Consistent Drums just need that lucky break
November 27, 2010After bowing out at the last eight stages in each of the three years beginning with 2005, the Drums from outside Kells failed to reach the knockout phase in 2008. Last year they got through to the last four before losing out to eventual winners Longwood and in the latest bid Moylagh put an end to hopes of another semi-final place.
For this year's campaign, Drumbaragh had John Henry from Cortown as manager, replacing Jody Devine, with Christy Carry and Adrian Corcoran as the selectors. They were drawn in Group B of the JFC along with Wolfe Tones, Ballinabrackey, Ratoath, Drumconrath and Curraha.
The first game was against Wolfe Tones' second string at Bohermeen and Drumbaragh won by 0-15 to 0-11 after being ahead by 0-8 to 0-5 at the break. Full-forward Colm Carry top scored with six points and his two corner men, Seanie Bennett and James Connolly, weighed in with three each.
Two weeks later the Kells parish outfit faced well-fancied Ballinabrackey in Athboy and after leading by 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval, they had to rely on a late point from Connolly to gain a share of the spoils on 0-10 to 2-4 scoreline.
It was 0-7 to 0-4 at the halfway stage with John Smith (four frees), William Carry, James Connolly and Colm Carry the Drumbaragh scorers in the first period. Ballinabrackey were reduced to 14 men 12 minutes into the second half but still they took the initiative with Damien Carroll, who has played minor and junior football with Meath, netting two goals, from a penalty and a free. However, the Drums did not give up the battle and Connolly's leveller in added time enabled them take something from the tie.
Both Ballinabrackey and Ratoath were tipped to finish above Drumbaragh in the group but the Drums proved such a prediction wrong when just getting the better of Ratoath by the minimum margin on a 2-10 to 0-15 scoreline in the third round at Bohermeen.
In that game it took a last minute goal by John Smith to seal the victory after Ratoath had been in the lead for most of the hour. Drumbaragh were behind by four points after 20 minutes before halving it to 0-6 to 0-8 at the break
A goal from Damien Carry early in the second half gave the side in green and red a minimum margin lead before their opponents had a player sent off on 50 minutes. They were coping well with that setback until Smith struck for the late winner to send the Drumbaragh contingent away happy.
A place in the quarter-finals was clinched with a wide margin win over struggling Drumconrath in one-sided clash at Carnaross which finished with a margin of 21 points. Drumconrath had slipped a lot since reaching the 2006 IFC final and only managed 0-4 while conceding 3-16.
The exchanges were respectably close at the halfway stage when Drumbaragh held a 0-9 to 0-3 lead. Goals from Seanie Bennett and substitute Ryan Farnham soon after the restart set the trend for the remainder of the game and John Smith, who finished with 1-5, netted the third goal near the end.
Although there was not a lot at stake when Drumbaragh faced Curraha in their last group game in a Friday evening clash at Walterstown which finished 1-10 to 1-9 in favour of the Drums after being three points in arrears at the break.
Seanie Bennett netted the eventual winners' goal from a penalty kick awarded for a foul on corner-back Trevor Lynch and they were behind by 1-4 to 1-7 at the interval. With Colm Carry showing up well in attack and John and Mark Smith and James Connolly also getting on target, Drumbaragh had the better of the second half.
Drumbaragh's hopes of lifting the JFC title for the first time came to an end came to an end at Carnaross on the Sunday evening of August 22nd when Moylagh beat them by two goals, 2-12 to 0-12.
Forced to field without Darragh Gogarty, who picked up an injury in the win over Curraha, John Henry's side was well in touch when just a point (0-7 to 1-5) behind at the break. Again John Smith top scored for them, this time with five points, four from frees.
In the first half the midfielder slotted over three frees and Willie Carry, James Connolly, Thomas Carry and John Madden also raised the white flag. Although Willie Carry put over three more points, the concession of the goals proved costly.
The margin was just three points at the three-quarter stage but a couple of minutes later Willie McGrath shot past Willie Arkins for the second goal. Despite eight minutes of added time at the end, Drumbaragh were unable to wipe out the deficit and another attempt to win the JFC title for the first time came to an end.
