It was clear what all Mullahoran gaels wanted as preparations for the 2004 season tapered off. They recognised that going one step further than what was achieved in the 2003 Senior Football Championship would spell silverware. Mullahoran came agonisingly close to achieving their supreme goal in 2004. Last year's championship story was almost a carbon copy of the 2003 agony. Losing to one of your most fiercest rivals first time out isn't ordinarily the sort of foundation stone upon which a good championship run is based but leave it to Mullahoran to make life hard for themselves. Last April, the Dreadnoughts' premier football team lost out to Gowna in Ballinagh by 0-9 to 1-8 as they made their bow in the 2004 Senior Football Championship. The defeat was a big pill for Mullahoran's finest to swallow, especially as it was Mullahoran old boy Padraig Brady's 39th minute goal proved to be the crucial score in what was a predictably dogged duel. Brady's major and the dismissal of corner-forward Brendan Reilly for a second yellow card offense after 25 minutes played a significant part in the unhinging of Mullahoran's bid for a rare win over their big rivals. Still without the unavailable Danny Brady, Mullahoran ultimately failed to find the killer punch or show the necessary killer instinct, especially when they enjoyed a 0-6 to 0-4 lead just prior to Brady's all-important goal. Still, for all their wastefulness in the first half, Mullahoran seemed well positioned approaching the 10th minute of the second half as they led by 0-6 to 0-5. Then disaster struck when Gowna man Damian Fitzpatrick's long delivery wasn't cleared by the Mullahoran defence and Padraig Brady banged the ball to the net. Defeat is difficult to take but bouncing back immediately is a great panacea and Mullahoran's pain was eased considerably on May 1st when they collected their first points of the championship by dint of a 0-13 to 0-10 victory over Denn. Using the long-ball tactic to good effect, Mullahoran led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval and an inspirational point by man of the match Paul Brady just one minute after the restart helped to consolidate Mullahoran's ascendancy. Denn hung in there though and three unanswered points saw the Crosskeys-based side draw level by the 12th minute. However a trademark point from substitute Danny Brady one minute later restored the lead for Mullahoran and they were never to be headed thereafter. The Mullahoran train picked up further momentum thereafter with a 2-9 to 0-12 win over Ramor United in mid-June. Two goals late in each half by Philip Brady were pivotal as Mullahoran secured their second win from three starts after a tigerish display in Kilnaleck. Mullahoran were a lethargic lot early on and were looking at a 0-1 to 0-5 deficit after 17 minutes of play. Just when it looked as if Ramor were about to coast their way into a comfortable three point interval lead, Mullahoran bagged the first of their timely goals. A fine run by Cormac Brennan in the 27th minute ended with Philip Brady blasting the ball to the Ramor net to level matters at the break. Mullahoran worked harder on the restart and had all but sealed the spoils by the 25th minute of the second half when Philip Brady bagged his second goal. It was all too easy for Mullahoran some weeks later as they handed out a 2-12 to 0-11 defeat to Killygarry at Kingspan/Breffni Park. Mullahoran banged in two goals inside the final three minutes of the first half to leave an already under-pressure Killygarry side eight points adrift. Eddie Reilly did well to slip the ball to the fast-running Thomas Nannery who promptly put his side into a 1-5 to 0-3 lead. Mullahoran's killer second goal came after Eddie Reilly released Paul Sheridan (Kilcogy) whose pin-point pass put Philip Brady through and all of a sudden the Dreadnoughts were sitting pretty on a 2-5 to 0-3 interval lead. Thereafter once Eamon Brady effected a fine diving save to prevent Stephen McGovern goaling in the 18th minute, Killygarry had all but shot their bolt. Late July saw the Dreadnoughts chisel out a 1-10 to 0-7 win over Castlerahan. In a game which was closely-contested throughout, the match favourites were full value for their win but it wasn't until Philip Brady notched a trademark opportunist goal in the 19th minute of the second half that the destination of the spoils became that bit clearer. In a nip and tuck first half, a point on the stroke of half-time by Danny Brady eased his side into a 0-5 to 0-3 ahead. The second half was played at a much higher tempo and within 35 seconds, the gung-ho Castlerahan side had reduced their deficit to the minimum with a point from Enda Mulvey. Mullahoran waited until the 19th minute before setting sail for home when a great run by Danny Brady along the byline ended with his brother Philip receiving the ball