Laragh United clubman Colin Oates believes the Stradone-based outfit will stake a major claim for the 2005 Cavan intermediate football championship. While they failed to make an impression in '04, slipping into a relegation play-off (despite a stunning ten-point victory over Ballyhaise in Cootehill), Colin is convinced that with the right mental attitude Laragh are more than capable of making their mark in the months ahead. Two-zero-zero-four was a year of ups and downs for Colin Oates. The Laragh United midfielder made the final cut on TG4's GAA-based reality TV show 'The Underdogs' - a major personal accomplishment and also a proud achievement for his club. Unfortunately, all the hard work came undone when he picked up a nasty injury playing a challenge game for the Cavan seniors, a setback which scuppered his chances of lining out for the Underdogs against All-Ireland champions Kerry in Tralee. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be. As the Underdogs went on to make history, scalping the mighty Kingdom in their own back yard, the Laragh United clubman was forced to look on from the sidelines. It was cruel fortune. At club level, Laragh United failed to do themselves justice in the year gone by. Having taken Ballinagh to a replay at Breffni Park in the semi-final stage the previous year, Laragh were expected to produce another onslaught on intermediate silverware, but they failed to cope with the pressure that goes hand in hand with increased expectation and disappeared in a haze of obscurity. But Laragh underlined their capabilities in emphatic fashion in their fourth group game of the 2004 intermediate football championship. Here, they beat high-flying Ballyhaise by 1-17 to 1-7 at Cootehill. Colin notes: "Patrick Shiels and Eugene Brady were absolutely outstanding in that game and if we get a similar level of performance from those two again in 2005 we'll be in with a great chance." It was an astonishing victory as the tricoloured men were previously undefeated in the competition and were overwhelming favourites. They also went on to finish second in Division Two, just a point behind table-toppers Cuchullains. (Interestingly, Laragh themselves finished fifth in Division Two, ahead of two of the sides that inflicted defeats on them in the championship.) Despite their storming performance against Ballyhaise, the Orange and Whites lost the remainder of their IFC outings - to Lacken (0-14 to 0-9), Ballinagh (2-11 to 0-11), Drumalee (1-12 to 2-8) and Drumlane (1-9 to 1-3). At this stage, they were dicing with demotion. However any such fears were allayed when Cornafean were comprehensively beaten in a relegation play-off semi-final, 2-12 to 0-5, guaranteeing survival and giving Laragh a crack at the 2005 IFC. It's a lifeline that team stalwart Colin Oates expects the Laragh men to exploit fully. It was while observing Jack O'Connor's highly-motivated Kerry reclaim Sam Maguire last September that Colin realised Laragh could well emerge as an altogether more formidable proposition in '05. He explains: "The All-Ireland final was a great example of what a team that's prepared mentally can achieve. There was very little between Kerry and Mayo from a skills point of view or in terms of physical fitness, so victory went to the team that was prepared mentally. This is what Laragh have to aim for. "Our new manager [former club and county player] John Brady will bring about a sense of confidence in the team and this will be important. I feel that in order for Laragh United to be successful in '05 we must prepare mentally, as mental preparation is just as important as any other aspect of team preparation." The backroom team for the coming season is completed by [county minor selector] Eddie McEntee, a man who possesses a vast knowledge of football throughout the county, Maurice Brady and Dermot King. Playing with the required level of confidence, Laragh could emerge as genuine contenders. Colin notes: "Confidence in our own ability is a vital ingredient in our prospects of performing to our maximum capacity and, in turn, winning the intermediate championship." Things didn't go quite according to plan in 2004, but there's no reason why the Laragh men can't put that one disappointing season behind them: "It was a hard year on the team through injuries and lads travelling," Colin reveals. "Although Laragh had quite a good league campaign, we were over-anxious come championship time and didn't produce the goods and just underperformed. This won't happen to us in 2005. "This year, Laragh will be more motivated, more eager and more determined, and I feel that we will not be beaten in this year's championship. "Laragh have a legacy of tradition and have delivered a long history of success, which will be maintained by the team this year. We have some of the finest intercounty football talent in the county, and we have reached a maturity level now that will bring about an increased sense of confidence in 2005." Team affairs last year were handled by Lawrence Brady (manager), Ray Cullivan (trainer) and Jimmy Carroll (selector). "They did a lot of work over the year and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the three of them for the effort they put in. Ray is one of the finest coaches in the county and we were very lucky to have him. He's top class. His training will give us a good base and will be of benefit to us in '05." There can be no doubting the experience Laragh United have to hand. Their side is laced with men who have played intercounty football, with the likes of Patrick Shiels, Adrian Oates, Colin Oates, Paul Cooney, Paul Brady David Smith, Colin Hand and Ray Maguire all having pulled on the blue jersey on various occasions. As the club's 2004 Underdogs representative notes: "We have the intercounty experience, we have the players, and we have the skills to win an intermediate championship. "On a good day, we can beat anybody. We showed that in 2003 and, to a lesser extent, last year against Ballyhaise when the pressure was off. Unfortunately we lost most of our games in the 2004 championship and ended up in a play-off and were quite lucky to stay up. But we were there or thereabouts in most games and can improve with the right mental approach." Would a 20% improvement make a big difference? "It would do a lot for us. If we could win four of our first five games in the league, that would set us up nicely for the championship. It's vitally important that we get a good league run together first, and we can then use the first championship game as a stepping stone. The first game in the championship will be all-important." Taking part in the 2004 Underdogs series on TG4 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Colin. The Laragh clubman reflects: "It was an honour and a privilege to work with Micheal O'Muircheartaigh, Jarlath Burns and Mickey Ned O'Sullivan. The players were excellent throughout. The only downside for me was when I didn't get the opportunity to play against Kerry due to injury. "Pat Stephens tailor-made a fitness programme to suit our needs. We took responsibility for our own fitness training and were tested every couple of weeks. A team was created called the Underdogs and with great heart and team spirit we beat Kerry and damaged their pride. "Making the step from club football to county football was not easy. The intensity is much greater. But hopefully I will reap the benefits of my efforts with Laragh United, starting in 2005." Laragh United will definitely be worth keeping an eye on this year. Tweet

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