Anthony Williams: 'This year we really have been driving for the goals'

Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Four goals against Wexford last time out, six against Fermanagh in the league and three more against Cavan.

These are boom times in front of goal for Louth who must be licking their lips at the prospect of playing in spacious Croke Park.

Ger Brennan's side have fired 11 goals in their last three games and 17 in total since the start of the league, an attacking layer that the former Dublin defender has carefully added to an already high functioning strategy devised by Mickey Harte.

"I don't think we've scored this many goals in I don't know how many seasons," said half-back Anthony Williams. "This year we really have been driving for the goals."

Kildare, Louth's Leinster semi-final opponents, hardly need any reminding about the goal threat. When the sides met in Round 7 of the league last month, a goal, fittingly enough, stood between the teams. Ryan Burns scored that one, his second of the season, while the other 15 since the start of Louth's Division 2 campaign were registered by captain Sam Mulroy (6), Ciaran Downey (4), Tom Jackson (2), Ciaran Keenan (1), Peter Lynch (1) and Conor Grimes (1).

Croke Park should suit their style then?

"Certainly, certainly, everyone loves playing in Croke Park," said Williams, who played there in last year's Leinster final. "You have so much more space, so much more opportunity to play, to create one-on-ones.

"But Portlaoise was great as well, against Wexford, I couldn't get over what good nick it was in. As the season goes on, grounds are just going to get better and better so that should suit the type of play we're trying to play this year."

If Louth can grab the goals that propel them to victory, they will qualify for back-to-back Leinster senior finals for the first time since 1958. To think the mood was so gloomy when Harte left last September.

"I think a lot of people probably expected a bit of a decline after Mickey and Gavin Devlin left," said Williams, named again at number six this weekend.

"Mickey and Gavin were over us for three years and set such good structures in place, such a good mentality, and the players have brought that on into this year.

"A new management has come in, added their own style, married it to what we have already been doing over the last few years and it's producing now for us.

"We had a good start to the league, played some good games, let some games slip there in the middle of the league, but now we've started getting our flow back so hopefully we can keep building on that."

Qualifying for a Leinster final would be a giant endorsement of Brennan's management, and the ability of his players.

"It would be unbelievable for Louth," said Williams. "Last year was our first final in 13 years and it was 50 before that. To consecutively be getting to Leinster finals is something we'd love to do, something we'd love to build on from last year."

LOUTH: N McDonnell; D McKenny, D Campbell, P Lynch; C McKeever, A Williams, L Grey; T Durnin, C Murphy; T Jackson, C Keenan, C Grimes; R Burns, S Mulroy, C Downey.

KILDARE: M Donnellan; R Burke, S Ryan, M O'Grady; J Sargent, E Doyle, P McDermott; A Masterson, A Beirne; P Woodgate, N Kelly, S Farrell; K Feely, D Kirwan, D Flynn.

Leinster senior football championship semi-final 

Sunday April 28: Kildare v Louth, Croke Park, 1.45pm  

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork) 

TV: GAAGO