Tommy Dowd's fabulous intercounty football career, which brought so much pleasure for Meath supporters during the 1990s, may be over. But one of the county's most popular and wholehearted players of all time proved in 2002 that he can still do the business at club level. Seven years after the gifted forward played such a crucial and inspirational role in Dunderry's march to an historic first Meath Senior Football Championship title in 1995, Dowd did most to secure their survival in the premier grade when he pounced for crucial late scores to see off Oldcastle's stubborn challenge in a preliminary relegation play-off at Kells and he later proved the key figure as they made sure of their survival in Div. 1 of the All-County 'A' League. It was a typical Dowd display in that senior championship match against Oldcastle. He had been frustrated by tight marking for much of the game as Dunderry's simple ploy of directing the ball towards the left corner-forward at every possible opportunity failed to produce the scores they would have hoped for. But great footballers like Dowd, even if they're not quite as speedy on the feet as in the past, usually find some kind of joy over the course of a match and so it was as Dowd's persistence reaped rich dividends when he registered his side's last three scores of the game in the shape of a well-taken goal, sandwiched between two fine points, to secure a precious victory and senior football for at least another year. Dunderry came out on top by five points (2-9 to 0-10) to ensure their survival in the top grade and they must have truly appreciated the importance and meaning of that particular victory when Oldcastle lost their hard-earned senior status towards the end of October when they were beaten by Summerhill in a fiercely contested relegation final, also at Kells. Survival brought justified relief for Dunderry, and understandably so, but the reality is that the club would have hoped, and probably expected, to do significantly better at senior level in 2002, especially with a plentiful supply of up and coming players at their disposal. That relegation play-off victory over Oldcastle, a team they also eliminated from this year's Feis Cup competition after a replay, before losing heavily to Dunshaughlin at the quarter-final stage, provided Dunderry with their only win of the Senior Football Championship campaign. However, it has to be appreciated that they lost only once also - by two points (0-12 to 1-7) against Ballinlough. Dunderry held both Simonstown Gaels and Blackhall Gaels to draws in their Group A campaign, so it's clear to see just how close they came to qualifying for the business end of the title race instead of finding themselves starting at the dreaded relegation trap door - with one eye at least. Dowd, who has been troubled with both ankle and back problems, was absent in the early stages of the campaign due to injury and was undoubtedly missed in a big way, but he was there when Dunderry needed him most against Oldcastle and, as usual, he didn't let anybody down thanks to that late salvo of crucial scores. Another of Dunderry's great servants and another former Meath player, Sean Kelly, took the decision to play junior football in 2002 and while his experience was undoubtedly a great boost to that particular side, he is a difficult player to replace on the senior team because it's not very often that a footballer of his undoubted ability comes along. Dunderry will certainly hope that Meath's 1996 All-Ireland-winning captain Dowd will continue to aid their cause for a few more seasons with all that craft and vast experience which he built up over many years of playing at the top level with the county team. And the indications are that he will give it another go in 2003. They will also hope that all the success enjoyed at under-21 level will help them back to the summit in the senior grade. Many of the players who helped the club to three successive Under-21 FC titles are now mixing it with the more seasoned campaigners like Dowd, Barry Callaghan and Stephen O'Rourke on the senior team and this youthful brigade represents the future hopes and aspirations of a club that would dearly love to experience the joy of winning another senior title. The expectation might have been that the mixture of experience and youthful flair would have yielded a greater showing from Dunderry in the 2002 Keegan Cup title race, but players like David Callaghan, Colm and Seamus Harte, Kevin Slattery, Thomas Doherty and Ivan McCormack should continue to develop with time and will certainly learn from playing with the more senior men around them. Dunderry found themselves nearer the bottom that the top of the table as the All-County 'A' Football League reached the closing stages of the Div. 1 campaign. Relegation was a possibility, but enter that man Dowd for the final match in the section at home to Simonstown Gaels and their status in the top section was secured for another year as he bagged a highly impressive haul of 10 points in a runaway 18-point (4-17 to 1-8) victory. It was the sort of free-scoring performance that might just convince the former Meath captain that he should soldier on for another while yet and that he still has plenty to offer his club at this level. As would have been expected, Sean Kelly was a key figure as the Dunderry junior team produced a strong late surge in the group stages of their JFC campaign, beating Gaeil Colmcille, St. Brigid's and Skryne in successive matches to keep their title hopes very much alive. That progressive run earned them a do or die play-off against Nobber, who had beaten them by five points in the group stages, with Dunderry sportingly agreeing to play the match under lights at the Nobber pitch. The home side obviously adapted best to playing at night and rarely looked in any danger of defeat as they built up a very healthy 0-9 to 0-3 at half-time lead. Nobber increased their advantage to nine points early in the second half, but the vastly experienced Kelly appeared to have given Dunderry some hope of a revival when he netted from the penalty spot. But when Nobber's Gavin Farrelly replied with a goal at the other end almost immediately there was going to be only one outcome and Nobber went on to win with relative comfort, once again by five points, on a 1-15 to 2-7 scoreline. On the hurling front, the good news for the Dunderry supporters was that the club successfully held onto their Senior Championship status, thanks ultimately to a 3-11 to 1-15 victory over a Navan O'Mahonys' team that had already booked their place in the knock-out stages. Dunderry's other victory in the group was a 1-12 to 0-11 win over Athboy, but they suffered narrow defeats against both Boardsmill (2-6 to 0-10) and Kiltale (2-9 to 1-10) and were well-beaten by eventual champions Kilmessan on a 1-12 to 0-5 scoreline. Those reversals destroyed their chances of reaching the semi-finals, but they do have the satisfaction of knowing they'll be playing their hurling in the top grade for at least another year. Tweet

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