Drumree hurlers back in the big time
November 27, 2010The final result which saw Drumree win by the minimum margin on a 1-10 to 2-6 scoreline was a remarkable turnaround on the opening round clash when Boardsmill trounced the man in red and white to the tune of 16 points.
Drumree are enjoying resurgence in the small ball game and Meath footballers of the last few years, David Crimmins and Caoimhin King, helped them to the IHC success.
After winning the title in 2003 with a final victory over Clann na nGael, the hurlers in the red and white hoops turned in some useful performances. The year 2008 was a mixed one for the hurling section of the club with senior status being lost with defeat to Killyon in a relegation play-off.
On a more positive note that year, David Crimmins gained Railway Cup honours with Leinster. He figured in the action in the semi-final success over Connacht and while not getting a run in the final against Munster at Portlaoise, his team-mates won out.
However, Drumree did not take long to reclaim their place in the premier grade in county hurling and after failing to make the last four in the first year back in the IHC, Mickey Cole helped to get them back up in his second term with the club.
Drumree lost two games in the group phase before reversing a defeat by Blackhall Gaels in a semi-final clash and a couple of weeks later David Crimmins netted the title-winning goal in the sixth minute of added time of the decider.
In a strange twist of fate veteran Meath county hurler Mickey Cole guided Drumree to the IHC title while his home club, Rathmolyon, went in the opposite direction as they were relegated from senior ranks.
Cole missed the 5-12 to 1-8 drubbing inflicted by Boardsmill in the opening round tussle at Kilmessan as he was abroad on Army duty. That game was decided at half-time when Drumree were in arrears by 0-5 to 4-5. Although Johnny Gilsenan found the net, they fell even further behind later in the second period.
Drumree got their first win when outpointing Kilmessan's second string by 0-13 to 0-11 in the second round clash at Kiltale. Brian Coughlan played a big part in that success with a contribution of 11 points while Christopher and Stephen Doyle completed the winning total.
It would have been difficult to imagine Drumree as eventual winners of the IHC when they went down to a second defeat when losing to local rivals Blackhall Gaels by 0-6 to 1-6 at Dunsany.
They only managed one score in the first half at the end of which Blackhall had 1-4 on the board. Although the Gaels were restricted to two points in the second period and Stephen Doyle finished up with four points, the gap was not bridged.
When Drumree registered a 2-11 to 1-9 fourth round win over Kildalkey's reserves at Kiltale, it was suggested that the two points gained should ease their relegation worries!
It was 1-5 to 1-4 in favour of the side in blue and white at the break but the accuracy of Stephen Doyle, who finished up with six points from frees, and goals from Brendan Walsh and Brian Coughlan boosted Drumree.
They clinched a place in the last four with an impressive 1-15 to 0-7 victory over Dunderry at Dunsany. Again Drumree were in arrears at the halfway stage when the
scores were 0-5 to 0-4.
But they got well on top in the second period when Liam Shanley netted the goal and Stephen Doyle was again in sharpshooting form, finishing up with a total of seven points.
Drumree improved significantly in the IHC's home run to reverse the two earlier defeats. In the semi-final against Blackhall Gaels in Trim they again saved their best form until the second half to run out 1-14 to 1-7 winners.
They had only three points on the scoresheet, two Stephen Doyle efforts from play and one by David Wallace, at the break when their opponents had registered 1-4, the goal coming from Alan Nestor.
Blackhall were held scoreless in the third quarter as Doyle pointed a 65 and free and Brendan Walsh and Liam Shanley also raised the white flag to leave the sides on level terms.
Although Blackhall regained the lead to gain an advantage of two points they were outscored by 1-7 to 0-1 after that. David Crimmins and Caoimhin King joined the action in the second half and King netted the winners' goal seven minutes from the end.
The novelty aspect of the final was the fact that former Drumree player David Troy was in charge of Boardsmill, who were favourites to return to the senior grade at the first attempt. However, instead of the 'Mill bridging a gap of 10 years it was Drumree who claimed the title.
Once more Drumree were in arrears at the break when Boardsmill were marginally ahead by 2-3 to 0-8, Stephen Doyle having sent over six points and Brian Coughlan and John Crimmins also raised the white flag.
At that stage Cole and his assistants decided to bring on three half-time substitutes and one of the trio, David Crimmins, was to prove a hero with the dramatic late strike.
