Micheal Fitzpatrick has been one of the most consistent scoregetters in Cavan for the last four years or thereabouts. It came as no surprise then when he was honoured as the 2002 Junior Player of the Year. In transfer system parlance, Micheal Fitzpatrick could be termed hot property in Cavan Gaelic football circles. A proven scoregetter and a player particularly renowned for his accuracy from free-kicks, the Butlersbridge ace has often been worth his weight in gold to the village side. Time and time again, the 'Bridge hitman has bailed his club out of tricky situations by dint of his deadly marksmanship. A key man for his club when they annexed the junior championship title less than two years ago, he was as near a shoe-in for the 2002 Player of the Year award as you can get. "Others mightn't have been surprised that I got the award but I was surprised to get it. "To be honest I didn't know at the time that the award even existed. "But it was an honour to get it and it rounded off the year nicely after the championship win. "I don't know why I got it because I didn't feel I was particularly outstanding in any of the games that year." Not that the ace freetaker is wont to crow about throwing his team-mates a lifeline here, there and yonder en route to collecting a rare piece of silverware. In this respect, one thinks of his six points tally against Cavan Gaels in the 2002 championship campaign and in the county decider thereafter when his five points helped sink Kildallan. "I've missed a lot of frees too," he reminds us. Yet despite his endearing modesty, one senses that Micheal is all too well aware just how important it is to attain and maintain more than a modicum of reliability from dead ball situations which arise (sadly all too often in Cavan right now). "When the rule changes came in a few years ago, some people said that the importance of the freetaker would be lessened but, if anything, it has been more vital than ever that a team has someone who can knock the frees over fairly consistently." Needless to say, Micheal's ability to convert most of the frees that came his way in 2002 proved instrumental in catapulting his club to a precious and long-awaited Junior Football Championship title success. Indeed the story of the 'Bridge's famed win over perennial bridesmaids Kildallan in the 2002 county decider largely revolved around our man Fitzpatrick's quality deliveries from frees. One recalls that despite the clear early dominance enjoyed by the 'Bridge in the final, the would-be winners managed to lead by just 0-3 to 0-0 after the opening 15 minutes with, predictably, Micheall Fitzpatrick notching all three. In truth the 'Bridge were patently the better team on the day with Kildallan having little to offer on the day. And things finally blew up in Kildallan's faces when Carlos Conlon got his fist to a high delivery by Micheal to put his side 1-4 to 0-3 to the good. At that point, the writing was well and truly on the wall for the west Cavan side. "Looking back on the video, it was definitely a poor game and we were really relying on Mickey (Fitzpatrick) putting over the frees," Butlersbridge's most experienced campaigner Paddy McGovern acknowledged after the final. Ironically the 'Bridge cause at the outset of 2002 looked far from rosy as they headed into the season without the services of Darragh Kehoe, Noel McPhillips, Fergal Boylan, Adrian McConnell and the aforementioned Fitzpatrick on board. Fortunately ace-freetaker Fitzpatrick did make it back in time to assist the 'Bridge in their championship endeavours. "I was in the US for about four months and only got home for the first round of the championship on the day before we played Crosserlough in Killeshandra," he reminds us. And did he sense that something really special was in the pipeline for the team? "Definitely. The atmosphere in the dressing-room before the game was the best I've known with the 'Bridge. "There was something different about everyone's approach. For the first time that I could remember all the lads went into the championship with absolutely no fear," Micheal recalls. And despite not being quite 100% fit, Micheal played his part. "I was put into corner-forward for the frees and just about had enough in the tank to get through. "It was our first game in the group and we didn't play that particularly well. "But it was all about the result on the day and fortunately Ronan (Flanagan) popped up to get a goal in the last few minutes which gave us the result we wanted." The win over Crosserlough came as a very welcome and timely tonic for the 'Bridge. With so many key personnel out of bounds early in the year, the 'Bridge struggled to make an impression in the league. "I suppose we peaked at the right time," Micheal surmises. "At the start of the year, expectations in the club weren't that high and as the league went on, those hopes didn't get any higher. I suppose most of the clubs in the county ended up being surprised by how well we eventually did. "But the longer the championship went on, the more I saw how much heart there was in the team and how the spirit in the camp was growing and I thought we had a very good chance of going the distance," adds the former county minor. In truth, most gaels in the county would have reckoned that the 'Bridge were never going to be far away from the winners' rostrum given that the club had been making it to the play-off stages of the championship on a regular basis for a number of years. Micheal himself had previously figured with the 'Bridge in an ill-fated championship semi-final tie against Mullahoran when outsiders Swanlinbar beat everyone in the chase for the blue riband title. One wonders had Micheal ever given up hope of getting his hands on a championship medal? "No way. I knew there was the bones of a winning team in place and then a few good young fellas were coming through but, to be honest, I didn't think we'd hit the jackpot in 2002. "But we did it and I think that we can get another championship under our belt in the near future 'cause we have some great minors coming through." Son of Martin Fitzpatrick, a member of the 1974 championship-winning Butlersbridge side, Micheal naturally reflects on that glorious championship run of 2002 with great fondness. He says he feels fortunate to have gotten a winners' medal, especially considering how long the aforementioned McGovern was trying before finally succeeding. He remembers that after the euphoria of the team's late, late win over Crosserlough, first-time out, that defeat to Munterconnacht in their next game was a timely reminder of the task at hand. "It was a wake-up call and we did play better the next day to draw with them. "We were lucky after that though to get a draw in the first game with Ballymachugh in the quarter-final but then again improved to knock them out in the replay." So apart from concluding that the team got better with each outing, what were the characteristics of the team which helped propel them first past the finishing post? "Pure hunger I'd say and our workrate. "Every player worked hard for the team, for each other and there was a great commitment from everyone, on and off the field. "Even when we had to wait ten weeks between the semi-final and the final because of the Mullahoran objection, the spirit and commitment remained top class. "No one got distracted - the will to win was still there." The 10 week sabbatical must have tested the resolve and ambition of the squad though? "It was a difficult time. The wait seemed to go on forever. "But Felim (Plunkett) did a great job in changing training around each week, freshing things up, keeping the squad focussed and on the boil. If anything, the morale and camaraderie in the camp got even better in the time between the semi-final and final," Micheal assures us. And with hand on heart, Micheal confirms that he personally had no preference in terms of which team he wished to face in the final. According to the likeable Lakeland Diaries employee, it was immaterial as to whether it was going to be Mullahoran or Kildallan lining up against the 'Bridge on finals day. "I was at a couple of their games and I wasn't particularly worried about having to play either of them. "We just concentrated on our own game and basically ignored the opposition." Ahead of another championship season, Micheal says he would dearly love it if the 'Bridge lads were able to rekindle the glorious 2002 campaign. "It's everyone's ambition at the club to get back up to intermediate. "Getting relegated back down to junior last year was very disappointing. "I think the will is there among the lads and the talent is definitely there so I don't see why we can't come good again." Tweet

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