Selector Adrian Corcoran feels that 2010 was a sort of fits-and-start year for the Drumbaragh junior team. "Three players got married and with some players not being available for some training sessions, it was difficult to maintain the same fitness levels as other years.
"We got off to a good start in the championship with a four-point win over a strong Wolfe Tones side. After that we played very well against Ballinabrackey in Athboy and while we got a draw, it was a game we should have won as they got two goals at times when we appeared to be in control.
"In the match against Ratoath we snatched the win with a late John Smith goal. That was a game which we should have lost, they were ahead for most of the hour and after having a man sent off, they conceded the goal at the end.
"Our game against a very weak Drumconrath team was a bit of a farce although we improved our score difference significantly. Before that game we brought in Con Cleary to help with the training, to introduce some new drills and try to freshen up things.
"Although already qualified, we had hoped to beat Curraha by a bit more than one point in order to finish top of the group. But we struggled in that game and it was something similar in the quarter-final against Moylagh when we didn't manage to raise a gallop although going into the match in a confident mood.
"Had we topped the group we would have met Meath Hill instead of Moylagh. That might have suited us better but I suppose if we wanted to win it out, we would have to meet the better teams at some stage or other," he said.
Corcoran has given great service to Drumbaragh for more than 25 years and although now 42, lined out for the second team in 2010. His biggest day in the green and red jersey came in 1999 when captain of the team which beat Walterstown in the Junior B FC final.
Adrian, who also played rugby with Virginia, would dearly love to see Drumbaragh lift the long overdue JFC title and he praised the efforts put in by first year manager John Henry over the last few months.
"John put in a serious effort and no stone was left unturned. After just missing out on promotion up to Division 2 in 2009, we struggled in the league this year.
"Still I'd be hopeful that things can go better next year. A junior championship success is overdue but we need to do it soon. John and Mark Smith and my brother Noel are the most experienced players and there are a few young lads who have been on the county minor team.
"We are a bit short of 'in between' players' but we have been knocking at the door for the last few years and we have to keep hoping our turn will come soon," concluded Corcoran.
Fifty years ago in 1960 Drumbaragh contested the SFC final for the only time in the club's history but lost out to the all-conquering Navan O'Mahonys team of the time. In 1959 took the amazing decision to be upgraded from junior to senior and their request was granted by the county board.
Drumbaragh's first SFC game was against O'Mahonys in Kells. The senior championship was played on a straight knockout system in those years and the defending champions just get the better of the newcomers by 0-7 to 0-5.
O'Mahonys won the SFC five years in succession from 1957 to '61, defeating Skryne in three finals. However, they were drawn to meet each other in 1960 and Drumbaragh, captained by Tom Murray, came through from the other half of the draw.
The Drums had other notables in future long-serving county chairman Fintan Ginnity, Paddy Carry and future Meath team coach and well-known referee Micheal Campbell.
The 1960 Meath SFC final was fixed for Trim but had to be postponed because of inclement weather and took place at the same venue on October 16th when O'Mahonys won by 2-11 to 0-6.
While they were well beaten in that final, Drumbaragh gained a notable triumph with the annexation of the Senior League title for 1959-60 and the Brophy Cup tournament.
The Drumbaragh team in the 1960 SFC final: Johnny Smith (Kells); Fintan Ginnity, John Smith (Loyd); Jimmy McManus, Harry Campbell, Dessie Reilly; Paddy Tobin, Paddy Carry; Vincent Callaghan, Pat Keane, Joe Lynch; Kieran Reilly, Micheal Campbell, Seamus Reilly. Sub: Paddy 'Pedro' Clarke for K Reilly, other subs were Gerry Finnegan, Stephen McManus, Paddy McGovern, Jim McGovern. Of that squad Johnny Smith (Loyd), Harry Campbell, Paddy Tobin, Seamus Reilly, Paddy Clarke, Gerry Finnegan and Jim McGovern have passed away. Sean Reilly (on Army duty in the Congo) and Danny O'Neill (studying for the priesthood) missed the game. Tweet
