth and he played a massive role in giving Carlow midfield supremacy in the first half.

Foley also kicked two difficult frees before finally hobbling off with cramp seven minutes from time, having emptied himself completely and utterly for the cause.

“We set our stall out three weeks ago in our training camp when we said we had nothing to fear against Louth,” reflected Foley.

“The boys played them two years ago and were only beaten by two points in Parnell Park.

“We knew last year we didn’t perform against Wicklow and we were seen as the whipping boys of Leinster. We said we’d make an effort to show what we were able to do on Sunday and there was massive confidence going into it that we’d be able to turn them over.”

That belief persisted, despite the fact that 14-man Louth had turned a three-point interval deficit into a three-point lead by the end of the third quarter, an advantage they still held in the 62nd minute.

“We said at half-time that every team gets their purple patch and Louth should have been Leinster champions last year so we knew they were going to come back at us, they’re a great side. We just had to steady the tide and we knew with a lad like Brendan Murphy, he always comes good with a few scores for us when we need them.”

Wexford have been accumulating some massive scores in booking their semi-final berth but neither Ciarán Lyng, Ben Brosnan, Wexford nor the prospect of playing in Croke Park have Foley quaking in his boots.

This is a team that has shown it has the courage to win.

“It will be my first time in Croke Park but most of the lads have played there before, a lot of them with the minors, so we won’t fear going up there. We’re in it, we might as well try and win it.”

He knows Carlow will be underdogs again and is relishing the chance to “ruffle a few feathers”.

He was only “a chap” when travelling down to Wexford Park to watch Carlow’s last championship victory over Wicklow in 2006 and wants to give the county’s supporters something more to shout about.

“There’s no point in winning one game and being happy about it and drinking for the week... Carlow people have been starved of a bit of a success over the years.

“The hurlers have shown the way winning the Christy Ring a couple of times. Hopefully Gaelic football will get a boost now because people in our own county were writing us off. It was great to show up a few people.

“If you looked at the scenes (after Sunday’s game), it was like winning an All-Ireland. We’ve had a bit of success underage, playing in a Leinster final in the minor. Last year we faced (subsequent All-Ireland champions) Dublin in the U21 semi-final and lost by a point. We’ve no fear against anyone.”