and his low, hard shot flew into the net for the game's most crucial score. The maroon and whites worked hard to the end but Mullahoran upped a gear to grab a brace of carbon copy points via the fist of impressive sub. Brendan Reilly and so put the seal on their fourth win from five outings in the group section. By the end of August, Mullahoran were looking more and more like Cavan Gaels' biggest threat. And they duly booked their place in the last eight of the competition when they came from six points down to force a draw against Drumgoon in Stradone. The Dreadnoughts had a poor first half and had a lot of work to do as they went in at the break trailing by 0-5 to 1-8. Staring a morale-deflating defeat in the face, Mullahoran came out for the second half a rejuvenated lot and Drumgoon's lead was soon whittled down to just a goal. Mullahoran were the more enterprising, more zestful side in the second half yet looked dead and buried as they trailed by 0-11 to 1-10 with barely one minute left of ordinary time. However the would-be finalists rallied brilliantly and a Paddy Brady point on the stroke of full-time plus a cooly slotted point by Eddie Reilly two minutes later handed the Dreadnoughts a deserved draw. A subsequent 1-8 to 1-5 win over Crosserlough at Kingspan/Breffni Park confirmed Mullahoran's place in the last four. In a forgettable encounter, Mullahoran were far from at their best and actually trailed by 0-4 to 1-3 with seven minutes gone in the second half. However once Philip Brady set up team-mate Eddie Reilly for a fisted goal in the 42nd minute to edge Mullahoran two points in front, an air of inevitability wafted its way over proceedings. A place in the decider was sealed subsequently with a 0-11 to 0-9 victory over neighbours Gowna in a fractious affair. The Dreadnoughts' victory owed much to the promptings and probing of man of the match Paul Brady plus Mullahoran's five-star defensive display and their mastery of the midfield battle which served to seal their passage through to another unlikely final berth. Such was the closeness of the exchanges that it was no surprise that after 15 minutes of sparring only one point separated the sides with the eventual winners leading by the odd point in seven. That first quarter simmered rather than boiled with neither side managing to dictate the exchanges for anything other than a few fleeting minutes. It was a typical see-saw affair all through and the early, rollercoaster minutes fairly established the pattern of the game. So influential from pillar to post, Mullahoran playmaker Paul Brady opened his personal account in the 11th minute to help his side edge their way into a double scores lead, 0-4 to 0-2, but it was a precarious lead. It was from another 'turnaround' in the centre of the field that Mullahoran managed to bang home the final point of the first half when Eddie Reilly got out in front of his marker before parting to the in-running Danny Brady who made no mistake. Mullahoran led by 0-8 to 0-6 on the restart but by the 11th minute the sides were level at 0-8 apiece and suddenly the pendulum seemed to have swung inexorably Gowna's way. However things began to fall more and more kindly for Mullahoran as the final quarter beckoned and on the stroke of the 45th minute, Danny Brady collected a 'break' 40 metres out from goal and Mullahoran's lead was back to two points. Mullahoran had to work feverishly thereafter to retain their lead but such was their resolve and determination that they managed to do so and thus book a date with the county town side in the decider. In the final, the raging hot underdogs were sufficiently fired-up and they did their best at a badly cut-up Kingspan/Breffni Park but, in the end, old failings in front of goal came back to haunt them. The defending champions recorded by far their lowest points tally all year and struggled for most of the match at midfield. Sadly Mullahoran's rash tackling in defence gifted the Gaels a hat-trick of easy frees, and a lack of cutting edge up front - manifest in the fact that none of the Mullahoran forwards scored from play - combined to scupper their brave bid to avenge last year's final defeat. Mullahoran played with no fear over the hour and clearly hadn't read the script and with five minutes to go trailed by just a single point. Tragically for them, a catastrophic mix-up in the full-back line moments later presented the champions with only their second clear-cut chance of a goal and goalpoacher supreme Graham duly did the business. In the first half in particular the Dreadnoughts had hassled and harried their opponents at every opportunity and consistently knocked the county side out of their stride. On a wind-lashed and rain-sodden ground, the Gaels looked ill at ease in the opening 30 minutes and it was notable that they didn't score from between the 5th and 26th