St Mary's had high expectations for 2003, but one brief lapse effectively cost them a place in the knockout stages of this year's junior football championship. It was a strange year for the Donore club, who burst out of the blocks with a fantastic victory over Navan O'Mahony's in their first outing in Group B of the JFC. By the end of the group stage they were the only club to have taken points from O'Mahony's. However, St Mary's were inexplicably held to a low scoring draw by St Paul's soon after, and that result proved detrimental to their championship aspirations. St Paul's finished bottom of the group and the draw with St Mary's was the only point they managed all year. Thus Mary's had the rather strange record of being the only team to take points from the top team in the group and also the solitary team to concede points to the bottom side. St Mary's finished third in the table on seven points. However, they were only one point adrift of both O'Mahony's and St Michael's - who were level at the summit on eight points. A win over St Paul's would have kept them in contention, but it wasn't to be. "That was the game that really cost us dearly in the championship this year. We knew going into the match that we had to beat St Paul's, and we believed we were good enough to do so. But it just didn't happen for us. Looking back, it is clear to see that the draw really damaged our chances," says versatile club stalwart Brian Lynch. "It is difficult to say whether they played very well on the day or whether we were poor, but I think we lacked a bit of discipline and experience. We are a young team but you still need to have a good level of experience at this grade. We lacked that all year and that was one of our main downfalls. "That draw really put it up to us and we knew that from then on we were relying on other teams to slip up if we were to go any further in the championship, but unfortunately that didn't happen." Gerry Flanagan coached the team again this year and the club had plans on making it a successful 12 months on the playing field. They haven't won the junior football championship since 1979, but many at the club believed they could lift the Matthew Ginnity Cup this year. "I personally would have felt that we were certainties to make the knockout stages of the championship at the start of the year. We have some very good footballers and although we have lost a number of players in recent years I thought we were strong enough to make it out of the group at the very least," continues Brian. "I have never seen the club set such high aims as they did at the start of the year. They set a target of winning the junior championship and getting promotion in the league. I don't know if they were aiming too high or not, but I suppose you have to set the bar high and give the players something to aim for." St Mary's were pitted against O'Mahony's, St Michael's, Bective, Meath Hill and St Paul's in the group stages. They got off to the perfect start with that win over O'Mahony's in April. The Donore men ran out 1-5 to 0-4 victors. "It was touch and go for a while but we edged it in the end and it looked like that win had set us up for a good long run in the championship. It was just the kind of start we wanted and it gave all the players a lot of confidence." However, they fell to a strong St Michael's side, 1-9 to 1-6 in their next outing, when two Carlanstown greats turned on the magic for the victors. "All I can really remember of that game is Martin O'Connell and Daithi Regan. The two of them were brilliant and I guess it comes down to that extra bit of experience once more. They were the difference between the two teams on the day. But we knew we weren't out of the championship and a win against St Paul's would have got us back on track." However, in the last days of May St Paul's held them to a draw, with the sides finishing on nine points apiece. The result was a hammer blow to their chances and in truth St Mary's championship ended that day. To their credit though, they bounced back with two wins in their final group games against Meath Hill and Bective respectively. "We were blowing hot and cold all year and lacked that bit of consistency which you need. But I still think that we have the players here that are capable of winning a junior championship and getting promotion in the league. I wouldn't even say it will take three or four years before we are in with a chance of winning the title, because hopefully we have learned from our mistakes this year and won't make them again next year." The Donore club also had mixed fortunes in Division 4A of the league this year, and after going so close to promotion last year, their 2003 campaign was a let down. They enjoyed some impressive wins, including victories over Bective and Clan na nGael, but those triumphs were ultimately overshadowed by heavy defeats at the hands of St Ultan's, Longwood and Drumbaragh. However, they still managed to finish above the relegation zone. At 33, Brian is one of the most experienced players on the St Mary's team and has given great service to the club for well over a decade. And what's more, he is not hanging up his boots just yet. "I'll keep going as long as my legs allow me to. These days I play wherever I can get a game," he jokes. "Seriously though this team are potentially as good as any I have played with through the years. I think that there is a lot of football ability in them and the majority of the players are still in their early twenties. "The junior championship is definitely one of the toughest to win because you have teams that have come down from intermediate determined to go straight back up, and you also have a lot of junior teams that have been knocking around at promotion for a long time. "We have been there or thereabouts for a while now but I definitely think this team are capable of going all the way. Some of the players were involved in the team that won the under-21 (special) championship two years ago, so that is also encouraging." At the time of writing, it was still unclear whether or not Gerry Flanagan would be returning to train the club in 2004. Flanagan and his selector Pat Lenehan put in a huge amount of work with the team and Brian believes they deserve a lot of credit. "Gerry has put in enormous effort here with the club and he has certainly improved us as a team. The players get on well with him and between himself and Pat they have worked extremely hard. "Pat has been a selector for years and he's one of these fellas who never seems to leave the pitch. I'd say he puts in even more effort than some of the players. He's a great worker and he is the kind of person every club needs to keep them going." Next year, Brian himself will play a large role in keeping this St Mary's team going. For such a young team, it is important that they have somebody with his experience on board. For the time being though, most of St Mary's young players will feel that 2003 was a hugely disappointing year. It wasn't totally soul destroying, but with expectations high at the outset, the end result was pretty demoralising. However, they should take heart from the fact that Brian Lynch will be with them again in 2004. He has endured the pain of defeat at this grade more than any other player on the team. His aim has always been to help St Mary's win the junior championship and he wouldn't be hanging around if he didn't believe this current team could finally make that breakthrough. Tweet

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