Drums remain positive
November 27, 2011Could the tide be finally turning for Drumconrath? While it has been three long years since they last won a championship game, there were some encouraging signs during 2011, particularly in the league where they got back to winning ways.
It has been a tough struggle for the red and whites since Rathkenny edged them out in the 2006 IFC decider. They contested an IFC quarter-final the following year but, much to their frustration, haven't won a championship game since defeating Ballivor to retain their intermediate status in 2008. North county rivals Castletown sent them crashing through the relegation trapdoor in 2009 and they've been languishing in the junior ranks ever since.
Without a win, Drumconrath finished bottom of their JFC group for the second year-in-a-row, but at least they had consolation of winning four games in Division 4 of the All-County League as well as securing a brace of victories in the Tailteann Cup.
"After failing to win a competitive game last year, it was a definite improvement," enthuses Stephen McKenna, who has been club treasurer for the past 10 years.
"Any year you finish bottom of your championship group is a bad year but, having said that, we took a bit of heart from our league form. While we were bitterly disappointed to drop down to Division 4 last year, we seem to have found our level there.
"The last thing we want to do is drop back to junior 'B'. If that happened, it would be very difficult to come back up because all championships are hard won. But I'd like to think that we've turned the corner and that the only way we can go now is up."
Stephen dismisses the notion that the Drums' unenviable championship record has had a demoralising affect on the players.
"I don't think it's playing on their minds at all," he says.
"The lads who are there are very committed, but our biggest problem is that we don't have enough top-class players. There are lads who should be playing with us but won't commit for whatever reason. If Jamie Myles and Stephen Crosby hadn't come back from Australia, we would have been in serious trouble this year.
"At this stage, we have only four survivors - Sean Kane, Terry Skelly, Jamie Myles and Thomas Carolan - from the team that played in the 2006 intermediate final. Since then, Rathkenny have gone one way and we've gone the other. That's been hard to accept, but I don't think we would have gone on to make the same impact in senior as them because that was really a last hurrah for that particular Drumconrath team."
Stephen continues: "All we can do is keep at it and hope that there are better days to come. We have good young fellas who have great potential if we can keep them involved and playing football."
2011 could have turned out very differently for Drumconrath had they not lost to an injury-time point from Kilmainhamwood centre back Francie Owens in their JFC Group A opener. The winners got off to a flying start when Stephen Kiernan netted in the seventh minute, but with Terry Skelly dominant at midfield, and John McDermott, Leighton Irwin and Derek Duff all finding the target, Drumconrath were only a point in arrears, 0-6 to 1-4, at the break.
Skelly levelled on the resumption, but the 'Wood had regained a two-point lead with eight minutes to go thanks to efforts from David Russell and ex-county player Ray Magee. After Jamie Myles was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post, Derek Duff landed two great points to level as the game ticked into stoppage-time. But there was still time for Owens to give the 'Wood a 1-8 to 0-10 victory as Drumconrath were left to rue 10 wides compared to their opponents' three.
That proved to be the first of five straight defeats in the championship for the north Meath club who, it must be said, we competitive in all their games except for their final outing against Bective when they shipped six goals.
Following their strong showing against Kilmainhamwood, Drums had high hopes of picking up two points against Skryne's second string, but minus three of the side which played in the opening round, they succumbed to a 0-10 to 1-11 defeat. Glen O'Reilly's charges missed a number of scoring chances in the first half, at the end of which they trailed by 0-4 to 0-6. A brace of Austin Hickey points had them back on level terms early in the second half and it was nip and tuck until the 52nd minute when the Skyrne 'keeper produced a brilliant save to deny Terry Skelly a certain goal.
Following that let-off, Skryne were awarded a penalty which they duly converted and there was no way back for Drumconrath after that.
Drums' hopes of reaching the knockout stages were ended when they lost their next game to Navan O'Mahony's 1-6 to 1-11. The signs looked promising for the wearers of red and white when they trailed by just two points, 0-2 to 0-4, after playing against a strong breeze in the first half, but the O'Mahony's second string took control in the third quarter to open up a 0-8 to 0-3 lead.
A goal and a point from the outstanding Terry Skelly reduced the deficit to the minimum, but the Navan side hit back with a goal of their own and had five points to spare in the end.
That elusive victory remained as far away as ever for Drums who went down to Moylagh on a 2-5 to 2-11 scoreline in their fourth game. A Shane Brody goal on the stroke of half-time gave the Westmeath-border club a five-point lead and they had moved eight points clear before Drumconrath replied with an unanswered 1-2. However, Moylagh pulled away again before Drums got in for a late consolation goal.
Drumconrath's championship ended on a hugely disappointing note when they suffered their heaviest defeat in many a long day against Bective. The sides were level after 25 minutes, but a goal from Marty Mulhall had Bective ahead by 1-4 to 0-5 at the interval.
When Stephen Crosby pointed on the restart, it looked as though the game would go to wire, but an injury to their talisman Skelly seemed to knock the stuffing out of Drumconrath completely and they capitulated in the final 20 minutes as Bective crashed home five goals to run out emphatic 6-9 to 0-8 winners.
Despite the result, Bective lost out to their neighbours Navan O'Mahony's on scoring difference for a place in the knockout stages.
The highlight of Drumconrath's year was provided by the North Meath Gaels under 16s who captured the Division 6 league title following a 1-16 to 2-9 victory over Ballinlough at Pairc Tailteann. In one of the best underage finals seen this year, the Drumconrath-Meath Hill-Kilmainhamwood amalgam recovered from a sluggish start to record a thrilling win.
The winners looked to be in trouble when they trailed by 0-1 to 1-4 in the early stages, but once Tomas Conlon and Ryan Owens began to get to grips at midfield, the scores started to flow and they went into the break leading by 0-10 to 1-5.
Further points from Ian Malone, Luke Doran and Jonathan Byrne pushed them five ahead following the resumption, only for Ballinlough to hit back with their second goal from Ricky McDermott. When McDermott followed up with a point, the margin was down to the minimum, 0-13 to 2-6, but the amalgamation side weren't to be denied with Shane McCabe's goal putting the seal on a memorable win.
Drumconrath lined out as follows against Kilmainhamwood in their JFC opener: Sean Kane; Alan McEvoy, Thomas Carolan, Oran Finnegan; Peter Tighe, Stephen Crosby, John McDermott (0-1); Terry Skelly (0-2), Christopher Tighe; Alan Byrne (0-1), Jamie Myles, Brendan Lyons; Derek Duff (0-5), Niall Martin, Wesley Byrne. Subs used: Leighton Irwin (0-1) and Padraig McMahon.
The North Meath Gaels team which claimed under 16 league honours was: Dominic Yorke; Edward Cassidy, Stephen Shields; Martin Shields, Padraig Carolan, Conor O'Halloran; Ryan Owens, Tomas Conlon; Jonathan Byrne, Luke Doran, Colm McEvoy; Ian Malone, Shane McCabe. Subs: Martin Meegan, Brendan Crosby, Conor Kieran, Shane Carolan, Conor Marry and Noel Russell. Tweet
