Out of Lough
November 27, 2011The men in black and amber trouped off Kingspan/Breffni Park with a weary bafflement sketched across their faces.
Gaels in the greater Kilnaleck area had just been left stunned by Drumgoon at headquarters. The 2011 IFC final wasn't supposed to end like this.
It had been envisaged by so many within the 'lough that the IFC would be the competition that would propel the club back to what the locals would see as their rightful, spiritual home.
The 2011 IFC would be the conduit to a return to the top table and the beginning of a Crosserlough renaissance.
For most club members, those expectations seemed far from excessive. There was no question of self-delusion in the ranks.
Outgoing club Chairperson Anna McCabe admits though that she's wasn't initially as cock-sure about the club's likely fortunes in the championship as some of her colleagues.
"We had a very positive year, from the beginning to the end because the lads had regrouped well after going down to intermediate and having a new manager (former Gowna and Cavan star Bernard Morris) at the helm," Anna explains.
"The training kicked off in February and the players were enjoying the training but my gut feeling at the start of the year was that we'd struggle to get out of intermediate ranks simply because I didn't think we were good enough.
"But after a few months and after a few wins in the league, I began to get the feeling that we were good enough to pull it off, especially after our terrific performance in the semi-final. I thought we had a team that was at least as good as any of the other teams at intermediate level."
Crosserlough sported a very young team in 2011 but they carried with them a major responsibility to get the one-time, long-time county senior championship kingpins back in the fast lane.
The spectre of relegation from the senior ranks had been hanging over Crosserlough for a few years prior to their descent through the trap door in '10.
In 2009, the 'lough survived a relegation play-off against Ballinagh only to lose out in the 2010 equivalent tie to Killygarry.
A few lapses in the early rounds of division two of the All County Football League hinted at a degree of frailty and a nervousness in the camp.
Of their defeats in the league in 2011, quite a number were by very small margins with setbacks against the likes of Shannon Gaels and Killinkere among them.
And yet, a lot of pundits still fingered Crosserlough as possible 2011 IFC winners from a long way out. Tradition still counts for a lot in GAA parlance.
Crosserlough met their would-be IFC final opponents Drumgoon in the league in early September in Kilnaleck and won by a handful of points.
Anna isn't sure whether that win was a positive or a negative thing for Crosserlough in the light of the return game just a few weeks later.
"I don't think, in hindsight, that our win in the league over them made any difference to what happened in the championship final but I wasn't surprised, knowing what they were like, that Drumgoon reached the final of the championship.
"Having said that, I saw them (Drumgoon) play Killeshandra and I thought they were lucky to get something out of the match."
The final pitted Crosserlough against a very experienced Drumgoon side with a number of players who had helped their club annex the IFC title in 2002.
So what does she think went wrong in the championship decider? Did Crosserlough's inferior experience let them down?
"I just think the day got to the younger lads on the team and, yeh, that wee bit of inexperience on our behalf did probably work against us too.
"We could have at least got a draw and I thought that we were going to get another bite of the cherry because of all the possession we had in the last 10 minutes and all the pressure we were putting on their defence.
"We did have three good scoring opportunities near the end but they weren't taken. Losing out in the final was a hard pill to swallow."
If Crosserlough gaels were left as sour as curdled cream, then it was completely understandable, particularly after their favourites' semi-final form.
A palpable sense of expectation had been generated in and around Crosserlough GAA circles by dint of the team's 5-7 to 2-9 win over Ballyhaise.
The team's success in notching 3-1 in an eight minute spell immediately after half-time - at which stage Crosserlough led by 1-4 to 1-3 - engineered the springboard which propelled Crosserlough over the line.
"The lads played some really great football at times against Ballyhaise and I think on that sort of form, they would have beaten any team," says Anna who served as Secretary of Cavan County Board's Bord na nOg for a 13 year period.
With crystal ball in hand, Anna looks ahead to 2012 and hopes that the 'lough "will get the break that could help us win the (intermediate) championship."
"I think the lads will have learned a lot from this year's experience and hopefully we'll not be hit any more by emigration."
Delighted by the Breffni county's provincial-title winning exploits at minor and under 21 level in 2011, Anna is hopeful that that twin success will spawn a new confidence, a new sense of self-belief, county-wide.
"It'll be tough going next year for the (county) seniors because Donegal football is on a high now but we'll hope for the best."
Unlike the Breffni county, Crosserlough GFC is wont to make an impression at every level in any given year and 2011 was no exception in that respect.
The club's under 12 were their usual competitive selves in the stated non-competitive environment. Anna hopes that the competitive element to under 12s that existed heretofore returns:
"I'm not a fan of the rule that under 12 should be non-competitive. I'm not sure where the rule has originated from but I don't think it serves the most useful purpose and I'd like to see it done away with for next year."
Anna's summary of Crosserlough's innings at the different age levels is predictably upbeat and positive but fairly reflective nonetheless of the underage talent that's currently at the club's disposal.
"Our under 13s are particularly strong, winning the division one title at the end of August by beating Ramor United in the final after getting past the challenge of Cavan Gaels in the semi-final.
"We've a good little team at under 14 level as well. They were unlucky to get pipped at the post in their semi-final match with Castlerahan and the same in the championship semi-final against Castletara.
"The under 16s showed a lot of potential too but lost out to Ramor in the semi-final but they're a team that looks like they'll go places in the future.
"Our minors are a talented group as well as they showed in getting to the minor league final. Unfortunately they were beaten on the day by Kingscourt.
"Overall we have to be very pleased this year with every age group from the youngest age group right up to the seniors.
"Any year you get to a few finals - even if you lose them - represents progress."
Progress was also made in 2011 with Anna enthusing about how Crosserlough's camogs with the club's under 14 troupe representing Ulster in the All-Ireland Feile competition in Galway last June.
As a niece of the late Tom Dowd, it gave Anna particular satisfaction to witness the club's under 14 and under 16 successes in the ladies' football arena.
All told, Crosserlough gaels - across all spheres - can hold their heads up high as they sit down to forensically analyse 2011. Tweet
