Drung have been labelled as the great underachievers at intermediate level. But is that moniker justified? Kevin Carney looks back on the hand 2004 dealt them. God loves a trier and so do the punters and Drung will always garner support at the bookies. That was the way of things down Bunnoe way at the outset of 2004 too. And, unlike a lot of other clubs vying for Intermediate Championship honours in 2004, Drung had a fair 'oul pedigree in the competition. Optimism wasn't far from the surface of things in and around the club's tidy ground at Bunnoe as the new season kicked off. This optimism was prevalent, if not rampant, from Bunnoe to Drung. This despite the fact that the club went into 2004 minus the services of a trio of their top performers from recent times. Former star defender Noel Fitzpatrick decided to hang up his boots at the tail end of '03 while Karl O'Rourke headed off to Australia and would be missing from action for the entire year while Niall O'Rourke would also be absent from the frame due to ligament damage. Minimising the loss of the aforementioned triumvirate would be difficult, all belonging to Drung concurred. However the general feeling in the camp as a new season kicked off was that the retention of the club's intermediate championship status rather than the annexation of the championship title was the more realistic goal. Nevertheless team-manager Brian Maguire and his assistant Tony Lynch must have felt that a good campaign would go a distance to helping shake off the ghost of the club's IFC final defeat in 2001. The campaign turned out to incorporate the best and worst of fortunes for the red and whites. First round opponents Cuchullains were, like Drung, in the midst of somewhat of a transition period so the clash between the sides would prove an eye-opener one way or the other; whatever about affording pundits a pointer as to the destination of the championship title. Drung's record in recent years against Cuchullains had club supporters in optimistic mood as they prepared for their charges' tilt with the Cross-Mullagh men at Bailieboro at the end of April in what was an appetising first round encounter. As things panned out, the would-be finalists chiselled out a 1-9 to 0-11 victory, dominating the first twenty minutes with the mobile duo of Alan Curran and Ciaran Galligan giving Drung a decided advantage in the middle of the field. A goal near the end of the first quarter by Finbar Crowe (later to suffer a serious ankle injury) helped Drung ease their way to a 1-4 to 0-4 interval lead. With ten minutes left in the game Drung's lead remained three points, 1-8 to 0-8. Two points by Cuchullains begged a response from Drung and they duly delivered. A second round, 1-7 to 1-7, draw with neighbours Cootehill Celtic in Drumgoon kept things on track for the Maguire/Lynch axis. Drung - playing towards the dressingroom end of the field - started sluggishly and their sloppy handling and inaccurate passing in the first half especially saw them trail by 0-1 to 0-4 after twenty minutes. Drung improved as the game wore on and were just a point adrift, 0-4 to 0-5, at the interval, thanks in part to a Martin Reilly free and a glorious long-range effort by Shane O'Rourke. Things really improved for Drung midway through the second half when Finbar Crowe fisted home a goal. However a major by Cootehill nine minutes from time added up to stalemate at the close of play. Late July and a 0-10 to 1-9 win over fellow parishioners Kill Shamrocks owed much to a cracking 52nd minute goal by half-back Mickey McEntee in what was a frenetic IFC derby duel at Hugh O'Reilly Park, Cootehill. Drung showed a lot of determination and hunger to come back from a 0-2 to 1-5 deficit midway through the first half. The red and whites weren't at their best in the championship and a defeat to Lavey put into question the club's ability to actually sneak into the play-off stages. However by dint of the team's 2-7 to 0-13 draw, next time out, with Swanlinbar in Ballyhaise did the needful in that regard. Did someone mention Ballyhaise? Sure enough, the draw for the quarter-finals pitted Drung against the boys next door. After a stirring battle in Belturbet, the Dalcassians triumphed by 2-5 to 1-6 with a last-minute fisted goal by Shane O'Rourke helping to catapult Drung into the last four. O'Rourke's opportune touch to an inviting centre flung over from the right wing by Alan Curran brought a dogged, dour affair to a dramatic conclusion. In truth, Drung were weak in the last third of the field on the day but that