Time to regroup
November 27, 2011All in all, 2011 may have been a year to forget for the depleted senior footballers of Lacken, but it was also one in which promising success came elsewhere for the club at Under 14 level and in the camogie code, meaning that their overall season was far from a write-off
On the senior football front though, the losses of key players to emigration and a change of management midway through their season meant didn't help Lacken's cause and in the end they would struggle in both league and championship, suffering relegation in the latter.
"We had Declan Rowley over us at the start of the year and he had Joe Sorohan, Tony Smith and Oliver Brady in with him, but by August it was just Oliver and Joe that were over the team," explained Danny Brady, who has been the club's devoted PRO for the past 12 years.
"We lost Raymond Galligan and Johnny Sheridan to Australia and if you'd have seen any of Lacken's games last year you would know that they were two huge losses to us. We also had Niall McKiernan, who was on the Cavan Under 21 panel, go to America during the summer as well and Terry Hyland was out all year with a bad shoulder injury. So between emigration, injuries and a couple of badly-timed suspensions we were always missing a good few off the team. In fact, there were a couple of occasions where we would be missing around six or seven of our regulars."
Despite the losses of key personnel, Lacken would have to solider on and try and make a strong impression in Division One of the All County Football League once the campaign commenced at the end of March.
The start for Rowley's side was far from simple, with a visit to defending champions Cavan Gaels ending in a 3-12 to 0-11 defeat at Terry Coyle Park. The next two games, however, would see Lacken score vital wins over Cuchullains (1-10 to 1-8) and Killeshandra (2-12 to 1-11) to make their way up the league table. Draws with Killygarry (3-8 to 4-5) and SFC champions Kingscourt (0-13 to 2-7) maintained a four-match unbeaten run, before defeats to Drumlane (1-7 to 0-7), Lavey (3-8 to 1-9) and league-leaders Redhills (1-15 to 1-10) followed.
Keen to avoid four defeats on the bounce, which would have undone all their good work during April and May, Lacken made the short trip to neighbours Mullahoran and came away with a 2-9 to 1-10 win after a sterling performance at Our Lady of Lourdes Park, where they put forth one of the best displays of their season.
A rousing 3-12 to 3-7 win over Ramor at Crowe Park would further raise spirits, but unfortunately the form would dip Rowley's men approaching the championship as defeats to Gowna (2-13 to 0-7), Ballyhaise (2-14 to 1-5) and Ballinagh (2-10 to 1-8) would leave them having to be concerned with relegation before their SFC campaign got underway at the end of July.
"We got off to a decent enough start in the league and just came into a bad run of form, but then we beat Mullahoran and drew with Kingscourt afterwards so it was hard to know where we were in a way," said Brady.
"In the end we just about survived after beating a weakened Castlerahan team. They were in a county final by that stage and didn't want to risk too many of their players and we ended up winning the game by 21 points on the last day which was enough to keep us safe."
While league relegation was still a worry, Lacken's focus was solely on the senior championship come the latter weeks in July as they entered into a group with Cavan Gaels, Ramor and neighbours Ballinagh.
Once again, Lacken would be given a tough start against a team keen to make up for the previous year's disappointment in the championship.
"The first game was an easy one," joked Brady. "We played Cavan Gaels and they ripped us apart by something like 20 points. The next day against Ramor we got another heavy defeat
with half a team, before we lost our last game by four points to Ballinagh.
"It dumped us into a relegation battle where we played Lavey in the first game. We lost to them by a point but we missed so many chances that day and it really did cost us. It was the one that could and should have been one, but in the end we came up short and it left us with one game to try and maintain our senior status."
The group stages had come and gone for Lacken in a flash, with the opening two defeats to would-be champions Cavan Gaels and Ramor ending any hope of advancement to the knock-out stages, before Ballinagh condemned them to a relegation play-off with Drumalee which, by all accounts, a team under the new management of Oliver Brady and Joe Sorohan had thrown away.
It meant Lacken would enter a last chance saloon with Gowna at Kingspan Breffni Park to decide which team would be slipping down to the intermediate ranks for 2012.
