A long and winding journey, with major highs and plenty of lows, ended at Pairc Tailteann last Sunday week ago. What a pleasure and honour it has been for our management team to be given the opportunity to manage the minor football team and work with a special bunch of lads.
Niall O’Sullivan - the elder - said way back at under-13 level that this group would win a Division 1 minor football championship. We wondered if he was slightly mad or playing mind games with a few of us as there were a few rough days along the way and plenty of learning to be taken.
Players came and went, and came back again, and went again, as they figured out if Gaelic football and our set-up was right for them in a town with a lot of sporting choices.
We had a great time in the second half of our under-13 year when we carried 26 players, all 2005s, split them into two 13 player squads and everyone played every week - full games. With the second team we lost a Division 8 final to Navan, which was played in Navan for some reason. Probably time to let this kind of stuff go. The first team won a Division 2 title, beating Oldcastle by two points in Dunganny in a really tight game, having been relegated that Spring. We had no idea they would come back so hard to put it up to us four years later.
We had some memorable days along the way too, including an under-13 Division 8 Championship final win over St. Colmcilles on the astro at Dunganny, when Michael O’Sullivan and Sam Dunne scored a pile of goals. But other than that we continually lost out to St. Colmcilles in semi-finals. They would then lose out to Seneschalstown in finals, so we had plenty of work to do to develop the squad.
A number of factors came together for this year’s success to happen in Group B warm up league, the League and the Championship. The seven players involved with Meath were exposed to a higher level of football, and the same seven also played a year young in last year’s Division 1 Championship final defeat by St. Colmcilles. Earlier in the year they had helped the club defeat Ratoath in a brilliant Division 1 League final at Dunganny under lights. That level of experience and the training last year, no doubt, helped them.
We also had a raft of lads who played in a very strong minor Division 4 team last year and really came on a bomb. That experience seemed to steel them for this year. This season we also mixed in with the under-16s for the first time, which strengthened our squad considerably and brought real competition for places. That left us with a lot of hard decisions to make, which we literally spent hours debating. Integrating the two squads took a while, but it got better and better as the year went on as the younger lads matured and the players' bonds grew.
We also had great sponsors in the Dowling family and their business JDES.ie Electrical and Security installation, and James Ryan and club chairman Brian Thomas, whom helped with the supply of gear.
Injuries to a lot of players weakened our squad, which in turn hit the second team hard and we had to rely on help from the under-15s, who were very good to us - the players and management - to make sure we were able to field two teams and all the lads got football. Only once this year were we unable to field in a game - yet another encounter with Oldcastle in Oldcastle, where we might have rented a house for the season.
The Division 5 team were playing some very good combination football by the time their Championship campaign ended. Earlier in the year they made a league semi-final, only losing out to Oldcastle - in Oldcastle - due to a couple of own goals in a game they were well in.
We had Jake Dennehy as skipper, who led by example from the start of the year in the eight week block of strength and conditioning, and Andrew Skelton - one of our longest serving players - as vice-captain. Jack Lynch finished the year like a train, playing great stuff, while Cian Quinn was starting to go really well again before a bad tackle in Oldcastle ended his year. Eoin Byrne, Davin Jones and Fionnon Hogan were huge losses to the team, with all three sustaining injuries at inopportune times. They would have formed the spine of the side, while we didn’t have Darragh McCabe all year due to injury.
But there were some great moments for the team, including William Carr’s four points against Dunboyne, the emergence and improvement of Daithi Kinahan in his first year, Tom Beggy’s tenacity in some fine performances and Thomas O’Riordan showing his ability to play in the backs and forwards. Niall O’Sullivan’s kicking and free taking were really good and there were great scores along the way from Callum Thomas, Ben O’Sullivan and Mikey Lematy - all clever operators on the ball.
The second team played in four challenge matches, four Championship games, and 10 league games, so they were involved in a total of 18 matches across the season. It was particularly pleasing to finally win in Oldcastle after taking a hiding and then coming close up there, while there was also a fine victory over Dunboyne and some very good performances against Ballinlough, St. Michael’s/Nobber, who won the Championship, and Curragha/Ardcath.
The Division 1 side lost their opening league game in Group B, up in Oldcastle and from there went unbeaten for the rest of the season. Even that night, they came from 10 points down to only lose by one in the end. All year the team showed great character, coming from four behind at half-time in the Group B final against Oldcastle to win by one with Scott Johnston lifting the cup as we clung on in the six minutes of injury time.
All we were hearing around the town after that one was, ‘We thought you would have won that by more,’ and there were a few little cuts from outside the club about our seven Meath minors. But Oldcastle proved their pedigree time and time again as the year wore on, making the championship semi-finals and giving us some of our hardest games.
