Reds far from blue
November 27, 2011Around Cornafean, they say Seamus Doyle is a safe pair of hands. The yearbook will be right up his street. A lord to the manor born, local gaels concur.
There'll be no 'me fein' soliloquys and his encyclopedic knowledge plus his outstanding recall will keep a body right on how the battles raged and how the war was won or lost during the past year.
Doyle is the archetypal doer among the GAA's grass roots. Maybe that's why the finger is pointed in his direction by his peers in Cornafean.
In 2011 - like he has done for the past decade - he acted out the role of one of the engines behind the Reds' drive for underage success.
The past year was another good one for the small but ambitious rural outfit despite the fact that they lost out in their under 14 county final to Lavey.
That was the day when, Doyle remembers, the young Reds had "twelve one-on-ones and instead of taking their points went for goals instead."
To counter that disappointment, the under 14s landed the 2011 Roinn D Championship title with a thrilling 4-13 to 3-15 win over Mountnugent.
The team, and sub, that lined out that day was: Daniel Cullivan; Brian Sheridan, Shane Doyle; Eamon Brady, James McGahern (1-7), Aodhagan Smith; John Martin, Jason Miney (0-1); Shane Corless (0-1), Conor Sheridan (2-0), Ryan Kiernan; Stephen Woods, James Cartwright (1-1). Sub. Christopher Smith.
"We're lucky in that we've a group of players around at the minute who are very good and who look to be good prospects," our man Doyle explains.
"Of our under 14 team this year, about nine of them were under 13 so that's a good sign for next year too but you can take nothing for granted.
"In fairness the present bunch are as good as I've seen in the club at that age over the past ten years and we'd be hoping that they'll get even better.
"They're very comfortable on the ball and three or four of them would be very good at kicking with both feet which is a great bonus for a team."
Doyle is wont to deflect any kudos fired his way. He has a clear understanding of how little a coach can do if other pieces in the jigsaw are missing.
He maintains a lot of the better players' talent is innate with their skills being honed at home and at school to supplement the club's morning sessions.
Corlis, Cornea, Farnham and Ballinagh national schools are a home from home for Cornafean's youngsters with the last-named being the envy of many another club as it boasts principal George Cartwright (former county board chairman) and well-known former club and county footballers Brian Doyle (Seamus's brother) and Seamus Lynch (Killygarry) on its staff.
After another rollercoaster year for Cornafean's underage section, Doyle talks up his charges at the drop of a hat. They let nobody down.
"They can all be happy and proud of the effort they put in all year but I wasn't surprised by the commitment they showed all year.
"They're a good bunch and are very keen to learn and improve. Each of them are willing to put the team first and themselves second which isn't always the case with underage teams and even county teams!"
The nature of underage football over the years has changed since Seamus Doyle first helped his son Barry's (now 19) under 10 team let loose.
The game has evolved and changed at every level over the course of the noughties with the 'one solo run, one hop' rule, for instance, in vogue now.
"Sometimes you think it's a good rule and then other times, you'd like if it wasn't in the (rule) book but it depends on what type of players you have.
"I think we'd have done even better at under 14 level this year without the rule in place but, overall, I think juvenile football is better with the rule.
"It's not very encouraging for a youngster to play in a game where one of his team-mates or someone on the other team is dominating the game.
"I've been to club matches in the county where there's a 'me, myself and I' attitude by some players where the ball isn't moved on quickly enough."
Cornafean's underage coaches are determined to coach their up and coming club stars in the right manner; titles would be an added bonus.
The Reds are doing their best but the results have admittedly been mixed. The club has lost three underage finals in the last 13 months.
Back-to-back under 14 Roinn D league finals have come to nought thanks to the party-poopers from Mullahoran (2010) and Lavey (2011).
The fact though that Cornafean are mixing it some of the top division one senior clubs like Mullahoran and Lavey bodes well for the Reds.
"It was a pity what happened in those (losing) finals 'cause the lads didn't play to their potential in any of them," Doyle opines.
"We've been having some trouble over the last few years getting the players to play the way we know they can play. Maybe they're in awe of Breffni.
