The famine continues in the Cooley half of the peninsula. It's been 20 years now since the Joe Ward Cup wintered in Fr McEvoy Park and the breakthrough remains frustratingly elusive. The famed Kickhams reached yet another county SFC final in 2010 - their second in succession and fourth in seven seasons - but this time a one-point defeat to Mattock was their lot at The Gaelic Grounds in early October.

For neither love nor money, as the old man says…
Cooley Kickhams just can't seem to catch a break on county final day. The Green & Golds have been regular participants on the Wee County's biggest stage, contesting a flurry of finals, establishing themselves as one of the most consistent senior sides in Louth, earning membership of the so-called Big Four. However, unlike fellow members Mattock, the Blues and the Pats, the current Cooley team has yet to win the Joe Ward Cup.
They've been close. By God, they've been close, reaching the latter stages practically ever year, taking up an almost perennial residency on county final day. Close, indeed, but - alas - no cigar. In 2010, it was a familiar story as Cooley - managed by Down's 1994 All-Ireland winning captain DJ Kane - squared up to Mattock in a repeat of the 2009 decider. Twelve months earlier, a nightmare start had seen the peninsula club humiliated. This time, they led by double scores at half time and looked likely victors for the most part, leading by 0-9 to 0-7 with eight minutes left, only to be caught out by a speculative 54th-minute goal (that crossed the line via the underside of the crossbar), then stunned by a clinching point three minutes into stoppage time. 1-8 to 0-10. Another county final loss. Even the most hardened Kickhamophobe couldn't help but feel some pity for Cooley.
At the start of every new campaign, Cooley's goal is the same - a first SFC since 1990. The club has had little or no trouble stringing together ACC / Paddy Sheelan Cup and Cardinal O'Donnell Cup wins, but the Joe Ward is a different story entirely. In the run-up to the 2010 championship, Cooley were reasonably solid in the league and had reached the semi-final stage of the subsidiary competition, only to surprisingly fall to a 1-6 to 0-5 defeat to would-be winners O'Raghallaighs in June. Without county star Brian White, who had a fantastic year in the red jersey of Louth, Cooley failed to score in the first half and had the following men on duty: Simon Dullaghan; Frank Murphy, Conor McGuinness, PJ McGivern; Eddie Moley, John Kane, Peter Murphy; Richard Brennan (0-1), Anthony White; Aoghan McGuinness, Ronan Hanlon, Sean Donnelly; Shane Marks, Patrick Sheelan (0-3), Sean McDonald (0-1). Subs: Sean O'Neill, Patrick McGrath, Gearoid Clarke, Gavin White.
For the SFC, Cooley were pitted in Group Two, alongside St Marys and St Patricks. The top two in the three-club section would progress to the quarter-finals. Cooley duly opened their account with a 1-15 to 1-8 victory over St Marys at Haggardstown on Saturday, August 14th. Aoghan McGuinness got the show on the road with a wonderful goal in the first minute and points from Jason Long, Brian White and Richard Brennan made it 1-3 to 0-2. But the Ardee men refused to wilt and it was a one-point game at







the break, 1-5 to 0-7, with John Kane and Patrick Sheelan on target. With White (0-6) and Sean O'Neill dominant, it was one-sided fare after the restart.

Cooley Kickhams, Louth SFC Group Two V St Marys: Seamus Quigley; Frank Murphy, Conor McGuinness, PJ Mc Givern; Gavin Long (0-2), Alan Page, Richard Brennan (0-2); Sean O'Neill, John Kane (0-1); Aoghan McGuinness (1-0), MJ Hanlon, Ciaran Sheelan; Patrick Sheelan (0-2), Brian White (0-6), Jason Long (0-2).  Subs: David Hughes, Sean Donnelly, Neil Gallagher.
Both teams were already guaranteed a place in the Last Eight by the time local rivals Cooley and the Pats squared up somewhat tentatively at Dowdallshill. With just bragging rights at stake (and both teams fielding below strength XVs), the match finished level: St Patricks 1-10, Cooley Kickhams 2-7. Jason Long got the first Cooley goal on 20 minutes and the same player added a second major just shy of the short whistle to make it 2-0 to 1-7 at the break. DJ Kane's charges produced a vastly-improved display after the turnaround to deservedly take a share of the spoils. The result meant Dundalk Gaels would provide quarter-final opposition the following weekend.
Cooley Kickhams, Louth SFC Group Two V St Patricks: Seamus Quigley; Eoin Murphy, Conor McGuinness, PJ McGivern; Gavin Long, Alan Page, John Kane (0-2); Sean O'Neill, David Hughes; Aoghan McGuinness (0-1), Cormac Watters, Ciaran Sheelan (0-1), Patrick Sheelan (0-2), Keith White, Jason Long (2-1).
The quarter-final was played in poor conditions at Clan na Gael Park on Saturday September 4th and Cooley looked strong over the hour as they powered to a comfortable 1-12 to 1-5 victory. Patrick Sheelan, Sean McDonald and Brian White had the winners up and running with fine points inside five minutes. White added a pointed free and the Gaels grabbed two before McDonald fired his second point. White's clinical goal made it 1-5 to 0-2 and it was 1-6 to 1-2 at half time. The town side got the first point of the second half but Cooley responded with a brace from White before goalkeeper Seamus Quigley made an excellent save to keep his team in command. The Gaels closed within three but Cooley eased over the line with scores from White (3) and Aoghan McGuinness.

