Sometimes it just means more! Boardsmill's footballers have trudged along in relative anonymity since the start of time, but over the last few years they have started to make an impact at underage level. In 2002 the club won an adult football title for the first time in their history, when they beat Dunboyne in the junior C final. It is the latest and greatest chapter in Boardsmill's meteoric rise from football obscurity. In 1997 they claimed their first ever underage football title when the U-14 side won the Division 4 crown. The U-13 team also collected Division 4 honours in 1997 by beating Clan na Gael in the final while in 1998 the U-14 side clinched Division 3 South glory against the same opposition. Last year they also won the Division 4 minor league title in comprehensive fashion. Of course none of this success would have occurred without the dedication of a few committed individuals. From the womb of a hurling club, they have raised football teams. Michael Leonard is one of the men who have played an integral part in orchestrating the success of the club's footballers, from underage level to junior champions. "We always had the players but we just needed to start believing we could win things. The lads put in hard work this year and reached a level of fitness better than most junior sides. I mean we would have training three, sometimes four times a week and the smallest turnout we ever had was about 28, from a panel of 32. And there would be genuine reasons why those lads couldn't make it, " reveals Michael. Boardsmill's odyssey started way back on May 19th when they took on Ballivor. "We got off to a good start by beating them 1-8 to 0-7 that day with Keith Hamilton scoring 1-4," says Michael. The former Longwood chairman then plotted the downfall of his old club when Boardsmill ran out 1-15 to 1-5 winners, with the goal coming from Joe Cotter. The blue and whites received walkovers from both Na Fianna and Ballinabrackey during the course of their campaign but that is not what they had wanted. "It didn't really suit us for other teams to be pulling out because what we needed were games. More games would have suited us," believes Michael. They did however face Summerhill in a tight match, played in wet conditions at Summerhill. But by the final whistle Boardsmill had battled out a 0-7 to 0-6 victory. Their unbeaten run had seen them progress to a preliminary quarter-final with Wolfe Tones. Keith Hamilton once again put on a fantastic scoring performance to inspire his side to a 0-15 to 1-6 triumph in that particular tussle. In the quarter-final they faced a strong Dunshaughlin side and after trailing by seven points at half-time Boardsmill fought their way back to draw the match 0-9 to 1-6. In the replay Boardsmill looked like they were on their way to a semi-final place until Dunshaughlin scored an equalising goal in the last minute. The late strike should have handed Dunshaughlin a psychological advantage but Boardsmill's superior fitness, not for the first time all year, came to the fore as they won 0-21 to 2-9. "We were nearly celebrating before Dunshaughlin scored that equalising goal. However we knew after extra-time that it was the best thing that could have happened to us. The lads were far fitter in the extra periods and after that game they really started to believe they were good enough to win the whole thing out." During the game Boardsmill introduced two subs and both scored four points apiece. Indeed their strength in depth is one of their main assets. "Bernard McLoughlin and Eric Cribbin came on and scored four points in the quarter-final and that shows what kind of a panel we have. I mean only seven or so fellas who started the first game this year actually started in the final. Everybody who got on the team merited their inclusion and they had to play well to keep their place because we had a lot of good lads waiting on the bench to come on," says Michael. In the semi-final Boardsmill put on perhaps their most overwhelming performance of the year when they crushed Moynalvey 2-13 to 0-2 at Summerhill. In the decider they faced Dunboyne, but the determined Boardsmill outfit grabbed the initiative from the outset and the result never looked in doubt. At the final whistle Boardsmill had become junior C champions, 0-12 to 0-5. "We were pretty much in control from start to finish in the final. The win meant so much to the club and the players deserved it after all the hard work they had put in all year. Indeed it is rare to actually see a junior club win the junior C championship because the senior or intermediate clubs can usually field strong second or third string teams to play in it and they invariably do well," states Michael. The genial Boardsmill man was part of a three-man team on the sideline this year, along with Des Hamilton and Anthony Reilly. However Michael picks out dual player and Meath hurling star Thomas Reilly for special praise. "Thomas was immense for us all year. He really was a spiritual leader for all the lads and his presence, both on the field and in the dressing room, was huge. Not only that but he is a real gentleman and helps the younger fellas on the team. Paudie Guy was also a great captain while the likes of David Farrell, Stephen Masterson, Sean Reilly, Eoin Dunne and Keith Hamilton were tremendous all year." Yet on the other hand Boardsmill's senior hurlers had an ultimately disappointing year after an encouraging start in the championship. In their first outing they accounted for Dunderry, 2-6 to 0-10, before playing out an exciting draw with eventual champions Kilmessan in early June. A 0-15 to 1-10 victory over Kiltale followed in July before they fell 2-13 to 1-8 at the hands of a strong Navan O'Mahony's side. However Boardsmill faced bottom of the table Athboy in their last game and a victory could, at the very least, have gained them a play-off. Inexplicably Boardsmill were on the receiving end of a 2-12 to 1-9 score-line and with that defeat their championship ambitions disappeared. They were the only points Athboy picked up in the championship but Boardsmill had shown earlier in the year that, with a little bit more consistency, they are more than capable of mounting a serious challenge in 2003. Nevertheless 2002 is the year that Gaelic football finally nestled in amongst the ash sticks of Boardsmill and held its own. The club are fortunate to have men like Michael, Des and Anthony on board. Next year they will prepare their charges for the junior B championship with the intention of going all the way. "The first thing we told the players after winning the junior C title was to celebrate the victory but that next year we will be aiming for the junior B championship. I believe that now the players have got a taste of winning they can go very well next year. We have an absolutely fantastic bunch of lads and if they put in the same amount of effort next year as they did in the past 12 months then I have no doubt we will be in with a shout," says Michael. Boardsmill's championship success in 2002 is also encouraging for football in general in Meath and should act as an inspiration to other small clubs across the county. The Boardsmill junior side proved that with a lot of hard work and dedication success can be gained. Ten years ago in the 1992 Royal Meath Yearbook there was not even a mention of a football, never mind a picture of a football team, in the Boardsmill article. The club has come along way since then. Michael Leonard has been part of that rejuvenation in recent years and he admits that there is something special that keeps him addicted to the GAA. "I really do love being involved with the footballers in Boardsmill. Anybody that has ever been involved in the game will tell you that there is a real buzz in a dressing room. It is the closest I have ever come to Tir na nOg." Dunshaughlin lifted the Keegan Cup for the third time in as many years in 2002 while Ballivor were finally crowned intermediate champions after two years of getting within touching distance. But perhaps Boardsmill's junior C triumph, although not as illustrious, is perhaps the greatest of all in 2002. Because sometimes it just means more! The Boardsmill team that faced Dunboyne in the junior C final was: S. Masterson; S. Guy, S. Reilly, G. Jones; O. Jones, D. O'Brien, E. Dunne; V. Guy, T. Reilly (0-3); P. Guy (Capt.) (0-1), K. Hamilton (0-4), B. McLoughlin; R. Cribbin, I. McLoughlin (0-2), D. Farrell (0-1). Subs: E. Cribbin (0-1) for R. Cribbin. Tweet

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