"Raymond Galligan came home especially for the game to try and help keep us up. They brought him on with 20 minutes to go and he kicked two of the finest points you'll see in Breffni Park all year and he also set-up a goal for Finbar Reilly," Brady said.
"We were winning with a few minutes to go, but they got a late free which Conor Madden pointed in injury-time to force a replay and it just felt like it was another chance gone to stay safe that we had let slip."
With so much at stake, the game had been a fiery encounter and as a result Lacken would lose both Niall McKiernan and Kevin Shanaghy through suspension for the replay a fortnight later at the same venue.
In the end, an outstanding second-half display from Gowna would prove too much for Lacken to cope with this as they were condemned to a 0-18 to 2-7 defeat and the intermediate championship for 2012.
"It was level at half-time, but Gowna were very good in the first ten minutes of the second-half," explained the PRO.
"They must have kicked five or six brilliant scores from play and it kind of buried us. We scored two penalties in the game, but I think Gowna kicked 13 points throughout the second-half and we were just no match for them on the day."
He added: "Hopefully we can sit down at the start of next year and set out a stall to win the intermediate championship. We'll be hoping to have a few back by then and a few others coming through as well. If we're fit to play in Division One, I think it will give us a good boost going into the intermediate championship and there's no doubt that we certainly have the players to do it."
U14s collect Roinn B crown
While the club's senior footballers suffered bitter disappointment at the end of September, the Under 14s were tasting sweet success after edging a 10-goal thriller against Knockbride in the Roinn B Championship final at Kingspan Breffni Park.
Under the management of Jimmy Galligan, David Donohoe and Michael Wilson, Lacken's championship campaign caught fire at the end of August when they handed Templeport a 4-18 to 1-7 defeat at Crowe Park to cruise into the semi-finals. There they would be put to the test by a talented Kingscourt side on the 3G pitch of Kingspan Breffni Park, where a battle would ensue to claim a 4-10 to 4-9 victory and secure a place in the final.
Lacken would make the ideal start to the game as two early goals from Shane Moynagh had them in the driving-seat, before a Paul Leddy goal from long-range set them in at the break with a 3-1 to 1-5 lead. In the second-half, Brendan O'Reilly fired in a superb goal to strengthen Lacken's lead but Knockbride came roaring back in the game with two goals of their own to move into the lead. The pendulum swung back in Lacken's favour in the 47th minute when Paul Leddy cut in along the end line and shot in his side's fifth major. Knockbride, however, weren't going to fade away easy and took the back the lead with a quick 1-1 in injury-time. With the pressure on, Lacken dug their deepest and when the chance fell to David Wilson the centre-forward made no mistake in rifling to the Knockbride net in the dying stages to seal a 6-3 to 4-8 win and confirm Lacken' status as Under 14 Roinn B Champions.
Lacken (U14 Roinn B final v Knockbride): Jimmy Smith; Ronan Halton, Thomas McKiernan, Niall Brady; Conor Murray, David Wilson (1-0), Wayne Macken; Paul Leddy (2-1), Colin Brady (0-1); Ryan Coyle, Shane Moynagh (2-1), Mark Wilson; Brendan O'Reilly (1-0), Peter Galligan, Donal Finnegan. Sub: Aaron Brady
Camogs capture league crown
Earlier in the year, Lacken's camogs clinched the 2010 senior league title after their final against Castletara was replayed due to poor weather conditions at the end of the year prolonging the fixture. The game got off to a lively start with Cavan dual star Roisin O'Keeffe pointing early on, before Marie Brady struck a brace to move Lacken into a 0-4 to 0-2 half-time lead. Brady got the ball rolling for Lacken again the in the second-half with a free and when Bernie Briody got in for the game's first goals things were very much looking in favour of the sky blues. Castletara hit back with a point, but Lacken weren't about to show any signs of letting up and when a slick move involving Lisa Magarahan and Laura Magarahan saw the latter finish to the net the title was all but secured, as Lacken strode to a 2-6 to 0-4 victory. Tweet
