Not so long ago, every club bar none in Cavan were prepared to offer a sympathy vote to Munterconnacht. It seemed as if the club was tottering on the brink of nose-diving to really barren climes. A different picture has been emerging of late though as proven once again by the happenings in 2002. From the outsiders' perspective, it appeared a few years ago as if there wasn't much of a future in store for the proud blue and whites of Munterconnacht, at least in the short-term. That was yesterday though. Today, there's enough silverware in the trophy cabinet to dazzle a body. In 2002, the club's rejuvenation continued apace with the collection of two titles at underage level. In mid-October the classy under 14s romped to victory while just a few weeks later, their counterparts at minor level proved just too good for the best of the rest in the Minor C Championship. The season promised much and delivered on the double. The joint-team manager of Munterconnacht's under 14 team, Eugene Sheridan, was suitably pleased with the way things panned out last year. "We had a good bunch of lads, four or five of whom were particularly very strong. It was a good squad to work with and the players have come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Knowing them all, I've no doubt that they'll want to continue improving and continue winning." Sheridan's praise is well-deserved. Munterconnacht's brave band of under 14s deserve untold success for going the distance in the championship, especially given that they received a serious belly-blow when defeated in the league final earlier in the season. Going under by 5-10 to 5-15 to Corlough in that league decider hurt the Munterconnacht players, Eugene informs us. "It was an outstanding final but a very disappointing result for the fellas in the end. It was a big blow, there's no doubt about that but with Corlough out of the running for the championship, we knew that we had an even better chance of making up for the league defeat by winning the championship." And the blue and whites were really up for it too. "All the players approached the championship with a new degree of determination. "They're an ambitious bunch and it wasn't that difficult to get their heads up after the Corlough game," Eugene confirms. The championship campaign saw Munterconnacht raise their game onto a higher plateau altogether. The team proceeded to win most of their games with a good bit to spare. "Knockbride gave us a bit of a scare in the championship even though we beat them well in the league. "They were leading us in the championship match for most of the game but our players didn't panic even when they went a couple of goals behind. We'd been slow-starters all year so we were hopeful that the lads won't finish strongly and that's exactly what happened. " In the end, we won by four points but it was a tough game and a good one to put behind us." Citing the players' physical strength and their level of fitness as two of their main attributes, Eugene says that everyone in the squad got a great lift from the win over Knockbride. That extra wee bit of spice was thus added to by that timely morale-booster. "The club feeds off a small catchment area so it's important to try and keep everyone involved and to make the most of the talent that's around. All the players responded well to the training during the year, with three or four of them even joining in with the minors' training session." After the Knockbride victory, confidence was high in the Munterconnacht camp but Eugene and joint team-manager Brian Morrissey knew that their next opponents, Ballymachugh, weren't going to be any pushovers in the semi-final. "Ballymachugh's underage teams have always been on a par with ours over the years. "There was never much between us when we met even though we normally had the upper hand." And so it proved once again in Virginia in 2002 with the Munterconnacht side coming out on top by nine points. The deciding game in the campaign, against Shannon Gaels, saw Munterconnacht put in another splendid performance. Played at Kinspan/Breffni Park last October, the final saw the west Cavan side explode off the blocks. They succeeded in firing over two points in as many minutes and it wasn't until the 10th minute that the winners-elect opened their account when Stephen Sheridan converted a free. However back came Shannon Gaels and a free followed by a shock goal rocked Munterconnacht back on their heels. The old saying of 'when the going gets tough. . .then came home to roost as the blue and whites hit back with interest. A great goal by Colm Caffrey and a point each from Mark Finnegan and Dermot O'Reilly left it all-square. Just when the small but vocal crowd thought that the flourish of action was about to be followed by a lull, Anthony Loran broke through the heart of the Shannon Gaels defence to score another fine goal for the champions-elect only for his effort to be countered by two points from the Gaels. The action was simply non-stop at this juncture with James Baugh getting the Meath-border side back on the winning trail with an opportunistic point but back came the Gaels with a similar effort. With