Their championship exit left them feeling sourer than curdled cream but Drumlane's young guns knew they had more ammunition in their locker.
Even with a couple of injuries threatening to hamstring their bid to beat the best in the race for the championship title, Drumlane looked up for it.
Suffused with the sort of ambition that makes for a manager's delight, the Sons of O'Connell were determined to win the U13 Roinn C League.
"The lads showed a lot of character and will-to-win to come back from the championship (set-back) and win the league," Vincent Connolly enthuses.
Drumlane's joint team-manager has nothing but praise for his charges and is wont to talk up the unity and spirit within the winning camp.
"There were no stars on the team," he insists. "The win over Denn in the final was all about the team and the way the players fought for each other.
"They're a very well motivated bunch of lads and easy to manage which counts for a lot. I was confident that they'd deliver in 2009."
For his part, John O'Dowd - joint team-manager with the aforementioned Connolly - is no less upbeat about the potential shown by the hoops in '09.
"They showed ambition alright but they also showed a lot of ability to go with it and that augurs well for them going forward and for the club too.
"The lads faced a potential banana skin in the first round against Dernacrieve Gaels. We knew they would be strong and it had a local derby ring to it.
"But the players really rolled up their sleeves in Milltown that day and probably played their best football of the year in winning that game."
In truth, Drumlane's underage talent was well showcased in 2009 with the club's under 14s only being ousted at the final stage of the Roinn B League by eventual winners Templeport.
"We were only able to field our full-strength under fourteen team twice all year," Vincent explains.
Vincent says the hoops' plan is to secure silverware at under 14 level in 2010 and so complement the silverware garnered at under 12 (2008) and under 13 (2009).
And given the experience and infusion of confidence reaped from the U13 success in the past year, who would bet against county honours winding their way Drumlane's way at under 14 level in the coming year.
"The 2009 under thirteens aren't the biggest in the world but they never bowed down when the physical challenges had to be faced down," says Vincent.
"They have a lot going for themselves; we have known that from the time we had them from the time they were under eights."
And their performance in the 2009 final?
"I'd say Denn fancied their chances going into the final and we knew we were in for a very tough game.
"Cuchullains ran us close in the semi-final and Denn had beaten them with a bit to spare so it was always going to be a close run thing in the final.
"It was a nip and tuck first half but we hung in there and pulled away with five minutes gone in the second half."
Reflecting on the county decider against Denn, mentor O'Dowd fingered Philip King's early second quarter goal - which propelled the west Cavan crew into a 1-3 to 0-2 lead - as key to Drumlane's winning surge.
"Philip's goal was a great boost to the team; it was a vital score which gave the team the momentum to go on and win the game," says John.
"We expected them to come strongly at us after that and it was a good final but the team went from strength to strength after the Dernacrieve Gaels game and I didn't think they weren't going to let the chance slip at the final hurdle."
As things panned out in the final against Denn, the stylish and well-drilled Drumlane side showed immense promise at Kingspan/Breffni Park in scooping the U13 Roinn C League title with a meritorious 3-11 to 1-10 victory over the never-say-die Crosskeys-based side.
Played in front of a large and appreciative audience, it was a final full to the brim with youthful exhuberance, honest endeavour and a hefty dose of top-drawer football.
However having lost the U14 Roinn B Championship final six days previous, there was a steely determination displayed by the Sons of O'Connell which mirrored every aspect of their bid for the title.
For their part, Denn swam against an ever-increasing tide but never lost heart or faith in their ability to make their opponents earn the spoils.
After a tentative opening 12 minutes during which time the west Cavan side opened up a 0-3 to 0-1 lead, the sides gradually got on top of their early nerves and lack of assuredness to play an expansive and open game.
Drumlane got a major filip in the 16th minute despite great work by Denn 'keeper Mark Fagan who did brillantly to initially block Seamus King's close range shot.
Young Fagan had no chance though with Philip King's follow-up shot which sailed all the way to the net to leave Denn facing into a 0-2 to 1-3 deficit.
Six minutes later, Denn had two chances of netting themselves but in the first instance the impressive Ben Conaty had his shot blocked by the equally vigourous Declan Lunny.
Then Michael Keogan's fisted effort was cleared off the line just 90 seconds later as the pace of the game remained at a high-tempo.
>From there to the climax of the first half, the game panned out to be a veritable nip and tuck affair with one team and then the other bringing the umpires into play while hoovering up dangerous spillages at the back also.
Three points were rattled in as many minutes as the first half came to a close with Drumlane speedster Seamus King pointing - after chasing down a lost cause - plus Denn's Micheal Gaffney and team-mate Cavell Keogan also notching hard-earned points.
Denn started the second half on the frontfoot but a brillant save by Sean Smith in the Drumlane goal prevented the maroon and whites from snatching the goal that they required to wipe out their opponents' advantage.
Denn's Thomas Edward Donohoe did point (31st min) moments before netminder Smith's heroics but, tragically for them, it took them a further 17 minutes before they added to their tally.
In between times, Drumlane put on a sterling show of fluid and, at times, classy football with the spine of their team particularly adept at finding their players with accurate foot passing and, in addition, finding space for themselves before invariably finding the target.
As things panned out, Drumlane steadily put clear water between themselves and their opponents with a hat-trick of points from workaholic Philip King between the 39th and 41st minutes really helping to put Denn under the cosh.
To their credit, Denn continued to nip at the heels of their extremely mobile and energetic opponents.
In the space of two minutes either side of the three-quarter hour mark Denn engineered two goal chances but a great block by Declan Burns from young Conaty's drive and a great save from the aforementioned Smith in the goal (from Conor Smyth's drive) kept Drumlane's goal in tact.
Denn's Michael Keogan and Ben Conaty (free) did give their side a glimmer of hope but when James Dolan swivelled and found the net with aplomb in the 51st minute the game was up for Denn.
Denn fought to the bitter end and a goal did at least keep the Drumlane dynamos honest 'till the long whistle.
Denn's last-gasp major had the word consolation stamped all over it though, leaving a proud Drumlane captain Ciaran Seagrave to receive the cup at the final whistle on behalf of what was truly a very, very good team.

Drumlane (v Denn): 2009 Roinn C League final;
Sean Smith; Declan Burns, Declan Lunney; Cian Maguire, Donal Monahan, Ciaran Seagrave; James Dolan (1-1), Philip King (1-4); Killian McKiernan (0-1), Ryan Connolly (1-4), Conor Connolly; Luke Longair, Seamus King (0-1).
Subs used; Jason Burns; Brandon Kaye; Killian Tubman. Tweet

Most Read Stories