Carnaross surprised many people by reaching the Intermediate Football Championship final this year, but as was the case seven years earlier they suffered a heavy defeat on the day that mattered most.

Back in 2003 Navan O'Mahonys inflicted a 3-14 to 0-6 beating in the decider and this time Nobber made it a day of misery when winning by 3-12 to 0-7. It was a bitterly disappointing way to end the campaign, but the Carnaross players and mentors deserve great credit for the manner in which they got that far.
There was little sign of such a progressive campaign around the corner when they endured a less than successful championship last year, winning only once and suffering four defeats in the group stages, but they were looking to the future with a nice sprinkling of young talent coming through.
The extent of their improvement in the championship this year was considerable and was in stark contrast to their league form. There was also plenty of the club's traditional battling spirit as they made their way through the knockout stages with victories over two of the more fancied teams for outright success, Gaeil Colmcille and St Michael's.
Sadly, the final proved a step too far and there was no denying that Nobber were the superior team. It was a far cry from the meeting of the teams in the last round of group assignments when Carnaross looked certain to beat the Nobber men, before being caught late and held to a draw.
Alan Stephens was again the Carnaross manager this year, with Malachy Plunkett, Alan Gillic and John O'Reilly acting as selectors, and they were drawn in group A of the championship along with last year's runners-up Kilmainhamwood, eventual winners Nobber, Moynalvey and St Colmcille's.
When the championship got under way they had a bye and they opened their group campaign in perfect fashion with a morale-boosting 2-14 to 1-8 victory over St Colmcille's at Pairc Tailteann. It was a surprisingly comfortable win because the seasiders had won convincingly against Moynalvey in the opening round, scoring 4-15 in the process.
John L McGee, as ever, was a key attacking figure for Carnaross this year and he scored two first half goals. But they were still only level (2-3 to 1-6) at the interval and it was in the second period that they pushed on and added 11 points. McGee contributed a hugely impressive 2-9, while Ollie Murphy started at full-forward and scored a point.
Kilmainhamwood, who were later to be relegated, provided the third round opposition at Kells and Carnaross turned in another encouraging performance to win by 0-15 to 0-8. They raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead, but the 'Wood took over and scored six points, before a Paddy Nugent '45' and a Dermot McGee score left it level (0-7 each) at the interval.
It was all one-way traffic in the second half when Kilmainhamwood's only point came in injury time as Carnaross pushed clear. McGee brought his scoring tally to 2-17 in two championship matches when notching eight points.
Carnaross suffered their only group defeat against Moynalvey at Bective where a poor performance and a 0-6 to 1-7 loss meant they would be under pressure to take something from their fifth round meeting with Nobber.
Their only first half points against Moynalvey came from John L McGee (two) and Damien Smith and the south Meath team led by 1-6 to 0-3 at the interval. Well-taken points from Niall McDonnell and Dermot McGee gave them a bright start to the second period, but their only other score came from McDonnell.
Neither team managed a score in the final 20 minutes as chances were missed and McGee failed to take a late goal opportunity. That defeat was a setback after two impressive performances and the Carnaross players knew the importance of the game when they made the short trip to Kells to play Nobber.
They didn't win, but they got a draw which was enough to earn a quarter-final place. However, they went very close to recording a victory and were only caught by a Brendan Heffernan point six minutes into injury time as it finished 1-11 each.
Andrew Hayes scored a first half goal for Nobber and the teams were level (0-7 to 1-4) at the interval. John L McGee hit the crossbar with a shot in the opening period, but he did find the net on 48 minutes as Carnaross pushed into what appeared to be a very healthy position.
But they were caught very late as Nobber reeled off the last three points to earn a precious draw which secured top spot on six points and a passage straight through to the semi-finals. Carnaross and St Colmcille's were both on five, but that earlier win over the east coast team came into play and Stephens' team was through to the quarter-finals.
The last eight meeting with neighbours Gaeil Colmcille at Pairc Tailteann brought a sweet victory as Carnaross demonstrated tremendous courage when they were under enormous pressure in the last quarter. Murphy and John L McGee were hugely influential in the 2-8 to 1-9 success, though the Kells men were left to rue several missed opportunities.
McDonnell pointed Carnaross ahead, before Gary Arkins equalised from a free, but when McDonnell was fouled on seven minutes John L McGee netted from the penalty to earn a 1-1 to 0-1 lead. Gaeil Colmcille battled back to parity by the end of the opening quarter, but with their tactic of launching high balls into attack working well Carnaross were soon in front again.
McDonnell provided the delivery and John L McGee applied the finish with another goal after 20 minutes. First half points were added by McGee, Damien Smith and Murphy, but an Arkins goal helped Gaeil Colmcille enormously and Carnaross led by only 2-4 to 1-5 at the break.
Third quarter points from Smith and Murphy helped Carnaross to be three clear, but the town team battled back to parity, 1-9 to 2-6. However, they didn't score again as they fluffed chances, while the Carnaross players battled with tremendous tenacity and Charles Brogan and Murphy (free) got vital late points.
Goalkeeper Cillian Comaskey was a hero of the semi-final victory over St Michael's at Pairc Tailteann where he made superb saves from Daithi Regan and Kevin Cassidy near the end as Carnaross held on doggedly to win by 0-9 to 0-7.
The teams were level six times, but Carnaross found most in the second half. Ollie Murphy wore the number 14 jersey, but he was everywhere and scored five of their nine points, four from frees. The Nugents, Paddy, Thomas and Peter, were other key players.
It was all to play for at the break when the sides were tied on 0-4 each, but Carnaross gradually edged ahead in the second period and held on with a determined rearguard action at the end as 'keeper Comaskey kept their title dream alive. The other points came from John L McGee (two), Stephen Flattery and Dermot McGee.
The dream of a place in the intermediate final had been realised and hopes were high that they could complete the job, but this time Nobber needed no late score to rescue them like in the earlier group meeting of the teams. Instead, they were totally dominant and Carnaross simply couldn't stay with them as they ran riot.
Murphy and John L McGee were severely curtailed by a well-organised Nobber defence, while at the other end of the field Brian Farrell was tormentor in chief as he demonstrated what a real talent he is. He contributed six points, four of them from play, while his general play was outstanding.
Nobber set the tone for their runaway victory when Farrell scored the first three points of the final as he proved menacing.
Farrell added two more points in that first period and when Nobber got their opening goal after 16 minutes there appeared to be every likelihood that this wasn't going to be Carnaross' day. Goalkeeper Cillian Comaskey appeared to be partially unsighted as he failed to hold Brendan Heffernan's effort and Nobber led by 1-4 to 0-1.
Daniel Reilly had got Carnaross off the mark in the 12th minute, but their only other scores of the first half were points from Dermot and John L McGee and Murphy (free) as Nobber opened up a commanding 1-9 to 0-4 lead at the change of ends. Darren Lambe stretched the advantage with a point soon after the restart and it might have been considerably worse as Colin Clarke's fisted goal was ruled out for a square infringement.
Nobber did get their second goal after Thomas Nugent fouled Brian Farrell and Niall Farrell netted from the resultant penalty. That left Davy Cahill's team ahead by 2-11 to 0-5 and two minutes later the third goal arrived when Lambe found the net.
That left Nobber 15 points to the good and a couple of late points from Murphy and John L McGee did little to take the bad appearance off the scoreboard. When the final whistle sounded Nobber were 14 in front at 3-12 to 0-7 and were worthy champions.
Murphy was the leading Carnaross scorer with three pointed frees, John L McGee scored two points and Dermot McGee and Reilly completed their tally. To say it was disappointing would be a great understatement. Nobber were exceptionally good, but Carnaross were surely capable of better.
Manager Alan Stephens was obviously disappointed afterwards, but he was quick to pay tribute to Nobber.
"We didn't win any individual battles out there and that's unusual to lose 15 battles," he said. "But that's what happened. Normally you would win a couple, even if you lose, but today we were second best all over the pitch.
"But today is not about our failings. Today is about Nobber. Let's celebrate Nobber's victory. They were that bit more experienced than us after being in so many semi-finals and they deserved that today. They are a very good team."