each team throwing everything forward in a bid to grab any sort of cushioned lead, points by Stephen Sheridan and Kevin Healy provided Munterconnacht with additional momentum. And when Anthony Loran again scored a great goal, the Gaels looked well and truly rattled. However Munterconnacht 'keeper Mark Fitzsimons was forced to make a number of top class saves as the west Cavan side proved worthy finalists. Still a goal by the underdogs just before half-time succeeded in reducing Munterconnacht's lead at the interval to 3-6 to 2-8. By now Munterconnacht had shaken off their early lethargy and with Stephen Sheridan and Dermot O'Reilly quickly getting into their stride and Sheridan firing over a point just two minutes into the half, things looked very promising for the blue and whites. Again Mark Fitzsimons had to be alert though to prevent Shannon Gaels sneaking another goal. At the other end, Stephen Sheridan showed great marksmanship to bag another major for his side after great work by colleague Dermot O'Reilly. The writing was on the wall for the Gaels and the icing on the cake was later duly applied when Shane O'Reilly netted Munterconnact's sixth goal to leave his side 6-14 to 2-11 clear at the final whistle. Team mentor Sheridan couldn't have been happier with the result. "We hadn't played that well in the first half but their second half performance left them running out deserved winners. Our display in the final ten minutes of the game was very impressive in particular." For the record the following are the victorious Munterconnacht Under 14 players who did duty in the county decider; Mark Fitzsimons, Niamh Plunkett, Gerry McCabe, Eugene Gilsenan, Kevin Healy, Shane O'Reilly, Stephen Sheridan, Dermot O'Reilly, Colm Caffrey, James Baugh, Anthony Loran, Laura McEnroe, Mark Finegan. Subs; Keith Morrissey, Paul Mulvanny, Sean Nolan. Meanwhile, Munterconnacht supporters were to have another joyous day out just a matter of weeks later when the club's highly-rated minors came good in the Minor C Championship final at Kingspan/Breffni Park. The would-be victors had to do it the hard way though, with a last-gasp goal by John McCabe snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Bolstered by similar triumphs at under 12, 13, 14 and 16 levels plus league and championship wins at minor level, Munterconnacht's minor panel in 2002 impressed en route to the final, beating Laragh easily and then overcoming Redhills in the semi-final. But having lost the league final earlier in the season (by a single point to Drumgoon), Munterconnacht weren't about to take anything for granted in the championship decider. "I think all of us felt a bit of pressure to do well in the championship after the league disappointment, " joint-manager Mickey Plunkett confesses. With at least seven of the team benefiting from several run-outs with the club's junior side, the minors didn't lack for experience or strength. They didn't lack for skill either as they duly demonstrated in overcoming Ballyhaise by 2-9 to 1-10 in the final. Ironically it was Ballyhaise who had the better of the opening exchanges but a goal by John McCabe in the 21st minute at first levelled the scores only for the same player to put his side one point in front two minutes later. Chances were missed at either end in the run-up to the half-time break though but then Ballyhaise eventually found the net to lead by 1-5 to 1-3. Munterconnacht's top scorer John McCabe was on hand moments later though to score a point and reduce Ballyhaise's lead to the minimum at the interval. Once again Munterconnacht were caught napping straight after the throw-in and four unanswered points by Ballyhaise might have given a lot of other teams good reason to panic. Not Munterconnacht though. Instead, the blue and whites dug deep and points by Thomas Brady, John McCabe and Brady again left just two between the sides by the 53rd minute. A great series of blocks by the Munterconnacht defenders had their supporters in full voice at this stage but with four minutes left Ballyhaise seemed to have nudged their way ever closer to the winning post with a further point. Like true champions though, Munterconnacht battled to the very last and two converted frees by John McCabe set the scene for the notching of the winning goal by the same player in the dying seconds to leave his side 2-9 to 1-10 ahead at the death. The spoils were Munterconnacht's. And in truth, it was no less the Mickey Plunkett/ Peter Cullen-managed squad deserved. "I was delighted for the players. They worked hard all year, were a terrificly easy bunch to manage and their second half display was as good as you'd see at any level," Mickey concludes. The following Munterconnacht players did the needful against Ballyhaise in the Minor C Championship final last November; Declan Bough; Jamie Hetherton, Pauric McEnroe, Brian Cullen, Peter Cullen, Michael Brady, Thomas Brady (0-2), Donal Heery, Brendan Plunkett (0-1), Stephen Baugh, Daniel Nolan, Kevin Gilsenan, John McCabe (2-6). Subs; Stephen Sheridan for Kevin Gilsenan (inj); Dermot O'Reilly for Stephen Baugh. Tweet

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