According to influential player Adrian Dunne, things are looking good in the Maghera camp as we approach another new season. On the face of it, 2002 was a disappointing year for Maghera, who failed to make any major impression. Upon closer inspection, however, the MacFinns are assembling a decent crop of young players and there's every reason to believe that things are going to get better before they get worse. Key defender Adrian Dunne is optimistic that Maghera are much better than their '02 performances suggest and believes they have the makings of a good side, particularly bearing in mind the success the club's younger players have enjoyed under the Lurgan banner: "At a team, we are very young, which has to augur well for the future. We have introduced a lot of young players and have given them responsibility, and thats encouraging for the club's future." Adrian - a stellar full back with the sort of versatility that makes him a prize asset to Maghera MacFinns - typifies the sort of youthful drive that is keeping the Meath border outfit alive and kicking. Though still only in his early 20s, he's already a veteran campaigner on the first team and was also elected treasurer for the current year at the club's most recent AGM. Casting his mind back on the events of 2002, he admits that disappointment was very much the order of the day: "We were certainly disappointed with how we performed in the championship, because we have a lot more ability and potential than those performances suggest. "Even though we're a relatively small club and we lost some players, I still think we could have done better. The main ingredient that was lacking was self belief. The players are good enough, but the team as a unit just didn't have enough self belief to win a championship." Maghera were in Section 3 of the 2002 Cavan JFC, alongside Arva, Kildallan, Mullahoran and Mountnugent. As things transpired, Arva and Kildallan topped the group on seven points apiece, while Mullahoran also went through to the knock-out stages. But Maghera picked up the wooden spoon, failing to earn a single point from their four outings. However, their form in Division Three of the all-county league was much more encouraging and gives a more accurate indication of the ability inherent in the team. As Adrian recalls: "Towards the end of the year, we reached the quarter-final of the league, having put in some decent performances. We played Drumalee and took them to a replay before losing. We should have won the drawn game. "Drumalee went on to win both the Division Three league and the intermediate championship and we really put it up to them, which shows that we weren't too far off the mark. Thanks to that league run, we finished the year on a high note, which leaves us in good shape going into the new season. "Over the course of the league, we did quite well. One of the high points was victory in the local derby over Munterconnaught. We always rise to the occasion for that one and 2002 was no exception. It was a good performance and a great result ... definitely one of the highlights of the year." Unfortunately, the championship didn't deliver any memories of such a positive nature. The MacFinns got off to the worst possible start, and never quite managed to get back on track thereafter, as Adrian explains: "We met Kildallan in the first round and they beat us well. That result left us very disheartened and it was difficult to pick it up after that. The second game against Arva was another tough one and it just went downhill from there." On a positive note, Maghera were able to blood a few young lads, introducing them to the thrills and spills of championship fare. "Some young lads came into the team and did really well," Adrian confirms. "Andrew Brady, Lorcan Reilly and Eddie Moore all acquitted themselves well and will be all the better for the experience next year. "All three played a leading role in the team and their presence helped compensate for the fact that we were missing some key men. Two of our more experienced footballers, Joseph Lynch and Ciaran Dunne, were out injured for most of the year and the two McHughs were in Wales, so we were weren't at full strength, but the younger fellas came in and made a hell of a difference. "In general, we still performed well with the players we had. We gelled well and the fact that we're all friends anyway is a big help. There's a great sense of camaraderie and team spirit in the camp, which is important, and I think that'll really stand to us this year and in the seasons ahead." Make no mistake about it: even though they hardly set the world on fire, Maghera are still looking back on '02 as a positive year all 'round. "It was a decent year, and the amount of young faces that were at our AGM was a good indication of where we're at right now. "The average age of the team is 21 and I'm already one of the oldest players at 23! There was one game last season where I was our second oldest player! Jason Fitzsimons, who's only 19, played midfield all year and was also club secretary. That's the type of club we have now. It's very heartening to see so many young members taking such an interest. "We are in the process of building a good team at the moment. Paddy McGovern - assisted by selectors Charlie McGrath and Gerry Conaty - was manager last year and he managed to instill a lot of belief into the players. It was clear that he believed in us and that rubbed off. Hopefully, we can continue on the same path." The team trained twice a week, and more frequently coming up to the championship. They were still going strong towards the end of the season, ending the year on a high with two league quarter-final clashes with Drumalee. And so to the $64,000 question: how will Maghera fare in 2003? "We want to do well in the league. To be honest, I don't think there's anyone in the division that we should be scared of and there's not much between any of the teams. It's all on the day and depends on the mental attitude - we beat Corlough by about 15 points in 2001 and they beat us last year. And Castlerahan only beat us by a point last year and went on to win the intermediate championship ... the same with Drumalee in 2002. Both the Division Three league and the junior championship are wide open." Is it fair to assume therefore that Maghera will be going all out to win the junior championship? "Of course we will. We played Mullahoran with a weakened team last year and they still only beat us by three points. With some fine-tuning here and there, we'll be a force to be reckoned with." At the time I spoke to Adrian - early January, the clouds weighed down by the threat of snow - the local national school was using the club's meeting room as an extra classroom, due to excess numbers. The club installed a heating system to ensure the pupils were comfortable - a gesture which typifies the tremendous sense of community spirit endemic in the club. Maghera's catchment area (on the main Dublin-Cavan road between Carnaross in Meath and Virginia) is developing rapidly, which is good news. "Any new faces are always more than welcome," Adrian stresses. "There's a lot of development going on in the area and it's always great to see newcomers coming in. You can never have enough members or enough helping hands." The underage club to which Maghera is affiliated - Lurgan - enjoyed yet another exceptional year in 2002. Lurgan are one of the Breffni County's most prominent juvenile clubs and they were very much to the fore again in '02, as has become customary. "This has to be good for our future," Adrian Dunne enthuses. "It's good for our players to achieve that kind of success, as winning and playing at a high level gives young players a confidence boost. A lot of our first team members were also on the Lurgan under 21 team in 2002 and every bit of experience helps. "All in all it was a very good year. Our players showed, when playing for Lurgan against the likes of Cavan Gaels, that they can compete with the best in the county. That knowledge will improve their confidence and hopefully they'll carry it through into their Maghera careers." Adrian himself played juvenile with now defunct St Cillian's (an amalgamation with Killinkere and Cuchullains) and enjoyed a successful innings, winning a minor championship. He also garnered U16 and U17 Roinn B medals with Maghera. He has been on the Maghera first team for seven years and firmly believes that the good times are just around the corner. They could be... Tweet

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