In a championship of unexpected results, how surprised should we be by Louth reaching an All-Ireland semi-final? I can’t say I’m massively shocked, certainly not any more than I am by Mayo being there.Louth are not some bolt from the blue. They’re deservedly here and have some serious quality: Ciarán Downey, their All Stars Craig Lennon, Sam Mulroy, and younger guys like Dara McDonell and James Maguire.They have also built their challenge in recent years, from the county’s first quarter-final to winning a Leinster final in Croke Park and now being in the last four of the All-Ireland. Like the other semi-finalists, they have had one poor performance – against Dublin, since avenged – but have been otherwise impressive.Along the way, they have beaten both of the finalists in Ulster, the most competitive provincial championship, and Dublin, who are in this year’s other semi-final. They also have an impressive array of fine young players from a thriving under-age programme. It’s a fair old record. I was working with the BBC at Louth’s league match against Derry in Ardee last March. A rejuvenated Derry were fancied to go ahead and win, heading for Division 1. They had got over a bad start to the year, losing to Meath, and after that, had put together an impressive run. If they were to beat Louth, they would have gone top of the table.Instead, Louth set out their stall. They set up just how they wanted to, managing a strong wind brilliantly. Derry couldn’t cope and went on to miss out on promotion. We went there to see Derry but ended up thinking there was something brewing with Gavin Devlin’s team.Right from the get-go that day, Louth played with the wind and defended by setting up a block Derry couldn’t penetrate. This forced them to weigh up kicking options, which were very difficult, into the wind. They stuck to the plan and had a decent half-time lead.Louth manager Gavin Devlin with Sam Mulroy after beating Monaghan. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho In the second half, when Derry had the wind, Louth managed the game by keeping possession and running the ball. Tadhg McDonell, for example, was excellent that day and they were able to mix it up.They could go either way – a couple of really good long-range scores in the first half when they had the wind, and holding on to the ball after half-time.Gavin Devlin certainly hasn’t come out of nowhere. Having played on the first Tyrone team to lift Sam Maguire, after retirement he went into coaching clubs and in 2013 joined his former mentor Mickey Harte as a coach.We played Tyrone a lot in those days and it was a fierce rivalry, but you could see how well he and Mickey worked together. As a combination, they went to Louth and Derry before he was appointed to oversee the development of footballers in Louth.He could be hot-headed, which got him into trouble the odd time, but anywhere he went, players spoke very highly of his coaching ability. Louth are now benefiting from that.I have to say that I thought Monaghan would beat them in the quarter-final, but I wouldn’t have bet the house on it, and when Rory Beggan and Karl Gallagher were ruled out, I knew their team would struggle.Louth's Niall McDonnell celebrates after the final whistle in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho If you ask me the most impressive aspect of Louth’s win two weeks ago, I would say it was their bravery after being reduced to 14 men with the match hardly started.They had every chance to opt for damage limitation. When Seán Callaghan got the red card in the eighth minute, their task looked impossible. Four down and now a man short for over an hour, there must have been the temptation to play a containment game and hope for the best.Instead, Louth regrouped and almost unbelievably – since, under the new rules, being a man down in Croke Park for that long is nearly a guarantee of defeat – decided to go after Monaghan. In the end, it was hard to know which was the depleted team.The loss of Beggan affected Monaghan’s ability to retain the ball. Jamie Mooney played well in goal, but nobody has Rory’s range. Louth were able to push right up and stop the short kick-outs guaranteeing possession.They have a height and size advantage all around the middle, big guys who are also good footballers, so when they put a 3-4-4 press across the field – four across the back, four in the middle and three up top – it meant the squeeze on Monaghan’s kickout was basically inside the 65m line.Louth's Ciaran Downey is tackled by Monaghan's Ryan Wylie during the All-Ireland quarter-final. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho They couldn’t have done that as readily if Beggan played and Monaghan were able to launch kickouts over the press. But Louth could see blood in the water and played the game that was in front of them, managing it really well. That was the impressive thing.They have every chance on Saturday.The semi-finals shape up as Kerry and three others. Once again, Jack O’Connor has been able to bring his best team to Croke Park.Although Dublin have come on a lot in the past three weeks, with Ger Brennan’s return to the sideline making a big difference, unless they can eliminate all inconsistencies both at the back – where, to be fair, there has been improvement – and in their conversion rate up front, they won’t be stopping Kerry.