Ultan's bow out, but they'll be back
November 27, 2010
That memorable day at Pairc Tailteann in the autumn of 2008 seemed a long time ago on the first Saturday of September this year when St Ultan's concluded a very difficult Senior Football Championship campaign by surrendering their status in the top flight. By Paul Clarke.
Less than two years earlier they had beaten parish rivals Cortown in the Intermediate Championship final to fulfil their dream of playing senior football, but it all ended in shattering disappointment at the end of only their second campaign in the premier grade when Oldcastle defeated them in the second of the relegation play-offs.
Davy Cahill, the man who guided them to their impressive intermediate success in 2008 and led them through their first senior campaign last year when they picked up three group points and avoided a dogfight for survival, departed for Nobber this term and was replaced by former Meath junior manager Martin Barry.
To say that St Ultan's had it tough in 2010 would be putting it very mildly. They were seriously depleted due to a combination of injuries and emigration and, in the circumstances, it wasn't a surprise that they ended up fighting a losing battle against the drop back to the intermediate ranks.
Last year they achieved one championship win when easily beating Walterstown. They drew with Dunboyne and lost to Blackhall Gaels and Skryne, but this time it was a case of defeat after defeat which culminated in the dreaded drop.
St Ultan's were drawn in group A of the championship which also included champions Seneschalstown, Rathkenny, Blackhall, Walterstown and Dunshaughlin and the depleted side couldn't have asked for a tougher opening assignment than a meeting with the Yellow Furze men at Pairc Tailteann.
They were without nine players, but turned in a battling performance before losing by 0-13 to 3-12. Ultan's made a promising start with points from Cian Rennicks and Gary Gorman, but their only other score of the first half came from Kevin Galligan as Seneschalstown pushed into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead at the break.
Seneschalstown scored goals through Stephen Finnegan and Joe Sheridan either side of points from Rennicks and Richard Lynagh for Ultan's and only one outcome looked likely. Rennicks and Daryll McLoughlin traded points with Sheridan and Gary Conlon and then the Bohermeen/Martry combination began to show signs of a recovery from an eight-point deficit.
Rennicks (two), Paul Murray, McLoughlin and Alan Martin pointed to reduce the deficit to 0-12 to 2-9, but they managed only one further point from Rennicks as the champions finished strongest and notched a third goal when Shane Clarke fisted to the net.
St Ultan's lost to Blackhall by two points in last year's championship, but this time the margin was 13 as it finished 1-19 to 0-9 at Skryne. The winners led by 1-6 to 0-0 after 10 minutes, with Mark Crampton getting their goal, and were ahead by 1-12 to 0-4 at the interval.
They did add five second half points, but this was a one-sided contest.
An even heavier defeat followed against Dunshaughlin at Pairc. Play was held up for almost 20 minutes in the second half due to injuries sustained by Kevin Galligan and Ray Maloney in an accidental clash of heads.
A brace of first half goals from Conor Devereux helped Dunshaughlin to a 2-7 to 0-3 half-time lead, by which stage Ciaran Rogers (two) and Shane Rennicks had pointed for Ultan's. They didn't score beyond the opening quarter and the winners added a third goal from Conor Staunton 11 minutes from the end as they won by 3-13 to 0-3.
St Ultan's made a blistering start to their fourth round game against Walterstown at Simonstown where a sixth minute goal from Robert Duffy helped them lead by 1-3 to 0-0. The blacks made switches and reduced the deficit to 0-5 to 1-6 at the break, before second half goals from Alban Crosbie and Tom Walsh helped them to a 2-8 to 1-9 victory. Cian Rennicks contributed six points for Ultan's, four of them from frees, and Neil Burke impressed in goal.
Rathkenny took the championship by storm and they secured top spot in the group when defeating St Ultan's by 0-9 to 0-8 at Meath Hill. Rathkenny led by 0-4 to 0-3 at the interval and by three points at the three-quarter stage, but after Alan Rogers was stretchered off injured, Ultan's scored three successive points to draw level.
However, Rathkenny had the final say when substitute Owen Elliott scored a late winning point. Kevin Galligan top-scored for Ultan's with five points, substitute Cian Rennicks notched two and Paul Murray got the other.
St Ultan's faced their first relegation play-off against Simonstown at Kilberry where a highly spirited display just wasn't enough as the Navan men won by 0-17 to 1-12. When the Gaels led by 0-11 to 0-6 at the break only one outcome looked possible, but Ultan's made changes and boosted by a 47th minute goal from Ciaran Rogers after a great move they drew level.
Shane O'Rourke edged Simonstown ahead again, Cian Rennicks levelled with four minutes remaining, but late points from O'Rourke and Padraig McKeever clinched an invaluable win for the Gaels. The impressive Rennicks notched seven points, three from frees.
