Sam Mulroy front and centre in Louth's impressive goal rush

Sam Mulroy is joint top goalscorer with Con O'Callaghan over the 2024 league and championships while the former have scored more goals than any county other than Dublin.

The reigning champions have scored 27 goals in 2024, Louth bagged 25 in fewer games, while the next highest of the remaining teams in the All-Ireland championship is Derry on 18, followed by Armagh and Louth's opposition this afternoon, Cork on 16.

For a team who finished a point off relegation in Division Two of the league and won only one of their All-Ireland group stage matches in reaching this afternoon's preliminary quarter-finals, their rate of goals scored has been remarkable.

Mulroy has played every minute of Louth's 13 games in 2024 and is the championship's second top scorer

Across their six championship matches Louth have created 23 clear goalscoring chances, just under four per game on average. Scoring 12 of them – just over half. That's two less than Dublin's championship total of 14 goals, five ahead of next best Galway, giving them an impressive average of two goals per game. Which is a rate maintained throughout the season.

For a team who play so largely through the hands Louth are anything but conservative in possession. They attack with intensity and commit large numbers to support and get ahead of the ball carrier into the gaps between the definitive lines.

Ger Brennan has his team attacking the scoring zone hard, often taking a risk with the final pass and breaking lines. All despite the risk of turnovers in such congested areas wherein they invite the press, something which they were heavily punished for against Kerry.

The Wee County come into this encounter off the back of eight goals in their last four games, wherein they faced both of