Closing on a senior return
November 30, 2009neighbours Kilmainhamwood in a replayed semi-final this year. By Paul Clarke.
The semi-final hurdle has brought them no joy since they won the junior title in 2002 and this was the second time in three years that they lost at the penultimate stage, having bowed out against eventual winners Donaghmore/Ashbourne in 2007. Last year brought further frustration when they were favourites to go all the way, but they failed to reach the knockout stages after losing two of their last three group games.
But this year, with former Meath full-back Darren Fay providing a high profile coach, they must have entered the title race with renewed optimism. It appeared justified when they won their first three group matches, before suffering their only defeat in the qualification phase of the championship in the fourth round against Oldcastle.
They were safely through to the knockout stages where they edged out Gaeil Colmcille at the quarter-final stage, but then there was the disappointment of letting a great chance of victory slip in the semi-final against Kilmainhamwood which went to extra-time and then a three-point defeat in the replay. To say it hurt would be putting it mildly.
Nobber's group in this year's championship contained a strong north Meath flavour as it also included eventual winners Oldcastle and Syddan, as well as St Colmcille's and Clann na nGael, and it was against the seasiders that they opened their campaign with a minimum margin (1-10 to 1-9) victory at Slane.
St Colmcille's started best with a couple of points, but Brian Farrell gave Nobber a significant boost with a goal. The 'Cilles scored a goal of their own through Sean Collier and that boosted them to a 1-8 to 1-6 advantage at the break, but when they had a player sent off the match started to swing in Nobber's favour.
It eventually took a late point from Niall Farrell to seal victory on a day when his brother Brian top scored with 1-4. This wasn't an overly convincing victory for Nobber, but they had got the championship off to a winning start under Fay and that set them up nicely for a second round meeting with Syddan.
This game took place in Meath Hill where scores were few and far between in the opening period, at the end of which Nobber held a slender 0-3 to 0-2 advantage. Syddan were showing improved form from their opening round loss to Oldcastle, but the introduction of Brian Farrell proved crucial for Nobber who won by 1-8 to 1-5.
Nobber's third round fixture was against Clann na nGael at Kilberry, but with the sides level on 1-7 each with seven minutes remaining the match was abandoned due to an injury sustained by Nobber player Christopher Barry who didn't play again this year. The rearranged game took place at Carnaross and the team in black and amber opened up a useful lead, before Clann na nGael came back to be on level terms (1-4 to 0-7) at the interval.
Clann na nGael edged to the front early in the second half, but goals have a habit of winning games and Nobber struck with two of them in as many minutes to steer themselves in the direction of a 2-11 to 1-9 victory and a third successive championship triumph.
Oldcastle, who had beaten Ballivor in the IFC relegation 'final' the previous November, demonstrated remarkable improvement this year under Seamus Kiernan and they secured top position in group C when beating Nobber by 0-13 to 1-8 at Ballinlough where a slow start left Fay's team chasing the game.
The men from the north-west of the county raced into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead early in the second quarter, but Nobber recovered to trail by 1-3 to 0-8 at the interval. Oldcastle pushed four points clear, but Nobber twice got the deficit back to the minimum before being edged out by a couple of points.
Their first objective of the championship had been achieved in the shape of knockout football and a strong finish helped them overcome a serious Gaeil Colmcille challenge in the quarter-final at Moynalty where the Kells men led by 2-4 to 1-4 at the change of ends after Brian Hanlon had scored both their goals, with Colin Clarke netting for Nobber.
Gaeil Colmcille looked to be heading for the semi-finals again when they pushed five points clear, but Nobber rallied very well and points from Brian Farrell, Niall Farrell, Gavin Farrelly, Brian Farrell again and Gerard Campbell had them level, before Campbell was on the mark again with the winner.
It was an encouraging end to the game ahead of an eagerly anticipated last four showdown against Kilmainhamwood at Pairc Tailteann. This match is likely to haunt Nobber for some time because they appeared to be in winning positions in both normal and extra-time, but ended up facing a replay.
