Crosserlough left their best wine 'till last to leave the best of the rest punch drunk in the 2003 Under 13 Roinn A Championship. Team-mentor Sean Cusack recalls the black and ambers' win with Kevin Carney. In the mid to late seventies Crosserlough vied with Lurgan as the top underage club in Cavan. Sean Cusack was one of the star men on those (almost) all-conquering black and amber sides that cantered to a plethora of title wins. Cusack and co. were so good, in fact, that they proved the best around at every underage grade from under 12 up to under 21, except at minor championship level when the aforementioned Lurgan played party poopers to perfection. In 2003 the bold Cusack found himself back again in Bord Peil na nOg's winners' enclosure as he helped guide the Kilnaleck-based crew to an impressive Under 13 Roinn A Championship title. It's his earnest hope that a string of successes similar to those garnered in the seventies can be achieved over the next few years. "A lot of work was put in by a lot of people at underage level at the club over the past year but unfortunately the under 13s were the only ones in luck at the end of the day in terms of bringing home any silverware. "Their win was a big boost to the club and everyone has high hopes for their ability to collect another few county titles down the line. " I'll be surprised if the players who played at under 13 level in 2003 don't collect another few medals before they finish at underage level," the former senior star comments. Certainly those among the Crosserlough au fait with their under 13 wonder kids and the gaels from the other clubs 'victimised' by Crosserlough's brillance at that level in 2003 could all vouch for the players' potential. But, as the mantra goes, ' no said it was going to be easy' and our man Cusack is the first to admit that winning the blue riband under 13 title wasn't easy. "We knew that it wasn't going to be easy to win the championship and that the lads would have to play to the top of their form to win it and that's the way it worked out." Indeed after losing out by a handful of points at under 14 level to Cavan Gaels earlier in the season, the Crosserlough mentors were left wondering had the county town outfit got even more in the tank at under 13 level. Either way, as the game approached, the word on the grapevine among the majority of the clubs with a vested interest was that the winner of the match would, likely as not, go on to win the competition outright. As things transpired, the issue went, predictably, down to the wire. "It was always going to be tough to beat the Gaels and it was genuinely difficult to call beforehand. "They beat us in 2002 at under 12 level and on the basis of that they were probably slight favourites to win. "I remember it was nip and tuck the whole way through until we really pulled out all the stops in the last five minutes, scoring 1-3 with Karl Lynch getting the goal, to clinch it. "It was a close call and the game was in the balance up until Karl's goal really," Sean recalls. And so the squad which skipped its way to the Ulster Under 10 Community Games final a few seasons ago were off to their winning ways once more. "These fellas knew what winning is all about because of their success in the past but they showed all year in training and in the matches that they were hungry for more success. "The other noticeable thing about them was their confidence and their self-belief. Despite Cavan Gaels' record at underage level in Roinn A over the years, there was no way our fellas were going to be in awe of them. "It was fairly special to beat the Gaels too because everyone knows how much effort they put into coaching the youngsters there and the amount of kids they have available to them. "You just have to ask yourself, how many times do the Gaels lose important underage matches," Sean asks, rhetorically. The Gaels could have no complaints then? "I don't think so. People might have thought it was an upset for the formbook but we deserved to beat them. "Our workrate was excellent and the spine of the team was incredible on the day." Of course, with fellas so young, there was the danger, post-Cavan Gaels, that Crosserlough's finest would lose the run of themselves and imagine that the title was all but done and dusted. In this respect, Sean admits that himself and the rest of the management team, i.e. Dessie Smith, Enda Reilly and David Clarke, made sure to keep the fellas' feet on terra firma. "A lot of the fellas probably thought that they were going to win the championship once they had beaten Cavan Gaels but we kept telling them that Laragh would be no push-overs in the semi-final and that they still had a lot of work to do." In the event, Crosserlough's form held good for the Laragh tie in Lavey with the would-be champions careering to a nine point victory with a secure platform at midfield and the potency of man of the match Barry McKiernan doing most to oust the Stradone-based lads from the competition. "In fairness to Laragh, I'd say they were very disappointed with their own performance on the day. "We felt ourselves that they weren't nearly as strong as Cavan Gaels and, in all honesty, by the last quarter, we were nearly in total command. "We always had the edge in the match." And so to the final and a meeting with Kingscourt Stars at Kingspan/Breffni Park. Interestingly, Sean says the Stars shone brighter than he imagined. "I went to see them play Bailieboro in the other semi-final and while I thought Bailieboro would have won it, Kingscourt were the better team, deserved to win and really looked good." In the run-up to the final, the buzz about the Crosserlough was palpable with each player relishing the training