Meath hurling needs clubs like Kildalkey. The small ball game has always been the county's poor relation in GAA terms. However, Kildalkey have proudly kept the flag flying high. The senior team failed to bloom in 2003, but the juvenile hurlers are budding nicely and the under-16s went all the way to claim the B title this year. Their triumph says a lot for sheer perseverance and belief. The current crop of under-16s have suffered defeat in the latter stages of competitions at U-11, U-13 and U-14 in recent years. It looked like it was just never going to be for them. Sometimes, it is extremely easy for teenagers to throw the towel in after such a string of defeats. However, the majority of the team stuck at it, and with a panel ranging from only 15 to 20 players all year, this Kildalkey team blitzed their way to a long overdue title. Pascal Carr and Ken Harmon were the men who guided the team to success, and for them too, it was a well-deserved triumph. "It had been disappointing for the team to lose so many semi-finals and finals over the past few years, but you either give up or you stick at it and give it your best," believes Pascal. "We had the pick of a very small panel all year - sometimes with only 15 players and going no higher then around 20. It was great for the players who put in the effort all year though." Their triumphant adventure started out against another of Meath's hurling strongholds - Boardsmill. The game was very one sided, with a fired up Kildalkey outfit nailing down their intentions for rest of the campaign. "We won that game quite well and looked stronger throughout. The win set us up nicely and gave the team a good lift," admits Pascal. Another solid victory followed over Donaghmore/Ashbourne, before their first tough match of the championship. "Moylagh gave us a good game and it was a close run affair for much of the game. It was a good test for us." Clann na nGael visited Kildalkey next time out, with the hosts chalking up win number four. "We were far superior all over the field," recalls Pascal. Kildalkey were already looking good to make the latter stages of the championship, but they still had to face both Dunboyne and Longwood. "I got a phone call on the Saturday evening prior to our game with Dunboyne on the Sunday and they wanted to rearrange it, but we both had lads playing other sports and couldn't find a suitable time. They gave us the points, but fixtures were a problem all year. "Games were constantly being changed or cancelled and it was impossible to know when or where we were playing a lot of the time." Longwood, who had beaten this Kildalkey side in the under-14 grade, were unable to field a team and also handed the points to the Blue and Whites. Their reward was a semi-final against of the title favourites - hurling kingpins Kiltale. "We knew we were up against it playing them because they have been a very good team coming up through over the past few years. They certainly would have been considered as one of the tournament favourites at under-16 level. "The game was touch and go and was a very tight affair for long periods. But in the second half we stepped it up a bit and got the vital scores that pushed us into a good lead." Kiltale had no response, and Kildalkey found themselves preparing for a final against Na Fianna. They were slight favourites entering the game, but Pascal realised that no title ever comes easy. "Na Fianna have been knocking on the door for a while now and they had also beaten Kiltale earlier on so there was no way we were treating them lightly. Like all finals, it was a 50-50 game and we prepared as well as we could." Kildalkey started well, but Na Fianna remained within striking distance throughout an exciting decider. "We were two points up at half-time and it was score for score for most of the game. Thankfully we held on in the second half and won by three points in the end. "It has definitely been a successful year for the team and hopefully they can build on it now. As long as I have been with this team they have narrowly failed to win titles, so it was great for them this year. "This was probably the one year we maybe didn't expect to win anything. Longwood had looked good and Kiltale were very strong, but the way things actually turned out Longwood didn't even field a team against us. "It was also a little bit unfortunate that there was no media coverage of the final because it would have been nice for the lads. But the main thing is that they won the title and success is great at keeping players interested. Hopefully these players will stick at it now and eventually make it on to the senior team in the next few years." The club's senior hurlers had an ultimately disappointing year, finishing one point off bottom spot in Group B of the championship. They actually got off to a fantastic start; beating Longwood 1-11 to 1-10 in late May, but their season went into free fall thereafter. A beleaguered display against Dunderry followed in early June, where they fell 2-9 to 1-11. Dunderry finished bottom of the group, and the win over Kildalkey were the only points they accumulated throughout their campaign. That surprise defeat set Kildalkey back, but they remained in contention for the play-offs with a draw against Navan O'Mahony's, 0-12 to 0-12. It was the only point the town side dropped in the group as they finished top of the pile. A make or break clash followed against Killyon, but Kildalkey never got going and suffered a hugely disappointing defeat, 1-8 to 4-7, which left them battling for their senior survival. They faced Dunboyne in their final group game, knowing that a defeat coupled with a Dunderry victory would see them plummet to the bottom of the table. Kildalkey were no match for Dunboyne, falling 0-8 to 1-15, but Dunderry also failed to win and the Blue and White Brigade hung on to fifth place. Kildalkey's senior team under performed this year and their poor championship campaign may act as a wake up call for 2004. The immediate aim is still to win the Martin Donnelly Meath SHC, but the work being done at underage level may yet prove even more beneficial in the long term. The club has plenty of young players emerging through the ranks, and over the coming years don't be surprised if you hear more about this current under-16 side. They've worked long and hard to achieve their goal, and now they'll be anxious to taste further success in the future. The Kildalkey Gaels are preparing for life in the limelight once more. The Kildalkey team that lined out against Na Fianna in the under-16 B hurling final was: Daniel Pouchini, Owen Potterton, Colm Ward, Denis O'Reilly, Padraig Keogh, Joe Curran, Brendan Canavan, Wayne Murray, Killian Canavan, Colm Keane, John Carroll, Richie Sherrock, James Kelly. Subs: John Murray for James Kelly. Tweet

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