In the Division 1 semi-final we were a goal down to Seneschalstown early in the second half, but fought like dogs to edge it on a scoreline of 1-7 to 2-3, although they were still coming strong at the end and we had a couple of late let-offs. We knew we would see them again.
The lads had edged out the same opponents in a group game on their patch 1-8 to 0-9, but both teams were without a lot of county players and Seneschalstown had a couple of long term injuries. Saying that, it was a significant win as we had never managed to get one over ‘the yellow furze’ at any stage of our underage careers, and got a fair few tankings in the early days.
Tom Ryan and Liam Monaghan were really good that evening in a dogged display. The lads never stopped despite a missed penalty and having a goal (rightly) chalked off for a square ball.
In the League final we were 0-9 to 0-2 up against St. Colmcilles and playing some fine football when we got a penalty awarded against us and a red card. Colmcilles got level, but we responded with the next two points - including a Patrick Moran wonder score.
We held out for a fully merited one point win at Ardcath on a brilliant evening for everyone involved with the team, as we made it back to back Division 1 league titles. It really showed the importance of our squad as we went into the game without Zach Thornton and Eoin Kelly, with our captain sustaining a ruptured cruciate knee ligament against Kells in a group game.
There seemed to be a bit of a comedown as we entered the Championship, with a patchy performance against a Gaeil Colmcille side that we have never got anything easy against over the years. We managed a four point win, despite a black card and a 31-11 free count against us, that led to a fair bit of reflection in a number of areas. We only scored 10 times, but three of them were goals, with Zach continuing his season long habit of finding the net.
The defence had almost settled itself by then with Oisin Daly, Conor McNally and Alex McCann picking themselves in the full back line. Conor’s natural defensive instincts and ultra disciplined approach shone through all year, while Alex kept getting better and better. Oisin’s inspirational tackling and hitting became part of the fabric and identity of the team, lifting everyone around him. It was the same in almost every game, around the 50 minute mark the opposition danger man gets the ball, is threatening a goal and bang, bang, bang, turnover. No-one was going to get anything easy off these three boys.
We had the strength to cover Eoin’s loss at half back with Leon Mahon, playing half back for the first time, emerging to have a really fine year, Jack Doran slotting in there and Cian Dowling showing massive determination in training to get into the team. Cian had a massive game in Ratoath on a day we could have exited the Championship. Leon took some great catches and got some key scores including a massive point in the league final when we were struggling. Jack gave us serious punch and energy from half back, winning countless frees for scores with his bravery and ball carrying. He also marked opposition dangermen for the first half of the championship semi-final and final and showed he can score off his left and right.
Aidan Mackey played at centre half back. He was asked to change his natural game and do disciplined marking jobs against the opposition’s key forwards, and he did it very well in the big games, showing a different side to his game that bodes well for the future.
Jack Keenan did a fine job in goals for the first league win, with Daniel Doherty coming in then for the end of the second league and the Championship, and getting better with every game. Jack got the equaliser against Seneschalstown in the League semi-final, a massive score. Daniel, who was working with our goalkeeping coach Keith Ward, had outstanding Championship semi-finals and finals, showing remarkable composure, maturity and willingness to learn for an under-15.
Our midfield settled as Evan O’Kane and Patrick Moran, who were both strong in the air and hard running on the ground. Paddy’s never say die attitude was there for all to see. Evan’s catching in the last 15 minutes of the League final was huge in that win and he showed maturity in doubling down on opposition dangermen and doing his job for the team when the big catches weren’t on.
Ryan Murphy had an interesting year, starting out as a sweeper and then a wing back before moving to wing forward. He showed that a really good player with the right attitude can slot in anywhere. His goal against Ratoath was a great reward for a big year. He enjoyed that one.
Scott Johnston found his home at right half forward, and in our team statistics, compiled by the ever diligent Paul Walton all year, he consistently had the highest number of turnovers - a fair sign of a player. As the year went on he showed a real maturity to his play for a fella who was barely playing over a year, and his two points against Colmcilles in the Championship semi-final were massive. A bit like Oisin, when he tackled you, you stayed tackled.
Zach Thornton was in the goals all year, and so many of them were crucial with his ice cool finishing very important for the team at critical junctures. From the league semi-final onwards he hit five goals in the six games he played. His range of passing is well known, but his free taking got more and more dead eye as the games got bigger, going four out of four in the final, which was crucial in the win.
Adam Doran started the year at 11 and wing forward but found his home on the inside line. His six points against Ratoath in the final group game, which we had to win, were superb. Crucially, Adam gave us another big scoring threat on the inside line.
