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22 // Ladies Gaelic Football Association JUNIOR PLAYER'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR PEIL Winter | Issue No 4 | Volume 14 By DECLAN ROONEY ne date that is drilled into the brains of Louth footballers is 2 February 2019, their opening Lidl Division 4 game of the season, and also an immediate chance for them to avenge September's defeat to Limerick in the TG4 All-Ireland Junior final. It was a heart-wrenching loss for Louth and their captain Kate Flood, as Limerick's goal rush saw them romp to victory in a game that Louth had held their own in. Finishing 2018 as the TG4 Junior Players' Player of the Year, as voted by her peers, was some solace for the St Patrick's clubwoman, but there is also more than a hint of what could have been. "There is no point dwelling on the result, and unfortunately Limerick were definitely the better side on the day. We made a lot of mistakes in the final and we want to immediate aim for 2019, and Flood says she cannot wait for competitive football to start again. "We're back training for a few weeks already, there hasn't been too much time off. All the girls that were with us this year have stayed on and we've added a few new faces too. "We're all delighted Darren is back in, he knows what we're about and he is expecting big things for 2019. "The aim is to get out of Division 4, as it was this year. Getting to the League final was a big thing for us and we want to go one better and win it next year. But it won't be easy." Despite losing the League, Leinster and All-Ireland finals, Flood was named as the TG4 Junior Players' Player of the year, true recognition for the role she played in the Wee County's season. She was thrilled to win, but dedicated it to her Louth teammates, whom she says deserve the accolade. "It was amazing to win – I actually couldn't believe the fact that I did win it. But I'm just a member of the Louth team, I'm no bigger than anyone on the team. "It was only for the girls that I played with this year that I got the opportunity to win that trophy. They are a great bunch of girls and we push each other on. They are part of it as well." Flood rewarded for Top Performances "They scored three quick goals and it took the wind out of our sails completely. It's hard to come back from one goal, not to mind two or three O work on them for next year and see how we get on," said 28-year-old Flood. "They scored three quick goals and it took the wind out of our sails completely. It's hard to come back from one goal, not to mind two or three. We had a good year, we got to the League final for the first time in 14 years, we were in the Leinster Final and the All-Ireland Final. It just comes down to the performance on the day, which wasn't enough. "It will be interesting playing Limerick again in February, we're looking forward to that one." In recent weeks Daren Bishop has been ratified as Louth Ladies manager for 2019, a position he inherited midway through the season following the untimely death of former manager Mícheál McKeown in June. It was an awful few days and weeks for the McKeown family and the Louth footballers, but Flood is happy that they achieved his big dream of returning to Croke Park. "At the start of the year Mícheál said he wanted us to get to Croke Park. It was great to get there and unfortunately he wasn't there on the day, but just getting there for him and his wife Mary was a very emotional day for us all. But at the end of it I think we did him proud anyway." After losing to Wicklow in the Lidl League Division 4 final in 2018, promotion from the bottom tier is the