For the second year in a row, Munterconnacht walked into propellers after reaching the JFC final. For all that, silver linings were still to be found in 2011

Sometimes there's no getting away from the fact that, ultimately, the buck stops at the chairperson's feet. So Noel, 2011. A success?
"I'd have to say that with everything that has happened, on and off the field, this year, you'd have to say the club had a successful year overall," McEnroe declares.

"2011 was a both a rewarding and a disappointing year but I can safely say that they're aren't too many clubs in the county who reached a championship final at adult level and another couple at underage in the one year and also have the distinction of officially opening the sort of facilities we now have at the club."
Like the time he was a player of some renown, our man McEnroe shoots from the hip as Munterconnacht's administrative head with all the precision that characterised his clearances from defence way back yonder.
From a distance, it seems to the casual observer that 2011 it was a bit of a curate's egg for the Munchies. Good in part but not entirely palatable.

And yet, getting a review of the past year from an insider, a man married to the coalface of Munterconnacht GAA affairs, is all so much more enlightening and informative.
"At the start of the year, our priority wasn't winning the Junior Championship - it was getting promotion from division three of the all county league.
"We all agreed that the lads needed to be playing at a higher grade and that was meant as no disrespect to any of the other division three teams.

"Losing out in the championship final was gravely disappointing but getting up to division two for 2012 was a really big silver lining on that cloud."
Reflecting on the club's defeat in the JFC decider, the chairman says that in the run-up to the final, his gut feeling was that the game was going to be a 50/50 affair which, given the 1-10 to 1-7 final score, wasn't a 100 miles away from how things panned out.

The James Cole-managed (with selectors Eugene Sheridan and Angelo McDonnell) and PJ Lee-trained Munterconnacht side went into the game as slight favourites on the basis, perhaps, of their earlier victory over a fancied Shannon Gaels side.
"I'm not sure who made us favourites because Shercock played in division two in the league all year and they've been there or thereabouts the semi-finals and final of the championship for the last couple of years.
"Either way there was no question of us taking them for granted. It was always going to be a close game.

The Gods were destined not to smile on the Meath border side's blue riband title charge though when, as early as the 5th minute, talisman John McCabe was forced to retire injured after a collision with a Shercock defender.
"The omens weren't good for us when John had to leave the field. I felt, even at that early stage, that the writing was on the wall.

"Normally, John would be good for at least five or six points in a match for us. We were beaten by just three (points) so you'd wonder what might have been had he not been forced to go off injured, especially when there was only a point between us with about nine minutes left to play.
"We had opportunities to go on and win the game but we kicked some bad wides in the early part of the second half."
And so in 2012, Munterconnacht will doubtless give the annexation of the JFC crown yet another shot. A case of third-time lucky in the making?

"I hope so. I don't see why we can't get over the line next year. The average age of the team is only about 22 and there'll be no stone left unturned next year as was the case this year.
"There aren't many pieces missing in the jigsaw. Fitness wasn't something that was lacking this year but maybe in the future we'll have to look about concentrating some more on beefing up the players' physiques.
"We'd like to see the players being able to compete better in the physical stakes and playing in division two will help them in that regard."
Noel insists that it will be crucial for Munterconnacht's finest to retain their position in division two in 2012 if the team is to progress and get stronger.

"No harm to the rest of the teams in the division, but playing year after year in division three tends to make it a case of familiarity breeding contempt.
"Playing the same teams every year isn't ideal. It'll be a breath of fresh air for the lads to be playing in division two and coming up against new teams.
"I can see us being in the running again and hopefully it'll be a case of third time lucky. Either way, I think our day will come."

Interestingly, the popular club chairman doesn't believe that Munterconnacht's defeat in the 2010 JFC final played no part, psychologically, in taking the rug from under them in the corresponding decider last October.
The fact that 2010 JFC winners Swanlinbar went onto land the provincial title and advance to the All-Ireland final actually underpinned Munterconnacht's self-belief, Noel suggests.

"If there is a bit of a hangover from losing the last two championship finals, then the players need to work at putting those disappointments behind them and get ready for what is probably going to be a tough league campaign in division two and, hopefully, another long run in the championship."

Effusive in his praise of all the work put in by hands-on gaels in Munterconnacht over the last seven years in relation to the development of the club's state-of-the-art facilities - and the largesse offered by the club's patrons - Noel expects the flagship players to be even stronger mentally in 2012 by dint of their back-to-back championship heartache.
"I'm not so sure about the difference in standard between division three and division two but we have a good mix of experience and youth in the team and they'll be an even better team in 2012."

Starlets shine in county finals

Once again, Munterconnacht's conveyor belt of underage talent held the club in good stead in 2011 with the under 13 boys' squad landing the Roinn E League title and the under 14 boys grabbing hold of a Shield while the under 14 girls secured a championship title for the first time ever.

In addition, the club's Scor section boasted seven teams for the first time in 2011 while the local Set Dancers won the provincial title and handball and hurling's roots were well nourished at the club's HQ.
For their part specifially, the blue and white brigade's under 13 boys team were well worth their eight point win (2-14 to 2-6) over Cornafean as they produced a thoroughly polished performance at the 3G in their Roinn E final.
Munterconnacht got on the frontfoot in the 22nd minute after a tentative start with an exquisite goal from Conor Deegan following a tremendous pass from Jordan Masterson.

The impressive Conor Meehan pointed a free soon after to ease Munterconnacht into a 1-3 to 0-2 lead with 25 minutes on the clock.
Cornafean hit back in the run up to half-time with a neat goal but that score didn't prevent them going into the interval trailing by 1-2 to 1-4.
And despite conceding a goal barely 90 seconds after the restart, Munterconnacht regained the initiative and the lead with a free from young Meehan in the 38th minute.
Cornafean proved able finalists and they enjoyed a 2-4 to 1-6 lead after 42 minutes only for Munterconnacht to hit the jackpot once more two minutes later.

A splendid move involving Shane Hanley and Jordan Masterson paved the way for Conor Deegan to stride through and plant the ball into the Reds' net.
For the remaining 15 minutes of the game, it was all about Munterconnacht's unstoppable march to the chequered flag.

Then efforts from Craig Daly and Shane Hanley eased the would-be winners three points in front with 48 minutes on the clock.
From there to the finish, there was only going to be one winner with a point from Conor Meehan, one from Jordan Masterson (58) and another from Conor Deegan seconds later catapulting Munterconnacht into a 2-12 to 2-5 in front.
Like all good champions, the Munterconnacht lads finished with a flourish and Edward Devereaux and Jordan Masterson both had points to put the issue well and truly to bed.

Munterconnacht (v Cornafean, U13 Roinn E League final): Fionn O'Reilly; Cian O'Shea, Rory Smith; Edward Devereaux (0-1), Kevin Hendrick; Conor Meehan (0-3), Kenneth Fadoju, Jordan Masterson (0-2), Shane Hanley (0-2); Craig Daly (0-2), Conor Deegan (2-1). Tweet

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