deficiency was more than made up by the overall dominance they engineered in the vital diamond area of the field. Midfielders Paul Slowey and Kieran Galligan won the battle in the middle with a bit to spare while their team-mates further back deserve a lot of credit for keeping Ballyhaise duo Adrian Delaney and Gerry McCrudden so quiet. Drung's capacity to notch two goals to Ballyhaise's one did, ultimately, decide the issue. Drung's opening goal came in the 9th minute when Shane O'Rourke's free was latched onto by Sean Johnston - after Finbar Crowe had made a nuisance of himself - and the youngster made no mistake from close range. Drung's never-say-die attitude had kicked in at a most opportune time. Lavey, erstwhile conquerors of Drung in the group stage, awaited in the semi-final. In a titanic struggle in Kingscourt, Drung looked to be heading for the exit door in trailing by 0-5 to 0-7 with less than five minutes left to play. However the red and whites stormed back with a point apiece by Austin Curran (free) and his brother Alan in the 61st minute to snatch a draw. Drung had to dig just as deep in the replay to fashion a 1-9 to 1-4 victory at Ballyconnell two weeks later. A Michael McEntee goal just before half-time - from a Shane O'Rourke assist - helped Drung into a 1-3 to 0-4 interval lead and into pole position. And that's where they stayed 'till the close of play despite a Lavey goal four minutes from time. Perhaps the less said the better about the team's subsequent 1-8 to 1-9 defeat to Lacken Celtic in the final. Suffice to say that Drung proved themselves worthy finalists. The would-be losers began the game in fired-up mode and Sean Johnston's brilliant 16th minute goal which helped steer the team to a 1-4 to 0-3 lead after 21 minutes was the least their efforts deserved. But leading by 1-6 to 0-5 on the restart, Drung struggled to consolidate their lead and a Lacken goal in the 41st minute spelled the beginning of the end for Drung. The losers-elect bravely tried to respond immediately to McKiernan's major and Sean Johnston and Ciaran Galligan tried to put sub. Finbar Crowe through on goal but after a fierce goalmouth scramble, referee Seagrave ordered a free-out to Lacken. And that was to be Drung's really only clearcut chance of pulling the fat from the fire as a brace of points from Finbar O'Reilly hoisted Lacken into a 1-9 to 1-6 lead with less than three minutes left to play. To their credit, Drung battled to the end and two brilliant points by Alan Curran in the 58th and 59th minutes had Lacken sweating it out. But there was to be no get-out clause for the Dalcassians. Despite limited expectations and dire injury problems, Drung managed to perform better than anticipated by even those closest to the club. In the immediate aftermath of the IFC final defeat, disappointment swept across the bows of the club in a big way but as the weeks passed, members became increasingly philosophical about what transpired in 2004. Continuity is now the operative word in Drung. With the same team-management due to kick-start the 2005 season and a bevy of underage talent vying for senior recognition plus the possible return of Karl and Niall O'Rourke to the fold, Drung have every reason to look forward to the coming year with enthusiasm and realistic expectations. Young guns such as Michael McEntee, Cathal Donohoe, Raymond Fay and Sean Fay plus Sean Johnston will be a year older, more mature and more experienced this coming season. Maybe Austin Curran and Finbar Crowe can hang in there for another season. Drung - worth a flutter? You betcha! Drung GFC Election of officers for 2005 season. Honorary Presidents - Fr Gerard Cusack, Fr Pat Bannon, PJ Tully, Peter Cassidy, Mick Kiely, Jimmy Martin, Benny Reilly, Ned Keogh, Dan O'Reilly, Peter Smith. Chairman - Martin O'Rourke Vice Chairman - Patsy Fitzpatrick Secretary - Pádraig Cusack Assistant Secretary - Bridie Fay Treasurer - JJ Fay Delegates to County Board - Tony Lynch, Brendan Watters Insurance Officer - Paul Slowey Irish Officer - Brendan O'Bradaigh Club Registrars - Bridie Fay, PJ Keogh Club PRO - Pádraig Cusack First Aid Officers - Gary O'Reilly, Sean Fay, Alan Curran, David Cassidy Coaching Officer - Thomas Jackson Working Committee - Terry McEntee, Patrick Fitzpatrick, Brian Coyle, Mick Fitzpatrick, Ben Brady, PJ Moore, Ronan Slowey, PJ Lynch, Paddy Marran, Eugene Smith, Eoin Monaghan, John Johnston, Tony O'Reilly, Gerard Fitzsimons, Paul Daly, Gavin Smith, Stephen Reilly, Mary O'Reilly. Tweet

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