Nobody needed to tell the St Ultan's players what was at stake when they headed for Ballinlough to play Oldcastle in their second relegation play-off. They had to win this battle of the previous two intermediate champions, but an Oldcastle win meant they and Simonstown were safe.
Paddy Gilsenan scored a brilliant early goal for Oldcastle and they led by 2-4 to 1-2 at the interval after Cian Rennicks had given St Ultan's some hope with a goal from a penalty. But last year's intermediate champions pushed clear and a second Ultan's goal from Gary Gorman was no more than a consolation score as it finished 2-13 to 2-3.
"At the start of the year we knew it wasn't going to be easy," said St Ultan's captain Robert Duffy. "We had lads going away and one or two others had injuries. We knew it would be a struggle and we picked up a few more injuries as the year went on.
"If you look at the team that won the intermediate championship in 2008 you would expect it to still be much the same, but we never fielded the same team in games this year. We never had a full complement of players.
"In a way we were unfortunate, but we only played in patches. We could play super football for 20 minutes in games, but we just couldn't keep it going. The consistency was missing. For instance, against Walterstown we got off to a flyer, but we didn't sustain it. They clawed their way back into it and got two goals in the second half. We sat back instead of keeping going all out."
St Ultan's started the championship with a spirited performance in defeat against champions Seneschalstown when they lost by eight points, but that was followed by two very heavy defeats.
"The games against Blackhall and Dunshaughlin were two bad days at the office," Robert added. "The Blackhall game was over after 10 minutes. You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you. It was similar against Dunshaughlin. They got two goals in the first half and it was all over early in the second half."
After the loss to Walterstown, St Ultan's concluded their group campaign with a minimum margin defeat against Rathkenny and then had to concentrate on trying to survive.
"We were five points down at half-time against Simonstown," Robert said. "We told ourselves at the interval that we were showing them too much respect. We upped it a gear and gave it a good lash. We got back level, but missed two chances to go ahead. If we had gone ahead we might have held on, but Simonstown finished strongest.
"We seemed to be very flat against Oldcastle. We didn't perform. They were sharper from the word go and were really up for it. We gave away an early goal and heads went down. It was very disappointing.
"It won't be easy to bounce back up. There isn't much between a number of teams in the IFC. I would like to think that we are as good as the top six. We have to be realistic and not set goals that are too high, but if we reached the knockout stages you never know what might happen."
St Ultan's certainly didn't have much in the way of good fortune during 2010 with so many injuries and emigration hampering their progress, but with a cleaner bill of health and a stronger panel to choose from they will undoubtedly possess the quality to mount a serious assault on the intermediate title next year.
Ultan's ladies
are the Royal champions
The scenes of joy and celebration after the final whistle demonstrated what it meant to St Ultan's to win the Ladies' SFC for the first time since 2004. A stunning performance yielded a 4-13 to 1-13 final victory over reigning champions and hot favourites Seneschalstown at Ashbourne and there was every reason to be happy.
St Ultan's had experienced many disappointments, a fair few of them at the hands of Seneschalstown, but there was no denying their superiority this time as a team managed by Vincent Rennicks, assisted by Colm Rennicks, Peter Marley and Tommy Mallon, triumphed in style.
Seneschalstown were bidding for a 10th title in 11 years, but St Ultan's played with a passion and confidence that was too much for them. However, when they led by only 1-8 to 0-7 at the break after playing with the strong wind there were doubts that they would be able to hold on.
The champions has started best with a brace of points from Grainne Nulty, but St Ultan's got moving and opened up a 1-7 to 0-5 lead, with the goal coming from an Elaine Duffy penalty. Seneschalstown cut the deficit to only four points at the break and to three on the restart, but then St Ultan's cut loose.
Brilliant captain Katie O'Brien, who received the player of the match award, scored two goals and Duffy and Shauna Bennett got points and suddenly they were clear by 3-10 to 0-8.
Boosted by a Grace Deane goal Seneschalstown reduced the gap to six points, but St Ultan's were playing with great assurance and they put the icing on the cake when Geraldine Doherty scored their fourth goal.
Manager Rennicks revealed afterwards that the panel had trained 93 times this year and the effort was rewarded with this great success. It was achieved with a tremendous team effort. Their defence was magnificent, with full-back Irene Munnelly and centre-back Mary Coyne superb and Shauna Bennett operating as an extra back.
O'Brien and Mary Foley were outstanding at midfield and Duffy, Doherty and Leslie Buchanan were among the stars in an attack which functioned brilliantly. This was a great day for St Ultan's and as one supporter said afterwards, "it was like winning the All-Ireland".
The St Ultan's team in the final was - N O'Brien; M Costello, I Munnelly, M O'Brien; C Rennicks (0-1), M Coyne, AM Ball; K O'Brien (2-0), M Foley; E Casserly, E Duffy (1-5), K Healy; S Bennett (0-1), G Doherty (1-3), L Buchanan (0-3). Sub - C Bennett for Rennicks.
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