On a cool and almost windless Sunday evening in Moylough this much anticipated Quarter final went ahead before a large crowd.This was a unique setting for such a game,being next door to Ballinlough as it is and the local GAA Club had pulled out all the stops to ensure quick admittance to the grounds for the many travelling patrons.
The surface was good and the pitch is damnable tight.
Dunderry and Ballinlough are similar in every way.Both are rural clubs to which emigration has not been kind.Huge efforts go into promoting the game and keeping the Clubs afloat.Both have their share of fanatical and critical supporters.Both promote the dual games of hurling and football ,albeit Kilskyre seperately represents this corner of North Meath in the hurling stakes.
The inter club rivalry is intense and both are hovering betwixt Senior and Intermediate in recent decades.
In 2005,when I managed Dunderry ,we were consigned to Intermediate status after a playoff involving Ballonlough,where we have lingered since, despite making the playoffs most years since.Ballinlough followed suit shortly afterwards.Very few rural clubs survive for any length of time at Senior level.
Worryingly we have drifted down the Divisions in underage football.A dozen years ago or so we were competing in the top divisions.More recently we hover nearer the bottom of the pile.Ballinlough .I understand are even worse off having to amalgamate with others to field.
We would see who coped best with these altered circumstances today.
Last year for a variety of reasons eight players from our panel retired.Stephen O Rourke and his co selectors were brave men to take on the job in theses circumstances and surprised many by arriving at this stage unbeaten.
The emigration of John Kelliher , the unavailability of Davy Mac Cormack and Damian Clarke through injury during the latter part of the campier and the sojourn of Stephen to the USA for the summer must have had a negative impact on preparation.
Only Jennings ,Davy Mac,Finn,Harte,Swiss and Bob Doc remained from the 2005 team.
All answered the call to keep at it for another year to try and keep the flag flying,despite aching bodies and playing in unfamiliar positions ,after up to 16 years labouring in the vineyard without success.
True albumen one and all.
Team.
Jennings
A.Newman (C) S.Harte Davy Mac Cormack.
C.O.Shea Finn Stephens C.Dempsey
Bomber Farrell Lukie Martyn
A.Watters, Ted Dowd Simon Carty
Bob Doc P:Kenneally S,Coogan ,
From the very start Ballinlough laid out their stall,They kept 13 men the goal side of the ball thus making space at a premium in an already tight pitch. They stuck rigidly to this plan right to the end ,keeping possession as long as possible and releasing the ball only to the forlorn figures in the forward line when on the break.
Our boys tried to counter this by playing wide.
It was down to a game of good ball handling and making good use of the few shooting chances that came the way of each team.
We were off the mark for the first two points but lost our nerve and they registered the next four in succession.
Worryingly Paddy Kennelly .who is our major scorer all summer by a country mile ,was missing scores he would normally put over in his sleep. It was not as though he was crowded out of it ,but at twenty tender years of age there is huge expectation on his young shoulders and the day we all dreaded ,when he would have an off day, had arrived. Truth to tell his scores got us this far in the first place,
And he was not alone in this.We kinda panicked ,even at this early stage.The dismissal of young Dempsey on a black card had an unsettling effect ,even if his replacement Swiss went on to have a fine game ,
We rallied somewhat in the closing minutes of the half outscoring them by two points to one leaving the score at the half time score 0-5 to 0-4 in their favour.
Any ones game I thought and we would surely improve on the shooting front in the second half.
Even at that stage it seemed clear that the first team to get a goal would win on balance,
Our a shooting improved ,but only marginally thereafter and we registered a further seven points in the half but missed a good deal .Coogan took over the free taking duties with immediate effect and more success and made his mark.
They kept to their game plan and plugged away getting 8 scores to our seven but crucially one of theirs was a goal half way during the half.
The selectors then threw the kitchen sink at it replacing the two midfielders,Watters and Bob with Liam Dempsey,Colm Harte,Marty Garry , Mark Kane and J.P.Kenneally and while we did get within a couple of points in the final minutes we just were not sharps enough to catch up.
They won on the scoreline of 1-12 to 0-11.
Yes sir.The goal done for us.
That and 14 wides and 7 shots into the goalkeeper's g hands.
Men of the game to me were Jennings,Davy Mac,Finn,O Shea,Swiss ,Coogan and P Kennneally.
The older guys were the best and they must stay on and give it one more try at least,however disappointed they are momentarily.
The potential of the younger guys has yet to be realised and one hopes they have the requisite dedication and perseverance to do the hard work necessary to achieve it,
Given the lower divisions in which they laboured at underage they are great to be as good as they are actually.
It goes without saying that Stephen and crew ought stay on for one more year at least.
Unlike in 2005 there will be no one abusing them orally nor organising coups to get rid of them.
Yep this elephant does not forget.Wherever about forgiving .
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