Kildallan have come a long way in a relatively short space of time. In recent years, the Ballyconnell battlers have looked more likely than ever to scoop the county JFC for the first time since 1977. Colin O'Hara captained the side that contested the business end of the junior competition again in 2004 and the impressive full-back-cum-midfielder is confident that the 28-year gap can finally be bridged in the season ahead. Not so long ago, Kildallan were considered virtual no-hopers when the draw was made each year for the Cavan junior football championship. All this has changed; changed utterly. These days, the men from Ballyconnell are live contenders. They've been in the shake-up for JFC glory for the past five years and are knocking so loudly upon the proverbial door that the entire metaphorical house is reverberating to its imagined foundation. Kildallan have made the semi-final stage for each of the past five years, twice going on to contest the final. In 2000, they lost to eventual winners Cornafean in the last four and Drumgoon came out on top against the White & Red in the 2001 decider. Two-thousand-and-two again saw Kildallan pipped in the county final, this time by neighbours Butlersbridge. The following year, they reached the penultimate stage, only to lose to intermediate-bound Lavey after a replay. Last summer, a semi-final replay was again required before the 'Bridge once more put paid to Kildallan's championship dream. The recent record speaks for itself - two final defeats, a semi-final defeat and two semi-final replay defeats within five years. Kildallan are so close they can almost touch it. They keep losing to the eventual winners - a bit like Armagh did before they finally scooped Sam for the first time in 2002. Surely Kildallan's time is coming… Colin O'Hara has been a regular on the first team for the past four years. The 22-year-old captained the team from midfield in 2004 and is looking forward to an even braver effort from the Ballyconnell outfit in '05. Even though he's now based in Naas (due to work commitments), Colin has vowed to continue lining out for his hometown club … a club he is convinced has a very bright future. "We've been trying to make the breakthrough for the past few years and we're getting close," he says, in typical understatement. "We've been getting to semi-finals and finals but we just can't seem to get over that last hurdle. We got to a semi-final again last year but lost to Butlersbridge after a replay. We had a good run the first day, but the replay was a very poor game and we deserved to lose." The honesty is refreshing. It would be very easy indeed for Kildallan to bemoan their ill fortune and curse their bad luck, but instead Colin opts to take it on the chin and call a spade a spade. For the county semi-final replay, Kildallan were without their manager Dermot Smith (the Drumlane man was in hospital) and this certainly didn't help their prospects. "There was still plenty of support and encouragement on the line, but personally I think Dermot was a big loss and his presence was sorely missed. He had been there with us the previous year in exactly the same circumstances and he knew what it was all about." It was a thoroughly disappointing end to a campaign that was pregnant with promise. Kildallan started the year well and went into the semi-final with a 100% record in the competition. They opened up with victory over Shannon Gaels in Belturbet and victory over Maghera in Breffni was enough to book a place in the knockouts. Corlough were accounted for at the quarter-final stage, but the semi-final would prove a big let-down: "We went in as underdogs both days but gave as good as we got in the drawn match," Colin reflects. "It was a real 50/50 game that could have gone either way and it went right down to the wire. In my opinion, the draw was a fair result. Both teams had chances to win towards the end but neither of us took them and it went to a replay." Unfortunately, the rematch was a bit of a disaster, with neither side producing anything approaching their best form: "It was a very poor game," the losing captain concedes. "The score of 0-8 to 0-5 tells its own story and I'd say it was a very bad match to watch. It was disappointing because it was such a big occasion, but there's always next year and hopefully we can learn from the experience of getting so close so often." In a turn of events that made Murphy's Law look more like a precise scientific equation that an old wife's tale, Kildallan produced their worst performance of the year when it mattered most. "There was a lot of pressure on the younger lads in the team in particular," Colin suggests. "We know we have a good young team but the occasion seemed to get to some of us. Nobody performed. At the back, in midfield or up front… Personally, I was out of the game completely and it was just one of those bad days for the whole team." Kildallan simply have to put it behind them and move on. They are fortunate to have an abundance of exciting young talent at their disposal and more and more good youngsters continue to come through on the conveyor belt. In 2004, the likes of Shane Reilly, Liam Martin and Colin Reilly all emerged to stake their claims. Ronan Reilly (19) had a cruciate ligament injury but will be back this year, while Jason Curry is yet another talented new kid on the block. "Kildallan have done very well at underage level recently and we should have a very strong, young team in a couple of years. We just have to keep bringing them through and they'll get better with experience. "Promotion is always the target and we'll give it a go again this year. We knew the 'Bridge would provide strong opposition with Mickey Graham in charge last year, and so it proved. We always seem to do well in the early stages and then slow down. In the league, we made a few mistakes early on and that made life difficult for us as the year went on." Kildallan finished third in Division Three, just missing out on promotion. There is every chance, however, that Ballyconnell will successfully negotiate promotion in 2005. With a new manager in place and a completely new set-up, Naas-based Colin O'Hara notes: "I enjoy playing for the club and I will stay committed to them. They've just opened two new pitches and have excellent training rounds and playing grounds as well as floodlights and four dressing-rooms. They have a magnificent set-up and vast potential. Kildallan can really go places and I'm really looking forward to being a part of that. "We're capable of getting promoted in the league and championship. But we have to put our minds to it, and just do it. We have to go out on the field and prove ourselves. We have the players and we have the quality." Could Kildallan become a senior club in the not-too-distant future? Or is that looking too far ahead? "It's not looking too far ahead. If we can win a junior championship, everything is there for the club. Drumgoon have done it and Lavey almost went up senior last year. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility. "Years ago, we always found it difficult to get out of our group. Now we're regularly contesting finals and semi-finals and we know what we're capable of. We have the experience of challenging for the junior championship now and it's a new year, so let's put our minds to it and see how we get on." Kildallan won't be too far away in 2005, but can they make the long-overdue breakthrough their recent efforts richly deserve? It would be foolhardy to bet against it. Tweet

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