Not content with winning a first-ever Under 13 Roinn B title in 2003, Redhills proceeded to add another two underage trophies to their cabinet during the past year Looking back on 2003, hard-working Redhills club secretary Orla O'Reilly maintains that very few, if any, people connected to the Redhills club can remember such a glorious year for underage football in the club. A key member of the administration contingent that helped keep the local underage talent careering upwards and onwards over the past year, Orla isn't kidding when she says that 2003 was "unbelievable" for the gaels of Redhills. On the personal front, she admits to being more than than a little bit pleased to have been on the sideline to oversee Redhills' 16 Division Four Championship and Minor D Championship titles being scooped and close at hand also to witness the county under 13 Roinn B title being taken to the north of the county. "The players brought great pride and joy to the club and it's a credit to them and the fellas over the teams," Orla enthuses. Certainly the success-starved border club posted notice of its intention to make a decided impact at adult level in the not too distant future by dint of its wonderous achievements at underage level in 2003. For instance, in scooping it's first-ever Under 13 Roinn B title back in early September, Redhills kick-started a hat-trick of title wins which fairly got them noticed countywide. In ideal playing conditions at Kingspan/Breffni Park, the border side displayed great skill and determination to overcome Swanlinbar by 3-11 to 0-9 in a thrilling Under 13 contest. Following on from their Under 12 Roinn C title success in 2002, Redhills delighted their vociferous supporters in what was their first sortie in Roinn B as a single entity rather than as part of an amalgamated team. In a first half in which the pendulum swung from one side to the other with monotonous regularity, Redhills managed to nip ahead at the break by 1-6 to 0-5. Redhills had started the game in whirlwind fashion and were four points to no-score in front early on with some excellent points, including efforts from Mark Kelly, Oisin Minagh and Packie Leddy. The only goal of the first half arrived shortly afterwards after a great passing movement involving Mark Walshe, Oisin Minagh and Mark Kelly ended with Niall Greenan goaling in great fashion. In what was a fine sporting encounter, the exchanges in the opening quarter of the second-half were equally as frenetic with both sides having their periods of supremacy. The destination of the spoils still hung in the balance with the game entering the final quarter, by which stage only three points between the sides with Redhills leading by 1-8 to 0-8. However it was at this juncture that Redhills showed a superior will to win with team-captain Mark Kelly rifling over a great point to give Redhills a vital four points lead. However late on, only a goal separated the sides. But then came the crucial score. Half-back Martin Walshe moved forward with a purposeful run before taking a good pass from James Callan and promptly driving the ball to the Swanlinbar net for a wonder score. Thereafter a free from Paul Leddy and a point from team-mate Turlough Mooney had Redhills on the cusp of victory. Just two minutes later the aforementioned Mooney finally killed the game off when, after a fine flowing move, he scored his side's third goal. The history-making, John Kelly-managed Redhills team, subs and scorers, that defeated Swanlinbar was as follows; James Brady; Francis Fitzpatrick, Fergal McDermott, Gareth Jenkins; Eoin McDonald, Niall McCaffrey, Martin Walsh 1-0; Oisin Minagh 0-2, Ciaran Smith 0-1; Mark Kelly 0-3, Joe Callan, Turlough Mooney 1-1; Diarmuid Gilsenan, Niall Greenan 1-0, Paul Leddy 0-4. Subs used;Shane Jenkins and Niall McCaffrey. Later in early October, Redhills saw their underage football c.v. further embellished as their Under 16 troupe secured yet another county title for their club, this time the Under 16 Division Four Championship title. It was an opportunist goal just seven minutes from time which proved to be the crucial score as the go-ahead village-based outfit added to their underage lustre by capturing the Under 16 Championship title with a convincing 1-13 to 1-8 victory over a gritty Ballymachugh side at Kingspan/Breffni Park. Michael Walshe's timely major in front of a vociferous crowd at Kingspan/Breffni Park - set up by excellent foraging by Mark Kelly -stretched Redhills' lead to four points. And, in truth, from there to the finish, Ballymachugh laboured before ultimately failing to win their game of catch-up, leaving the Philip Brides, Gerry Smith and Brian Reilly-trained Redhills crew deserving winners. Ballymachugh proved worthy finalists and made Redhills fight all the way to the winners' enclosure. In fact the Longford-border side actually led from the fourth minute to the 46th minute before being bowled over by Walshe's soccer-style goal and a thoroughly committed run to the finish by the Redhills team. The supporters only had to wait for four minutes before the opening goal of the game was scored when Ballymachugh's Pauric Galligan seized on a bouncing ball to fly-kick it to the Redhills' net. Less than three minutes later, Redhills almost grabbed a major themselves but Michael Walshe screwed his left-foot wide from close range. The physically stronger Redhills side continued to hold sway for the next five minutes but weak final passes and some timely interceptions by Ballymachugh combined to thwart their ambitions. Minutes later Redhills' James Smith effected a similarly brave and skilful block to deny Ballymachugh's Barry Harten a clear shot at goal after the latter was put through by Brian Kiernan. By the 22nd minute, Redhills managed to draw level