Cruel results sequence halts Simonstown
November 30, 2009So far it has been a disappointing return for Brennan, with neither 2008 nor 2009 being anything to set the pulses racing on the Proudstown road. This year started on somewhat of a shaky footing, with a poor start to the year seeing then manager Des Lane to depart before the season had even developed into a canter.
With plenty of time to make amends before the championship came around, former manager Colm O'Rourke answered the SOS call from his son's club and helped the Gaels to a winning championship start. Simonstown opened their SFC account with a facile win over Duleek/Bellewstown in Navan, with Brennan enjoying a fruitful evening in a somewhat new role at full-forward - he bagged three goals.
So, having played most of his football further out the field, how did pulling on the number fourteen shirt suit Brennan? "Well when I came back from Cavan, I was playing midfield for Simonstown, and I'd played midfield in Cavan too, and I enjoyed it. I would be the sort of fella who would say 'just give me a jersey, I'll play anywhere'. This year I was playing midfield or centre-forward under Des, but when Colm came in he said he wanted to try me at full forward, and it worked out well, especially in the Duleek game. Colm played a more direct game and it was a case of 'when we have the ball, everyone is attacking, and when they have it, everyone is defending. We enjoyed a good win against Duleek/Bellewstown but we certainly weren't getting carried away with it and we knew that there would be bigger challenges to come."
Indeed there were, with 2007 champions Seneschalstown waiting in the next round. This was a remarkable game, with Simonstown going in at the break trailing by nine points, yet somehow coming back to earn a draw. What words of wisdom did the manager utter in the dressing-room on that particular day? Hair-dryer treatment? Plastic cups flying? Not a bit of it says Brennan. "Colm just said 'look, you're not playing that badly, and you've got a bit of a wind in the second-half, so go out and enjoy your football'. In the second half we came back from nine down and drew level with a few minutes left, and could have won the game, but we were happy with the draw - it showed good character and showed the type of team that we had."
With three points on the board after two games, things were motoring along quite nicely. Up next was the re-fixture against St. Patricks, which came in the middle of Meath's run in the All-Ireland series. Ring-rust was nowhere in sight though, and Simonstown notched an easy win. Brennan felt things were still going well at that point, but that was as good as it got for himself and his side. "I tore a tendon in my shoulder around then which meant I played against O'Mahonys and Donaghmore carrying that injury and didn't do myself justice."
The two points gained against St. Pats would be the last of the campaign for Simonstown, and indeed, they only managed to score eight points in each of their final two games (against O'Mahonys and Donaghmore/Ashbourne) compared to the free-scoring outfit that had looked rampant in the opening rounds. Brennan has his own theories on what went wrong.
"Going into the O'Mahonys game we had a few injuries. I wasn't right and Wayne (McCarthy) was missing. We knew we'd have our work cut out in that game and unfortunately our heads dropped a bit in the second half. We had a couple of good spells, but we couldn't prolong them. O'Mahonys are a great side and when they get a chance they know how to take it. Even at that stage though, it looked like there was no way Simonstown wouldn't be in a quarter-final. We were top of the table before the O'Mahonys game on five points and it was unlikely that we wouldn't get through. Unfortunately, results went against us two weeks in a row - six results went against us - and we ended up going out on scoring difference."
Fair to say then, that a combination of injuries and playing against stronger opposition (O'Mahonys and a rejuvenated Donaghmore/Ashbourne side) put paid to Simonstown's charge?
"That was certainly a factor, but there may have been a bit of a change in mindset where we were thinking we were already in a quarter-final. I think we were looking forward to a quarter-final more than we were looking forward to the last two group games. I think that could have been a factor. We didn't take it for granted but I think in the back of our minds we thought we were through. We just didn't get the scores in the last two games. Having said that, Donaghmore/Ashbourne are a very good side and they had been very unlucky with injuries. Unfortunately for us, they got a lot of those lads back the week before we played them and had a great win over Seneschalstown. Then they really put it up to us, and we didn't have an answer, they were far hungrier."
That defeat to Donaghmore/Ashbourne left Simonstown stuck on five points, and waiting on news of Seneschalstown's result, and, more importantly, the margin of any win for the Yellow Furze men. Unfortunately, the numbers didn't add up and Brennan, along with his colleagues, were eliminated from the Senior Championship in the most unlikely - not to mention cruel - circumstances. Just two points. How did that sit with the former Drumalee man?
"It's hard to look now and see Seneschalstown getting so far. We went for a lot of goals against Ashbourne because we knew it could come down to scoring difference and if we had just taken our points we would have been through and Seneschalstown would have been out, and we might have been doing this interview in a few weeks time! (after the county final). The unlikely thing that night was that St. Pats would draw with O'Mahonys, but they did so….it's just one of those things."
Leaving 2009 aside for a moment, with experienced campaigners like Hank Traynor and Paul Meade still plying their trade - albeit very capably - is Brennan worried that there might be a lack of young blood coming through north of the Boyne? Seemingly not.
"It looks good for Simonstown over the next few years. Colm O'Rourke brought in seven or eight minors this year - just off the top of my head you've got young Padraig McKeever, Shane Barry, Shane Kiernan, Seán Tobin, Shane McGibney - these are all starting players in the championship and they're all quality players who will all do the job in the next few years, and the likes of Hank and Paul will bring these lads on in leaps and bounds. You only have to look at the (Simonstown) juniors, they were only beaten by Dunsany (eventual junior finalists) by a point in the quarter-finals, so there is plenty coming through."
Finally, on a slightly lighter note - having played for Cavan, and with his scoring - particularly in the early rounds - grabbing some local headlines, is Mickey expecting a call from Eamonn O'Brien in the future?
Brennan laughs "Ah, you don't think about things like that, you just go out and play your club football. You hear rumours and that but you just go and enjoy your football and anything after that is a bonus, even to be considered is a bonus".
If Brennan can get back to the lofty heights of his early 2009 form, he might yet get that call.
Late goal salvo sees Simonstown stun the Furze
Captain Eleanor Lane was the hero in the Under 13 Division 1 Ladies final as Simonstown completed a heroic comeback with three minutes to go in Ashbourne.
Simonstown dominated the first half and led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the interval, however the margin could have been bigger if they had taken the clear cut chances that came their way.
The second half was a different story with Seneschalstown scoring two quick goals in succession just after the restart to lead by 2-2 to 0-5. Seneschalstown got a further point before Simonstown started their spirited comeback.
Simonstown added two points and were now really piling the pressure on the opposition. Seneschalstown looked like they might just hold on but with three minutes to go Simonstown snatched an astonishing three goals through Eleanor Lane (2) and Naoise De Graff to win by 3-7 to 2-3.
In a great team performance Lane, De Graff, Niamh Sheridan and Chloe Keoghan shone best for the victors to defend their title.
Simonstown - N. Byrne; H. Costello, C. Keoghan, K. Tolan; F. Kalonzo, G. Ishola, L. Mc Loughlin; E. Lane (2-1), N. Sheridan (0-2); K.M. Harris (0-1), R. Gardiner, K. Nesbitt; R. Hand (0-2), N. De Graff (1-1), A. Keeley. Subs - A. Mc Goona for Tolan and E. Devine for Keeley. Tweet