Cooley Kickhams, Louth SFC quarter-final V Dundalk Gaels: Seamus Quigley; Frank Murphy, Conor McGuinness, PJ Mc Givern; John Kane, Alan Page, Cormac Watters; Sean O'Neill, Richard Brennan; Aoghan McGuinness (0-1), Patrick Sheelan (0-1), Ciaran Sheelan; Shane Marks, Brian White (1-8), Sean McDonald (0-2). Subs David Hughes, Gavin Long.

Not for the first time in the 2010 Louth SFC, substitute Jason Long - who had missed the quarter-final due to holidays - was the two-goal hero as his second-half brace of three-pointers gave Cooley a dramatic 2-7 to 0-11 semi-final victory over Newtown Blues at The Clans on Saturday, September 11th. County goalkeeper Neil Gallagher returned between the posts and pulled off a match-winning save as Cooley booked a second successive county final appearance. In slippery conditions, the winners trailed by 0-4 to 0-1 after 20 minutes but were in touch - 0-4 to 0-3 - at half time, with Aoghan McGuinness, Patrick Sheelan and Brian White registering their first-half scores. White got the first two points of the second half but the Blues then took control only for Gallagher's wondersave from Stephen Moonan at the three-quarters mark to keep Cooley in contention. Long's two goals proved decisive, making it 2-5 to 0-8, but the Blues closed within the minimum only for Ciaran Sheelan and Sean McDonald to give Cooley some breathing space.

Cooley Kickhams, 2010 Louth SFC semi-final V Newtown Blues: Neil Gallagher; Frank Murphy, Conor McGuinness, PJ McGivern; Alan Page, John Kane, Keith White; Sean O'Neill, Richard Brennan; Aoghan McGuinness (0-1), Brian White (0-3), David Hughes; Patrick Sheelan (0-1), Ciaran Sheelan (0-1), Sean McDonald (0-1). Subs: Jason Long (2-0), Shane Marks, MJ Hanlon.
Thus, beaten finalists in 2004, 2007 and 2009, Cooley were through to a fourth Louth SFC decider in seven seasons. Captained by John Kane, they had failed to hit any great heights en route to the October 3rd showdown with Mattock at the Gaelic Grounds but found themselves just an hour away from a first Joe Ward Cup success in two decades. Collon struck first but two Brian White points made it 0-2 to 0-1 after eight minutes. Seamus Quigley had made a fine early save. After Mattock went back in front, Cooley got on top in the second quarter and hit unanswered points through White, Patrick Sheelan (2) and sub Jason Long. Leading by 0-6 to 0-3 at half time, the peninsula boys were oh so close… Mattock got back on terms but the introduction of former Oz Rules man Brian Donnelly gave Cooley renewed impetus and scores from White (2) and Patrick Sheelan left the scoreboard reading 0-9 to 0-7 with ten minutes left. After Mattock struck the only goal of the game, Cooley showed great heart to find a 58th-minute equaliser through substitute Gavin Long. A replay looked inevitable but, three minutes into injury time, Cooley hearts were broken once more.
Cooley Kickhams, 2010 Louth SFC final V Mattock Rangers: Seamus Quigley; Frank Murphy, Conor McGuinness, PJ McGivern; Alan Page, Richard Brennan, John Kane; David Hughes, Sean O'Neill; Patrick Sheelan (0-3), Aoghan McGuinness, Keith White; Sean McDonald, Brian White (0-5), Ciaran Sheelan. Subs: Jason Long (0-1), Brian Donnelly, Gavin Long (0-1), Sean Donnelly. Tweet

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