at 0-4 to 1-1 when Alan Dunne collected the ball and fired over in the same movement. Four points from play by the green and yellows thereafter though helped ease Ballymachugh into a 1-5 to 0-4 lead. The would-be winners responded to the challenge laid before them though and in the minutes running up to the interval cut their deficit to just two points with Alan Dunne recording a brace, including one after a fine run. Redhills proceeded to chase the game with gusto but still remained two points adrift with 11 minutes gone in the second half. But just like Ballymachugh had done in the first half, Redhills stepped up several gears to fire over four unanswered points to storm into the lead by the 14th minute for the first time since the second minute of the game. With just a quarter of the game left to play and Redhills leading by just 0-11 to 1-7, the destination of the spoils was still far from clear. But Redhills had their dander up after hitting those quartet of scores and with the retirement through injury of 'keeper Darren Lynch (replaced in a reshuffle by Aodhain Kiernan) Ballymachugh began to find it more and more difficult to stymie Redhills' momentum. Leading by a single point with less than seven minutes left to play, Redhills then applied the coup de grace after great work by Mark Kelly set up the in-running Michael Walshe for what proved to be a match-sealing goal. The all-conquering Redhills team, and subs, that did the business in the Under 16 Division Four Championship decider was as follows; Mark Maguire; David Faulkner, James Smith, Brendan McKiernan (0-1), Gary Kelly, Ronan McCaffrey (0-1), Alan Dunne (0-4) Kevin Fay (0-5), Rory Dunne (0-1); Michael Walshe (1-0), Desmond Gumley. Subs used; Ciaran Smith; Joe Callan (0-1); Mark Kelly. Fast forward the tape to early November and Redhills' bunting would once again adorn the glittering prizes. This time around the club's talented minors produced a power-packed second half display to win the 2003 Minor 'D' MFC title at the expense of a 13-man Ballymachugh in a one-sided replay at Crosskeys. Considering the tightness of the drawn match which finished with Redhills needing a last-gasp point by Kevin Fay to nick a 1-9 to 3-3 draw, Redhills' achievement in romping to 4-13 to 0-6 victory was both astonishing and thoroughly commendable. As things panned out in their second meeting, Redhills had things mostly their own way and, ultimately, quite comfortably outgunned their weakened opponents. Having influential captain James Fitzsimons dismissed in the 16th minute came as a devastating blow to Ballymachugh and was one which they never really recovered from. That said the omens weren't good for the losers-elect at that juncture as forceful Redhills looked in the mood as they sauntered into a 3-1 lead despite giving ground to their opponents to a considerable degree on the possession front in the opening quarter. Redhills employed Ronan McCaffrey on their own half-back line as their 'spare' man after Fitzsimons' dismissal and coupled with some thrusting runs from the likes of Ciaran Kelly and Michael Walshe gradually eased their way into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after 19 minutes. Worse was to follow for Ballymachugh when Redhills number 10 Kevin Fay collected the ball from Paddy Tierney's kick-out to run through and smack the ball powerfully to the Ballymachugh net after 21 minutes. Thereafter a hat-trick of points helped give the Ballyheelan-based crew some hope at the interval. That hope gravitated to become a forlorn one before the climax of the third-quarter though as a goal manufactured by Rory Dunne and executed by Alan Dunne in the 6th minute helped catapult the border side into an almost unassailable 2-8 to 0-4 lead. And just two minutes later, the border side went for the jugular but Ciaran Kelly's shot was bravely blocked by the diving Vincent Ellis. From there to the finish though, there was really only going to be one outcome as Ballymachugh increasingly had to rely on counter-attacks to put pressure on the Redhills' rearguard. In one instance, things looked promising for Ballymachugh when Pauric Kelly did well to place Barry Kiernan but the latter's first time shot was excellently pushed on to the bar by Cormac Brides, the Redhills 'keeper. Young Kiernan collected the ball from the rebound but his shot fell short and was collected in comfort by the ever-alert Brides. At the other end, Redhills had no such ill-luck with points by Kevin Fay and Alan Dunne as they proceeded to push forward with an extra spring in their step. Playing some really inventive, cohesive and intelligent football, Redhills' confidence just grew and grew as the game progressed. The challengers came under increasing pressure but they received a let-off when Kevin Fay's free ricocheted off the crossbar before being cleared by the under-pressure Ballymachugh defence. Redhills remained in the driving seat as the minutes ticked by and it came as no surprise when Ciaran Kelly stretched Redhills' lead even further by notching his side's third goal. It was all too much for the frustrated Ballymachugh lads and the dismissal of another player with five minutes remaining only added to their woes. Redhills rubbed further salt into Ballymachugh's gaping wounds at the death when the impressive winners notched a further goal courtesy of a neat effort by Emmet Fitzpatrick. Hats off then to the Redhills crack minor side who triumphed in the 'D' Championship decider: Cormac Brides; James Smith, Brendan McKiernan, Conor McMahon, Ronan McCaffrey, Alan Dunne (1-6), Alan Brady, Ciaran Kelly (1-2), Rory Dunne, Kevin Fay (1-2), Michael Walshe (0-2). Subs; Emmet Fitzpatrick (1-0); Patrick McMahon (0-1); Brian Brady. Tweet

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