Poor finishing proved costly for Nobber, while two brilliant second half saves from Kilmainhamwood 'keeper Michael Clarke denied Brian Farrell goals which would surely have sealed a ticket to the final. Nobber led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter and by 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval, but the 'Wood were ahead by 1-6 to 0-6 at the three-quarter stage after Stephen Kiernan had goaled from a penalty.
Points from Brian Farrell, substitute Jamie Owens and Niall Farrell drew Nobber level with nine minutes remaining and they looked likely winners when Brian Farrell edged them ahead. But Kiernan rescued Kilmainhamwood with a brilliant levelling free four minutes into injury time as it finished 1-7 to 0-10.
Three Brian Farrell points enabled Nobber to lead by 0-13 to 1-8 at the interval in extra-time and they soon extended the advantage to 0-15 to 1-8 thanks to two more points from the county forward. It looked all over, but Kilmainhamwood rallied again and Kiernan eventually saved them once more with another equaliser as it finished 0-15 to 1-12. Nobber's Padraig Weldon was subsequently sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
The replay, also at Pairc Tailteann, was a hugely entertaining contest, but it ended in bitter disappointment for Nobber as Kilmainhamwood won by 1-15 to 0-15. Kiernan was again a real tormentor and scored 1-4 from play, with his 19th minute goal making all the difference as the 'Wood reached the final in their first year back in the grade.
That goal helped Kilmainhamwood to lead by 1-7 to 0-4 and they increased their advantage to eight points by the 27th minute. But Nobber reduced the gap to six (0-6 to 1-9) at the interval after a couple of points from Niall Farrell had kick-started a revival.
With the wind in their favour, Nobber came storming back after the restart and were the minimum in arrears at 0-12 to 1-10 by the 42nd minute. But, even after losing influential full-back Stephen Smith through injury, Kilmainhamwood kicked on again and won the remainder by 0-5 to 0-3 to signal scenes of joy. Nobber might have scored a couple of second half goals, but it wasn't to be as Niall Farrell and Brendan Heffernan were denied by blocks.
Gordon Weldon was a member of the Nobber team which defeated Dunsany in the 2002 Junior Championship final and was impressed with Darren Fay's input as coach this year.
"From day one I always sang his praises," he said. "He brought a level of professionalism to the club. His one to one talking with the players, his ball skills, everything was very good.
"Our league form was disappointing at the start, but Darren knew that when it came to the championship there would be a new drive in us. The St Colmcille's game could have gone either way. They had a man sent off and we got into the ascendency after that and won narrowly. The game against Syddan was a typical local derby, a tough game. I got sent off. We won with a struggle. Brian Farrell was injured and didn't start, but he came on for the last 10 minutes and turned it all around."
Nobber had to wait a very long time for their next championship game against Clann na nGael.
"The whole level of football is dropping every year in Meath," Gordon added. "One solution is to go back to four groups of four. Each team would have three games in the group. The top two in each group would go through to the quarter-finals and the bottom teams would go into the relegation play-offs. It's a straight, simple method. The situation of having a bye is ridiculous.
"We had a gap of over four months to the Clann na nGael game. It's demoralising in training. In fairness to Darren we had 32 to 36 lads training at that time. We went to the beach for sessions. There was no monotony. It was fun stuff and you were getting fit."
Nobber defeated Clann na nGael and then lost to Oldcastle, but they were through to a quarter-final against Gaeil Colmcille.
"We were very poor and were lucky to win," Gordon said. "We started very well, but when we got the lead we sat back. We have a problem finishing teams off. Thankfully, we finished well and Gerard Campbell got a couple of great points to win it for us.
"In the drawn semi-final against Kilmainhamwood we were four points up during the second period of extra-time, but continued to kick high balls into our full-forward line. We put ourselves under pressure. We weren't holding possession. They hand passed the ball up the field and got the scores they needed to draw.
"Kilmainhamwood made three or four changes for the replay and they copped onto our tactics. We were eight or nine points down at one stage and were playing catch-up. We finished well and got back to within a point, but it was hard work. Exhaustion set in. But Kilmainhamwood were the better team on the day.
"It was disappointing, but the potential is definitely there to win the championship. We have a lot of young talent. Every time Nobber put on the jerseys in championship football the potential is there to beat anyone. It's all psychological." Tweet