"It's not as if the team lacks experience because several of the players were just 10 when they were on a team that won the under 13 title.
"Two years ago, most of them were on the under 12 team that won the Roinn E title so they shouldn't be nervous when they go to Breffni."
Despite the regularity of the ups and downs experienced by the club's young guns, the long-time Cornafean coach reckons the bulk of the current underage troupe "will stick with it."
Doyle admits he isn't enamoured by the Go-Games concept, finding it more difficult to motivate the players for that type of outing as distinct from the traditional championship/league format where medals dangle tantalisingly in front of the runners and riders.
"I know winning isn't everything but the youngsters like to compete for something tangible and want to know that there's some end-product for their efforts.
"I find that the lads get fed up with so many non-competitive games and while the blitzes are all well and good, I think there should be some competitive football for the under 12s as well."
Reflecting on the quality of underage football in Cavan these days, Seamus believes that the oaching afforded youngsters at every club is "40 times better than it was a dozen or so more years ago."
For all the improved coaching evident around the county, Seamus reckons the standard of football in the ACFL and various championships is quite poor.
He's firmly of the view that football fans in Cavan ought not to get carried away by the twin successes achieved at minor and under 21 levels in 2011.
"That was our first Ulster minor championship in almost 40 years and only the second under 21 in 20 years so we have to get things in perspective.
"For all the effort that has been put into development squads and all the money that has been invested, I think we should be winning Ulster titles more often than we have been."
Of course, Cornafean's days in the winner's enclosure in the championship arena have been mostly conspicuous by their absence over the past 50 years and Seamus readily admits that.
2011 failed to produce an upturn in the Reds' fortunes in that respect either with defeats to Arva and Shercock helping to cement the club's days in the semi-wilderness.
"The ironic thing about our club is that we've lost practically none of our players (to emmigration) whereas Lacken, for instance, must have lost at least a handful because of the recession.
"I think our players have to look at ourselves at senior level and put in that bit more of a commitment because if they do that, I think they have the potential to do something in the near future.
"A lot of the current seniors are still under 25 and that's a big positive going forward but it can be hard for a management team to get the players to believe in themselves because of the lack of success there's been in the league and championships.
"They showed what they are capable of by beating Drumgoon in the league - a couple of weeks before the championship - so they should take heart from that result.
"There's a lot of work being done by coaches at every level of the club but we've a very small catchment area, sharing the same parish as Killeshandra and Arva."
So what's his opinion of amalgamations then?
"They're not ideal and I'm sure every club if they're honest would want to field a team on their own but I'm a firm believer that every lad should get a chance to play football and amalgamations are definitely no harm for the championship.
Cornafean U13 girls claim first title
Cornafean ladies achieved their first underage football title ever this year in Kilnaleck , defeating a gallant Killinkere team in the league final on a scoreline of 5-2 to 3-3.
In a game of open football, great effort and endeavour on both teams parts and missed chances mixed with some fine scores this game kept the crowd on the edge of their seats until the very end. Cornafean started well and had an early goal from Megan Johnston and a point from Amy Wharton. Killinkere hit back with a goal and it was at this stage Killinkere began imposing themselves on the game but some poor shooting would cost them dearly. The reds full back line of Shauna McCaffrey and Roisin Barry and the never say die attitude of Amy Wharton in the middle kept Cornafean in the game when Killinkere threatened to overrun them. Half time: Cornafean 1-1 Killinkere 1-0.
On the restart it was all the east Cavan team again with the quick points but Cornafean kept in touch with a lucky deflected goal from an Amy Wharton shot .Killinkere imposed themselves on proceedings again and their physical superiority seemed to be telling when they banged in two quick goals and went five points clear with less than 10 minutes left on the clock.
A well struck penalty from Amy Wharton kept Cornafean in touch after Amy O'Reilly was fouled. With some positional switches from the Cornafean management team and the never say die attitude of the girls they set about reducing the deficit by going all out for the last few minutes and were justly rewarded when Deirbhile McCaffrey scored two great goals in quick succession to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. A final point from Captain Amy Wharton saw the reds win and send the Cornafean supporters' home happy. Tweet