minutes. Indeed the blues must have been pretty relieved to go in at half-time on level terms, 0-4 apiece, after Mullahoran's fiery and passionate opening. Things were ominous for Mullahoran at that juncture though as the notion abounded that they had apparently given off their best yet had still only managed to gain parity. Still the Longford-border side kept their focus as the spoils dangled invitingly in front of the teams entering the final six minutes. The Gaels were leading by the odd point in 15 at that juncture when, predictably, their most experienced campaigner and ace goalpoacher Graham popped up to execute the coup de gras. Mullahoran had only time to launch one more concerted attack but Paul Brady's effort was half-blocked and subsequently cleared. The Dreadnoughts had done their damnedest to upset the apple cart but in the end were left with the bitter taste of a cooking apple in their mouths. The following is the Mullahoran team which featured in the 2004 SFC final: Mullahoran: Eamonn Brady; Ciaran Shiels, Seanie Smith, Philip Galligan; Paul Sheridan (Loughdavin), Paul Lynch, Fergal Brady; Christy Shiels, Ciaran Briody (0-1); Paul Brady, Ciaran Reilly, Thomas Nannery; Danny Brady (0-3, all frees), Eddie Reilly (0-3, two frees), Philip Brady. Subs: Patrick Brady for Thomas Nannery (38); Dermot Sheridan for Paul Lynch (41); Paul Sheridan (Kilcogy) for Philip Galligan (57); Conleth Reilly for Ciaran Briody (58). Reality bites In 2004, Mullahoran clubman Philip Brady was one of the stars of TG4's gaelic games based reality TV programme 'The Underdogs', playing a leading role in the makeshift side's sensational defeat of All-Ireland champions Kerry in their own backyard. Philip also found time to help Mullahoran reach a second successive SFC final and had even forced his way into the Breffni County's senior panel at the time of writing. All in all, it was one heck of a busy year! Two-thousand-and-four was a year Philip Brady will never forget. The Mullahoran attacker became something of a minor celebrity in his neighbourhood and further afield and, for the latter part of the calendar year, one could have been forgiven for believing that his mother had actually christened him 'Your Man Off The Underdogs'. Once again, the GAA's groundbreaking reality TV series caught the imagination nationwide, with the players receiving plenty of exposure as they contributed to one of the undoubted television highlights of an otherwise uneventful year for couch potatoes. The Underdogs showed their worth when humbling the mighty Kingdom in Tralee in December and Brady was rewarded with a place in Eamon Coleman's Cavan senior football squad for the McKenna Cup. Domestically, Mullahoran again confounded the critics by reaching a second county SFC final on the trot, but unfortunately the Dreadnots once more misfired against Cavan Gaels on the big day. The 0-11 to 0-9 semi-final defeat of neighbours Gowna was a standout result, however, proving beyond any question that Mullahoran are able to hold their own against the biggest of the big boys. Clearly, Philip Brady has a lot to look forward to in 2005. But, first, let's look back on the various events of a hectic 2004: "It was a busy year," Philip concedes. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be nearly as busy as that, but it turned out quite busy alright." The understatement typifies a man who goes about his business quietly, modestly and efficiently. How did the whole Underdogs chapter in his life open up? "I was at home one evening with a friend messing around on the computer and we filled in the form for the craic. I never thought any more about it until I was called in for trials. They kept calling me back and things couldn't have got any better. The more it went on, the better it got. "There was no real pressure. There was a buzz in training and a fun side to it. It was great fun as well as being very tough. It was the lighter side of football and it was nice to be involved in something like that for a change. The Underdogs was one of the biggest experiences of my life - the best so far." The panel got together in June and they picked the training up around September/October for the December 11 clash with Jack O'Connor's all-conquering double-winners. Despite the fact that it was one of the biggest occasions he's been involved in - with the added pressure of television cameras and the guarantee of a massive TV audience as well as a large attendance at the Tralee venue - Philip enjoyed the whole exercise thoroughly. "It was tough sometimes, but we were in it together and we all wanted to see it through. We wanted to keep the whole thing going and in the end we were like a club team. We got to know each other really well and we became very close." A call-up to the county seniors was the icing on the cake. How did that materialise? "I