The Carnaross team in the final was - C Comaskey; Peter Nugent, T Nugent, Paddy Nugent; E Comaskey, S Carpenter, C Brogan; D McGee (0-1), B Comaskey; D Reilly (0-1), O Murphy (0-3, all frees), P Mullan; N McDonnell, J L McGee (0-2), G Murphy. Subs - J Plunkett for Peter Nugent, K Porter for Reilly, C McDonnell for Mullan, C Woods for G Murphy, J Ward for E Comaskey.


IMPRESSIVE WIN FOR MINORS

A strong second half performance proved decisive for Carnaross as they defeated the Syddan/Castletown combination Killary Emmets by 2-12 to 1-8 in a thrilling MFL Division 5 final at Pairc Tailteann back in May.
This was a hard-earned victory and it was Killary Emmets who were first off the mark when Shane Hoey pointed, before scores from Dean Connell and John Carpenter settled Carnaross and had them ahead by the seventh minute. Scores were at a premium in the first half, but Carnaross might have had a couple of goals but for fine saves from Killary 'keeper Ciaran Farrelly to deny Carpenter and Connell.
At the other end Carnaross 'keeper Michael Shaw saved well from Stephen Morris, but Killary led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the break after Shane Casserly had scored the other Carnaross point.
It appeared to be advantage Killary when Robert Carroll notched a soft goal on the restart to push them five points clear, but as the quality of the contest improved Carnaross hit back with a Carpenter point and a brilliant goal from Charles Brogan to trail by the minimum.
Killary edged two ahead, but Carnaross limited them to only two further points and controlled most of the remainder. Points from Carpenter (two), John Ward and Brogan left them in front by 1-8 to 1-6 and while the advantage was reduced to the minimum, they soon pushed clear.
Connell, substitute Barry O'Connor and Carpenter pointed, Brogan scored his second goal and Carpenter completed Carnaross' points tally. Ian Donoghue captained the team.

The Carnaross team in the final was - M Shaw; M Brogan, P Carpenter; C Peate, I Donoghue, C Gillic; C Brogan (2-1), C Dillon; J Carpenter (0-6), J Ward (0-1), S Casserly (0-1); P Donoghue, D Connell (0-2). Subs - B O'Connor (0-1) for Connell, Connell for Casserly. Tweet

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