and wearing his pride on his sleeve. "The lads were good all year for us, very committed and not a bit of trouble. It helps though when you're winning though. It's easier to motivate a winning team," Sean reminds us. Yes, but credit to all belonging to the Crosserlough troupe for engineering a winning formula with such a limited number of players. Then again, when there's a star man in every line of the team, magic wands aren't really needed then either, are they! Still, Kingscourt must have fancied their chances too of lifting the title. After all the east Cavan side beat Crosserlough at under 14 grade in 2003. Once again both camps wondered how many players each camp had 'lost' from those squads as they headed into the under 13 decider. The final itself was a fine advertisement for the skills of the players from both clubs and the amount of quality coaching afforded them too. The game started off with Crosserlough starting like the proverbial express train. The Stars proved more than worthy finalists though and they hit back with interest as the first half gathered pace. It was to be another clifff-hanger with the teams neck and neck as they retired at the interval. And Cusack's thoughts at that juncture? "I wasn't that concerned about anything at half-time although I did think we had underperformed in the first half and that was no disrespect to Kingscourt. In the second half, we stepped it up and got more ball into Barry (McKiernan) and a lot quicker too. "We started to show just how mobile we were around the middle too and, overall, probably played our best football of the year in that second half. "The lads weren't great in the first half but they definitely played to the maximum of their ability in the second thirty minutes and a few points at the start of the half helped a lot to relax them." Indeed, Crosserlough were truly a class apart as the game careered to a close with the increasing rarity of Kingscourt attacks bearing testimony to Crosserlough's dominance in the second half. It's a squad of players that can continue to conquer, Sean maintains. "You never know with young lads but if this group continues to improve, they could be as good as any underage squad that's been at the club in my time. "It'll be difficult for them to keep focussed on football all the time as they get older because of all the other distractions but if they show the necessary dedication and commitment, they'll have a few more medals to collect before they become seniors." The Crosserlough players who did the business against Kingscourt in the 2003 Under 13 Roinn A Championship were as follows: Ben Rowley; Damian Galligan, Sean Keaney, Paul McEvoy; Mark Galligan, Killian McEvoy; Killian Smith, Emmet O'Reilly, Cian Byrd; Stephen McKiernan, John Lynch, Christopher Kiernan; Raymond Briody, Barry McKiernan, Karl Lynch. Sub used; Stephen Rudden. One out of three ain't bad Crosserlough competed in three county finals at adult level in 2003 but won out in just one, the Reserve Championship Division One competition. Star man Karl Kelly looks back on that relieving title win Karl Kelly is a manager's dream. A real bundle of energy, a pocket dynamo who makes up for his lack of inches by his determination and aggression. Kelly is the type of player who is likely to cover every blade of grass despite the fact that his resident berth on Crosserlough teams is closest to the opposition's goal. For many GAA fans well removed from the Kilnaleck-based club, the 24 year old livewire epitomises the strength in depth boasted by the black and ambers for so long now. Few, if any, clubs can sport such an avalanche of players at adult level as Crosserlough and it a measure of the club's solid structure that, more often than not, they are in the running for at least one piece of silverware at adult level each year. In 2003, the famed 'lough got their hands on the Reserve Championship Division One title. Our man Kelly was arguably the star performer for the winners, notching a splendid 1-5 personal tally over the course of his side's dramatic 1-9 to 1-8 victory in last September's final at Crosskeys. Karl's haul included a last minute penalty which proved to be the decisive score of a really eventful match which seemed to have swung the county town's way only for the tide to turn in an unexpected and sudden direction. With three minutes of added-on time having elapsed, the spoils appeared to be slipping away from Kelly and co. However a scramble for possession close to the Cavan Gaels goal led to referee Martin Brady (Lacken Celtic) pointing to the penalty spot. Penalty king Kelly vividly remembers how Crosserlough were afforded the chance to get out of jail: "I remember Tom Boylan went to take a shot but his effort was blocked, legally, but in the follow-up a Gaels player handled the ball on the ground. "They (Cavan Gaels) weren't a bit happy when the ref awarded us a penalty and there was a big hold-up while they argued their case. "Eventually I was able to take the penalty. I kept focussing on what I had to do, picked my spot and, fortunately, put it away." The Gaels' protestations that defender Pakie Graham had lifted the ball well outside the square counted for nothing. Kelly's strike was the last score of the game and moments later Crosserlough's goalscorer was able to celebrate the collection of yet another adult medal. His 2003 Reserve Championship Division One winners' medal would thus be added to his three Junior B medals, a brace of Junior C medals and a Division 1A medal. Quite a haul for a young man of 24! Karl's coolness under pressure in last September's decider and his more than useful 1-5 tally evoked memories of his man-of-the match winning display in the 2000 