was called in provisionally for the Dr McKenna Cup. I was a bit surprised because I didn't think personally that I had that good a year with the club, so I wasn't expecting too much. But I had been called in the year before when I had to pull out due to injury and I'd been speaking to Eamon Coleman on and off about the possibility of going back in. I suppose the Underdogs did help." Philip flew the Cavan flag proudly in the 2004 Underdogs finale. Though six or seven Cavan men attended the original Ulster trials, only the Mullahoran man and Laragh clubman Colin Oates made the final cut, with the latter missing the Kerry game through injury. On the club front, the Underdog was somewhat disappointed with how 2004 panned out ultimately, but accepts that it was nonetheless quite a decent year with another county final appearance for the Dreadnoughts: "If someone had told us two years ago that we'd get to two county finals in a row we'd probably have been happy enough with that, but we're disappointed not to have won one. Of course, it's nice to get that far, but you don't like losing two in a row either. In 2003, we probably were happy enough. But to lose it again in 2004, again without playing to our full potential, was a big blow. When you know you were capable of playing better, then you can't help thinking you let it slip… "People talk about Cavan Gaels being one of the best club sides in Ulster, but there's nothing between us and them. On the day, we always run them close, so Mullahoran must be one of the best teams in Ulster too!" Mullahoran lost to Gowna by one point in the first round of the 2004 Cavan SFC, but thereafter the Dreadnoughts recovered to reach the final otherwise undefeated. At the quarter-final stage, they beat Crosserlough by 1-8 to 1-5 after a replay (the teams finished 0-9 apiece the first day) and a morale-boosting 0-11 to 0-9 semi-final defeat of Gowna ensued - a savoury revenge mission. In the final, though, the defending champions prevailed by five points, 1-9 to 0-7. "After Gowna beat us by a point in the first round, Paul Bealin took over the team and we turned it around. Paul had been training the Dublin-based players but training at home wasn't going as well and some people were unhappy so the committee moved to bring Paul in as overall manager. "We all started to train together at home and things fell into place and began to pick up. There was a great buzz about the place and an unbelievable spirit in the team. When we were in a close match, we refused to give up. "We came through the group stage and then beat Crosserlough in a replay in Breffni and Gowna in the semi-final. The Gowna game was one that nobody outside Mullahoran expected us to win. It was the first time in a long time that we beat them in an important championship match and the win gave us a great confidence boost. "We went into the final with our tails up. We knew the Gaels were a good team with lots of quality, but felt we had the beating of them. Unfortunately, a lot of our players froze. We didn't play to our ability and it's very disappointing to lose like that. At least if you play well and lose, you have no regrets. But we left it behind. We were level at half time but left it in the dressing-room. "It's hard to take. It's the toughest way to lose." Do Mullahoran possess the strength and spirit to put things right by winning the SFC in 2005? "Yes. A lot of the lads are creeping close to the 30 mark so time is against us now and this will be a big year for us. We're hoping it'll be our year. Nobody expected us to get to the final in 2003 or 2004, but the expectation is there now and hopefully we can live up to it." Is it a three-horse race? "Realistically, only Gowna and Mullahoran will be expected to come close to Cavan Gaels, but the likes of Kingscourt, Bailieboro and Crosserlough will also feel that they're capable of pulling off a surprise or two. Cavan Gaels really are a different class but we know we can trouble them on the day. We've matched them in the past - the challenge is to do it for 60 minutes. "They have brought Cavan football forward. Clubs are now striving to play the kind of football they play and there's no doubt that the bar has been raised. But we're not in awe of them, and Gowna have plenty of talent too, so it promises to be an interesting championship. "It's going to be a good year in the county and Mullahoran aim to play a big part in it. "I thought the two groups of seven last year were ridiculous. This year, it's going back to the smaller groups and there'll be a lot more to play for. "We're intending to go one step further this time." With Cavan Gaels threatening total domination, Mullahoran will go into the 2005 senior football championship as underdogs - but that's a familiar script and one that has never bothered Philip Brady in the past! Tweet

Most Read Stories