One step back - two steps forward?
November 30, 2009
Having spent nine years at the top table of Meath hurling following their IHC success in 2000, Boardsmill were demoted to the intermediate ranks at the end of the this year's SHC campaign. By Liam O'Rourke.
However, Eric Cribbin - who has served the club as a player and as secretary in recent years - is optimistic about the future for the team in blue and white.
"We have a very young hurling team. Nine or ten lads that played this year would be under-21. Four or five of those players were eligible for minor as well," is his succinct summation of where Boardsmill stand at the end of the first decade of the 21st century.
Five defeats in as many outings in Group A of the Fox Bookmakers SHC consigned Boardsmill into a relegation play-off against Gaeil Colmcille who had a similar record in Group B in their first season back in the senior ranks.
"That was probably our worst game. We played very badly. I think only one of the lads scored from play. We never just got going that day. It was a disaster.
"The two goals kept us in it. Jimmy Pratt scored both of them from play. We could have nicked it in the end. But it didn't work out," is Cribbin's reflection on the 2-7 to 0-15 defeat at Athboy on the second Saturday in September that consigned Boardsmill to the intermediate ranks.
With Drumree-man David Troy at the helm, Boardsmill had a tough opening round fixture to their campaign at Longwood on Saturday, May 9.
Neighbours Kildalkey - runners-up to Kilmessan in the previous campaign, after a replay, provided the opposition.
"We had a good first-half against Kildalkey. Things kind off fell asunder in the second-half," Cribbin - who lined out at right-half-back in that game recalls.
Boardsmill led by 0-2 to 0-1 in the early stages. The concession of a goal handed Kildalkey a lead they maintained to the end.
However, the 'Mill stayed with their fancied opponents through most of the opening half and were just five points in arrears, 0-4 to 1-6, at half-time.
A Vinny Guy goal from a 58th minute free was all Boardsmill couldn muster thereafter and by the end they were on the wrong end of a 1-4 to 1-14 scoreline.
The Boardsmill team on that May evening was - N. O'Rourke; R. Hatton, N. McLoughlin, E. Corrigan; E. Cribbin, B. McLoughlin, N. Weir; D. Farrell, S. Gibbons; P. Guy, V. Guy (1-1, frees), T. Leonard; R. Guy, J. Pratt (0-3), C. Flattery. Subs - D. Kealy for Cribbin (half-time), K. Hamilton for Flattery (44 mins), P. McLoughlin for R. Guy (48 mins).
Dunboyne provided the opposition for the round two fixture at Kiltale on Monday, May 25. Despite conceding just eleven scores, Boardsmill lost by 0-6 to 0-11.
As in their opening game against Kildalkey, Boardsmill fared better in the opening thirty minutes and were just 0-3 to 0-4 in arrears at the break with David Farrell and Robert Guy showing up well.
"We played very well and only for free-taking letting us down and maybe a couple of wrong options we could have beaten them on the day," Cribben recalls.
When the campaign resumed following Meath's successful Rackard Cup campaign, 2007 champions Kiltale provided the opposition in a round three fixture at Dunsany on Thursday, July 16.
Once again Boardsmill started well and led by 0-3 to 0-1 nearing the end of the opening quarter. By half-time they were just three points, 0-5 to 0-8, in arrears.
"We were only a couple of points behind at half-time. Kiltale got two goals straight after half-time and it knocked the stuffing out of us. We never got back into it after that at all," comments Cribbin who was introduced as a substitute during the course of the game.
The concession of two goals within minutes of the resumption ended Boardsmill hopes of causing an upset. A Niall O'Rourke goal was mere window dressing as the board read 1-7 to 2-17 at the finish of their third game of the campaign.
Boardsmill went into their fourth round clash with Killyon just two points behind the men from the Hill of Down area in the Group A table.
"We played well. We just lacked a bit of experience there at the end to go ahead and win the game. We got beaten by a point in the end," the club secretary remarked on the 2-10 to 1-14 defeat.
"We were very disappointed after the Killyon game because we really thought that Killyon and Na Fianna were the two teams we could beat.
"The lads got back into training after the Killyon and worked hard for the Na Fianna game. It just didn't happen on the day again."
Boardsmill needed to beat Na Fianna in their final group game to bring their Enfield/Baconstown opponents into the relegation dogfight.
Instead it rained 'cats and dogs' on Sunday, August 23 as Boardsmill succumbed to Na Fianna on a 1-5 to 1-12 scoreline.
"There was absolutely torrential rain came shortly after half-time. Hindsight is a great thing, but it probably should have been called off. The ball would land in front of you and you couldn't see it with the water that was on the ground," Cribbin remembers ruefully.
Boardsmill lost their five games in Group A by a combined total of 35 points on an average of seven points per game.
Yet, in reflecting on the campaign, Cribbin - who has spent four years doubling as club secretary and a player - sees cause for optimism. "We didn't get a rub of the green at all this year the way games went. We got heavily beaten in a couple of games this year and it doesn't do morale any good.
"It might be no harm to go back intermediate for a year or two to let the lads develop. Kildalkey, Dunboyne and Kiltale are all a step above us at the moment. Hopefully in a year or two we'll be back up at senior with a bit of luck. We have a good young team."
Boardsmill enjoyed a significant success on the football front when winning the JFC B in 2005. As with the club's first team hurlers, their footballing counterparts lost all of their round robin games, succumbing to St Brigid's, Ratoath, Slane, St Mary's as well as Simonstown's second string side by a total of 80 points. At the time of writing their status is in the balance.
"We concentrated more on the hurling which might seem strange considering we got relegated. It didn't work out on the football front. We were playing some very strong teams there as well. It was boys against men on most occasions
"The football team is going through a major transition. The team that won the Junior B final back in 2005 is nearly gone. There are probably only three or four of them left on the team. It's a very young team at the moment," Cribbin confides.
David Troy also took charge of the club's football team and Cribbin is complimentary about his efforts.
"The training and preparation for games was second-to-none. A step back might be the best option for the footballers too." Overall, Cribbin is hopeful for the future of the club's hurling and football sides.
On the camogie front, Boardsmill reached the junior final where Na Fianna provided the opposition at Ashbourne on the second Saturday of September.
A Linda Ryall point got Boardsmill off to a bright start and even though they didn't raise another flag in the opening period they were just four points in arrears, 0-1 to 1-2, at the break.
Despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Patricia Culley, Boardsmill were unable to keep pace with Na Fianna, who ran out winners by 3-4 to 0-2.
The club's female footballers lost to holders and eventual winners Seneschalstown by 2-8 to 2-15 in the 'semi' stage of the senior football championship.
However, they gathered some silverware when defeating the other beaten semi-finalists, Donaghmore/Ashbourne by 5-16 to 3-8 in the Shield decider.
Fourteen-year-old Laura Dempsey - a member of the county's All-Ireland under-16 football winning side - finished with 2-6 to her name. Boardsmill used the elements to their advantage at Ratoath on the first Sunday of September when they reached half-time leading by 3-14 to 1-2.
Boardsmill's heydays were in the 18 seasons between 1958 and 1975 when six Meath SHC titles were won, including four in five years in the early seventies. Looking to the future, Cribbin is confident the club can make a positive impression in the intermediate ranks next year.
.
Most Read Stories