Division 1A final when he notched 1-4 as Crosserlough beat Bailieboro by 3-11 to 0-10. Crosserlough's most recent county title win - and their only one at adult level in 2003 - was a much more closely fought affair as Karl admits: "The game could have went either way. "They led by a couple of points after the first 15 minutes and we weren't exactly finding the mark up front in the early stages of the match so they looked the more impressive side," he recalls. However a converted free by Karl in the 16th minute, a point from play by Declan Reilly three minutes later and then three successive frees by Karl between the 25th and 30th minutes served to leave Cavan Gaels trailing by 0-5 to 0-7 at the interval. Crosserlough had no cause to rest on their laurels though for within three minutes of the restart, the county town side were back on level terms. Indeed things looked far from rosy for the would-be winners just five minutes after the restart when veteran Gaels man Pakie Kiernan rifled a shot to the Crosserlough net. The cat was, by now, very much among the pidgeons but Crosserlough refused to buckle and points by Paul Galligan and Aidan Boyle steadied the black and amber ship. Amazingly, a point thereafter in the 19th minute by Cavan Gaels' veteran Pakie Graham marked his side's final score of the match. The spoils dangled tantalisingly in the air in front of both sides from there to the finish. Ultimately, top-scorer Kelly became the hero of the hour with his ice-cool delivery from the spot. Despite a further seven minutes of added-on time after the penalty, Crosserlough failed to relinquish their grip on the glittering prize. The championship was hard-fought but one which was great to win, Karls says. "I thought at the start of the year that we had a good chance of winning it out. " It was a big disappointment that we weren't allowed to play in the Junior A Championship. "We played most of the teams that competed in the Junior Championship in 2003, beating the likes of Kildallan and eventual winners Lavey in the league during the year. "So we wouldn't have been afraid of taking on any of the teams in the championship. "It's a pity other clubs objected to the likes of ourselves, Mullahoran and Cavan Gaels playing in the junior championship but there was nothing we could do about it. "Not being able to play in the junior championship made all the lads all the more determined to win the Reserve Championship though." So what's the secret behind Crosserlough's notoriously good record at adult reserve competitions? "We've a great pick and there's a lot of competition for places. "We'd have upwards on sixty players at adult level and three teams, each of them with a good chance of winning a county title in any given year. "We had over forty players out training by the middle of January this year and they're all gunning for places on the different teams." It's not surprising that the 2003 Crosserlough management team of Gerry O'Rourke, Tom Sullivan, Brian Lynch and Seamus Cahill were the envy of an awful lot of other club managers in Cavan last year. However defeats for Crosserlough in the 2003 finals of the Division Three league (to Shercock in Bailieboro) and in the Division One league (to Cavan Gaels by a single point) reminded all and sundry around Kilnaleck way that there's a very fine line between a brillant season and a good season. Those two defeats at year-end, Karl admits, did leave a sour taste in the mouths of all Crosserlough gaels. Still, the Reserve Championship Division One success last year is something that can be built upon. The victories over Gowna (thanks in part to another vital penalty kick), Kingscourt (by a single point), a titanic derby win over Denn in the semi-final and then the aforementioned victory over Cavan Gaels in the decider made for a morale-boosting series of wins and a prized piece of silverware for Crosserlough GFC's trophy cabinet. For his part, Karl believes that there's more to come from Crosserlough's premier reserve squad but, having played for the black and ambers at senior championship level in 2001 (most notably against Gowna in the semi-final) and again in 2002, Karl is keen to get another run at the top level with his club. "Most of the forty or fifty fellas that would be training with the club from the start of the year would all be mad keen to play for the senior team and I'm no different. "It's a big step-up from reserve to senior championship level. "I can only do my best though when I get the chance to show that I can make the step-up and keep my place after that. "Fellas you'd come up against in the senior championship are that bit more quicker and physically stronger and there aren't really many weak links on the top teams so you have to be at your best." But can Crosserlough finally win their first blue riband Cavan football title since 1972 in the coming year? "I think it's a realistic target. "We got to the semi-final a couple of years ago and got to the senior league final last year so we're not that far off the pace. "We need a bit more luck though and we have to take a lot more of the chances that come our way up front against the top teams. "The club is badly in need of another senior championship title and winning it this year would lift a huge monkey off the club's back." The all-conquering Reserve Championship-winning Crosserlough troupe was as follows: Crosserlough; David Clarke; Karl Maguire, Martin Donohoe, Jason Reilly; Barry Caldwell, Thomas Maguire, Noel Gilroy; Paul Galligan (0-1), Tom Boylan; Brendan O'Rourke, Karl Kelly (1-5), Declan Reilly (0-1); Damien Leddy, Micheal O'Rourke (0-1), Aidan Boyle (0-1).Sub; Barney Reilly for Brendan O'Rourke (inj). Tweet

Most Read Stories