Michael O’Sullivan saved his best for last, shooting 1-3 in the Championship final, contrary to reports of 1-4, but we will take it. His goal was classic Michael, burning his man to rifle to the net. He got sharper and sharper and showed great patience as the year went on when he was often double marked and had a sweeper in front of him, but didn’t shoot rashly or give the ball away.
Matthew Scanlon was our sweeper, and no better man for the role with his reading of the game, ability on the ball, range of passing and engine to go up the field and score. Three points in the last two games from sweeper was a serious contribution when it really counted.
Our bench was key at various junctures, with Dannan Donnelly - a classy point kicker - grabbing a vital goal in the Kells championship win and Derry Sullivan bringing serious energy and legs every time he came into the fray. Liam Monaghan and Tom Ryan made big contributions to the League win in what was a real squad effort, with Tom’s clever link play and Liam’s driving runs standing out.
The lads had it all to do in the Championship group stages, with two away games out of three.
After edging out Kells we struggled on a Monday night up in Oldcastle, scoring just 3-5, but again, from trailing 0-6 to 0-2 early in the second half, the lads found a way to get over the line. Even after our third goal, Oldcastle, who were very unlucky on the night, hit back with three points to tie up the game before Michael O’Sullivan slotted the winner at the death. One big highlight that night was after picking a ball off the ground, Leon Mahon responded by winning the next kick out, driving on and giving it to Scott Johnston, who fired it in to Michael O’Sullivan for a crucial goal.
There was a lot of pressure on the Ratoath game.
We knew that if we could avoid defeat by more than four points we were in the semi-final, but that brings its own mental challenges for young players, particularly against your neighbours who are eyeing you up. After dominating for 20 minutes we were just 0-4 to 0-0 up, having missed a pile of scores. Ratoath wiped it out in two attacks, hitting 1-1 in two minutes. Our response was emphatic with three points on the bounce, and when Ratoath levelled it again with a goal early in the second half the lads just lifed it to another level, going on to win 1-16 to 2-4 in a super display.
It was St. Colmcilles again in a Championship semi-final - a repeat of last year’s Championship final.
We got another great start where we went 1-4 to 0-1 up but they caused us trouble with their short kickouts. We missed a half goal chance, and they ran it down the other end to win a penalty, which Daniel Doherty saved to give us a two point half-time lead. A Michael O’Sullivan goal from a Zach Thornton pass gave us breathing space, but only after Colmcilles had rattled the crossbar when a goal would have tied up the scores. We got a black card with 12 minutes to go, but the lads really shut up shop with 14 men, showing fine game management skills to close out the game with two Matthew Scanlon points.
Going into the final, six starting players had lost the Division 1 hurling final a week earlier, also at Pairc Tailteann. Seven of the lads had lost the Division 1 Championship final to Colmcilles, also at Navan, a year earlier. We had no interest in sending some of those lads out of underage with three championship final defeats to carry with them.
Again, we got off to a flying start, going 0-5 to 0-0 up, and when Michael got a goal early in the second half we had a nine point lead. From there the lads managed the game out well, although they did go 20 minutes without a score.
This group of lads had never won a Division 1 title at underage level until this year - or even made a final - so it is a testimony to their hard work that they were able to make up that ground. It was just pain, pain, pain at the hands of Colmcilles and Seneschalstown for years. This year we played them three times each and recorded six wins, a real sign of our lads' consistency and determination to turn it around.
Some of the lads have won 32 out of 34 games with the club minor team in the last two years in League and Championship. They have been serious ambassadors for the club with several referees commenting on their manners and behaviour, which is a credit to their families and themselves. With 20 wins on the bounce in League and Championship - and three challenge game victories - the Division 1 team held their nerve when the pressure came on and got what we all felt they deserved.
We had three great captains in Scott, Eoin and Oisin, and even after his injury while on crutches Eoin stayed upbeat and heavily involved, doing the last minute team talk before every game and revving up the lads with his passion and drive. They knew how much he would have loved to be out there and it seemed to really inspire them.
A lot of credit also goes down to the diligence and hard work of the coaching team, headed up by Vinny Carton, and featuring Martin Lynch, Niall O’Sullivan, Stephen Doran, Keith Ward and Shane Melia, with Paul Walton’s live and after game stats invaluable.
It was a very enjoyable year, if slightly pressured at times, and a real pleasure for us to work with all the players.
We wish them well in whatever they do in the future in life and in football. Thank you.
(Post note : A special thank you must go to Karl O' Kane for his hours of on and off the field planning, preparation and attention to detail over the years, he's not half bad at the match reports either.