Drumree were playing against the breeze in the second period and so scrappy was the play that the next score did not arrive until the 17th minute when Boardsmill doubled their advantage.
Doyle drove two frees between the posts but when Boardsmill responded with a brace of frees they looked to have done enough to claim the silverware. However, deep into added time Drumree were awarded a free by referee Gerry Keoghan.
That was taken by full-back Shane Troy and with the goal well manned the shot was blocked out for David Crimmins to somehow squeeze a shot to the net to give the red and white brigade a sensational triumph.
The Drumree team in the IHC final was: Ronan Curley; Ciaran Kenny, Shane troy, Stephen McGroder; Paul Walsh, Caoimhin King, Johnny Gilsenan; Brendan Walsh, Brian Coughlan; Stephen Doyle, John Crimmins, David Wallace; Christopher Doyle,
Fergal Delaney, Liam Shanley. Subs: David Crimmins for C Doyle, John Reilly for Delaney, Keith Rooney for Shanley.
After receiving the cup from county hurling committee chairman Francis Lynch, Drumree captain Johnny Gilsenan praised Mickey Cole for the manner in which he had "turned the team upside down."
The Meath forward felt Drumree had too many backs and not enough forwards and decided to change the role of a few players. "We felt we probably had too many backs and not enough scoring forwards, so I changed a few backs into forwards," said Cole.
"It is said that if you have team of backs you'll go close to winning a championship. I knew if we could keep their scoring down, we were always in with a chance," he said shortly after the title triumph.
Cole suggested that it might have been a good thing going into the final against a team they had already played, saying he had studied them in their semi-final and picked out a couple of lads to do close marking job on. "We had some players hunting in packs and it worked out well for us," he added.
The long-serving Meath forward felt that if his charges kept "tipping away" there was a chance that they could deliver the goods. "We would have preferred to be favoured by the breeze in the second half but I knew the lads would put in a big performance regardless," he said.
Now Drumree can look forward to meeting some of the bigger guns in the SHC in 2011 when they will be hoping to give creditable account of themselves.
While the Drumree hurlers were celebrating success in 2010, the club's footballers struggled in the Junior B FC, winning just one game, getting a walk-over in another and losing the other five.
Such is surprising for Drumree have a proud football tradition, being SFC semi-finalists in the '60s. They won the IFC in 1961 and '69 and after winning the JFC in 1998, they stayed in intermediate ranks up to 2005.
This year they opened with a narrow 1-6 to 1-7 defeat to St Patrick's. However, they were at the receiving end of a very heavy hiding in the second round when Seneschalstown romped to a 2-22 to 0-2 win.
After that there were defeats by Walterstown and St Paul's before Drumree found some light at the end of the dark tunnel with a 3-9 to 1-3 success over Cortown. That was followed by a loss to Moynalty and Dunderry conceded the points in the last round of the group phase.
Prominent inter-county players like Billy Rattigan, Jimmy Walsh and Even Kelly wore the red and white of Drumree in the past, and while the footballers may be going through a tough spell at the moment, it would not be a surprise if they bounce back again in the near future.
Drumree Junior Camogie 2010
When this group got together last January, the primary goal was to be competitive and to build a strong dedicated squad. We competed well in the league and by the time the Junior Championship started, our goals had changed.
Our first Championship match was away to Trim in early May and this game ended in a draw. The team built on this performance and earned a place in the Junior Final against Boardsmill at the end of August. Drumree went into the Final as underdogs having been beaten comprehensively by Boardsmill in the group stages. The match was fiercely contested by both teams. When Boardsmill went into a 1 point lead with eight minutes to go, Drumree piled on the pressure but Boardsmill stood strong and Drumree were denied victory by the narrowest of margins.
Drumree Juvenile Section 2010
It was a busy year for our Juveniles. Our U12 Camogie team winning a closely contested Div 2B final v Dunderry in early September.
Drumree were delighted when Cliodhna O' Riordan and Liam Carey won the Camogie and Hurling Feile skills competitions and went on to represent the Royal County in Cork.
Our U8 Hurlers had the honour of playing in Croke Park last July. The U10 Hurlers capped off a very busy year, when they travelled to Ratharogue-Cushinstown Co. Wexford winning all three games played.
Our U14 Camogie team along with our U16 and Minor Hurlers all reached Championship semi-finals only to come up short at the penultimate stages.
This year was the first year to see a Minor Camogie team take to the field and we now field teams from U8 to Minor in both codes. Tweet
