2000 proved to be an amazing year for the footballers of St. Pat's as they finally made amends for past failures. 'Perseverance brings success' was the title of the Walterstown club's comprehensive history which was published in the mid 1980's. If the maxim applied to Walterstown, then it is even more appropriate for the patient footballers of St. Patricks. They had lost no fewer than FOUR Intermediate finals in the 1990's, experiences which generated enough heartache to last a lifetime, but they struck back in the first year of the new Millennium to erase the memory of their '90's disappointments. It wasn't easy. The loss of two successive finals to Blackhall Gaels and Syddan was particularly hard to stomach and had the players opted for a less enthusiastic approach this year, it would have been difficult to blame them. Christy Moore, who had played such a notable role in moulding a team capable of challenging for the title would no longer be available because of work commitments and the search began for a successor. Former Meath Junior coach Dudley Farrell was successfully head-hunted, something of a coup for the club in the circumstances...after all, there was never likely to be a queue given St. Patricks' history of repeated failure to regain their senior status. Farrell's arrival was just what the doctor ordered. A new face with new ideas and above all, an 'outsider'. The road to the Mattie McDonnell Cup would be difficult but Farrell's easy-going style masked a single-minded determination and a strict attitude on discipline. Eventually, a sequence of League victories played an influential role in 'bonding' the manager and his team with the result that they went into the championship with fresh optimism and quiet confidence. Many neutrals tended to write them off, citing the psychological damage generated by the '98 and '99 defeats in particular. 'Difficult to see the Pats winning it now', was the widespread verdict on their prospects. The championship draw was not unkind and some opinions about the Stamullen mens' prospects were revised when it was realised that they had more than a decent chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages. And of all the 16 teams setting out on the championship trail, Dudley's charges appeared to be the most reliable bet for a place in the last four. Outright success was a much less reliable proposition. Slane, just down from the senior ranks were perceived as a major threat to St. Patricks' ambitions and it was the men in blue who provided the first round opposition. It was a tense match with St. Patricks eventually emerging on the right side of a 0-12 to 0-10 scoreline. It was an ultra-important win for the Stamullen men whose overall effort might have diminished substantially had they lost the opener. The Hill of Bellewstown was the venue for the second round clash with neighbours St. Colmcilles and it turned out to be a totally forgettable day for the St. Pats players, officials and supporters. Bad enough to score only four points and lose by twelve....but to arch rivals St. Colmcilles! The men in white and green played poorly throughout and were already in trouble by half-time when they trailed by five points. Matters did not improve after the break as St. Colmcilles coasted to a comfortable victory...the defeat was probably the biggest surprise of the championship and added further fuel to the argument that the successive final defeats had inflicted serious damage on the St. Pats team. A paltry total of two points in each half provided little in the way of optimism and the odds about an Intermediate championship success drifted accordingly. There then occurred a significant event which had a huge bearing on St. Patricks eventual success....Meath were knocked out of the championship by Offaly and, as a result, Cormac Sullivan and Cormac Murphy were 'freed up' to the benefit of their club. A similar situation happened in several clubs around the county but the availability of the two Cormacs for training and league matches was a huge boost to the team's morale. The next outing was against Donaghmore/Ashbourne at Seneschalstown and a commanding eight point lead was established before half-time. A goal from a penalty early in the second half brought the 'Moores back into the game but, despite scoring only three points in the second half, St. Pats held out for a 0-12 to 1-7 victory. The 1999 Junior champions St. Pauls provided the opposition in the fourth round at Skryne where Dudley Farrell's charges emerged victorious on a 1-11 to 2-6 scoreline. Once again, the foundations for victory were laid in the first half at the end of which the men in white and green led by 1-5 to 0-1. It was the second successive game in which they conceded just one first-half point. The most pleasing aspect was that the forwards were re-discovering their shooting boots after the flop against St. Colmcilles and the trend continued against Bective when a facile 0-19 to 0-5 victory was recorded. Then came the performance that really emphasised St. Patricks' potential to atone for the 1998 and '99 disappointments. it was against Na Fianna at Dunsany in mid-July. In the end, they had a massive 18 point winning margin and, in truth, they were full value for every one of them. They took control early on and had the game more or less wrapped up after 17 minutes when Peter Sullivan's goal from a penalty gave them a ten point lead, 2-6 to 0-2. The quality of their play was breathtaking at times...their passing movements were a delight to watch and even the backs delivered accurate ball, both long and short...whatever the occasion demanded. Fergus Minogue, at corner-forward, was the early destroyer scoring 1-3 in the first ten minutes but he received great support from Niall Flynn, Daithi Whyte, Peter Sullivan, Barry Campbell and Martin Kirk. At centre-field. Cormac Sullivan and James Hughes broke ball intelligently to their half-forwards and, with Cormac Murphy to the fore at centre-half-back, the defence was almost always in control against Na Fianna's attack. Noel Collier, Ronan Kearns and Ciaran Russell all defended superbly and participated in several of the sweeping movements that led to scores. Cormac Sullivan scored his team's third goal just before half time to leave it 3-8 to 0-3 and there really was no way back for the south County men. The final score was 3-17 to 1-5 and, for the first time since the previous Autumn, St. Patricks were being spoken about as possible Intermediate champions. Yes, the performance against Na Fianna was that good. The victory was enough to clinch a place in the semi-final and the last round game against Rathkenny was only of academic interest to Stamullen supporters, although Rathkenny needed to win to be safe from relegation worries. It was just as well that the semi-final place had been booked as Rathkenny, whose previous form had been poor, emerged victorious on a 2-8 to 0-12 scoreline. St. Patricks' lethargic performance was in sharp contrast to their eager-beaver display against Na Fianna. St. Colmcilles topped the group and St. Pats were runners-up, thus qualifying for a semi-final showdown with the other group winners Drumree. The games were played as a double-header at Pairc Tailteann in August when the St. Colmcilles-Ballivor clash opened the programme. It was a high-quality and exciting clash and it was always going to be difficult for the second game to compare. The second game turned out to be a dour struggle but St. Patricks'supporters were not too worried. Their team came out on top by four points, 0-15 to 1-8, and were almost always in control. Drumree scored two early points from frees but that was as good as it got and with Evan Kelly having picked up an early injury, their attack was blunted. It was all square at 0-3 apiece after ten minutes but St. Patricks had edged into a 0-8 to 0-5 lead by half-time. Daithi Whyte was in fine form scoring 0-7 but it was not what one might describe as a convincing performance. Maybe it was just as well...Ballivor's impressive display against St. Colmcilles helped to take the pressure off Dudley's men. And so to a fifth Intermediate decider in the space of ten years. Could St. Patricks hack it or were they destined to become the Greg Normans of Meath club football...chokers on the big occasion? The game was a major disappointment for neutrals but the enthusiastic supporters from East Meath were none too worried as St. Patricks finally returned to the senior ranks thanks to a 0-9 to 0-7 victory. While a mere two points separated the teams at the final whistle and while the eventual champions diced with death in the closing stages, there was no doubting their overall superiority. They registered 11 wides in the first half and added another eight after the break to leave Ballivor's hopes alive much longer than what should have been the case. In the end, experience was the major difference between the teams...the experience of being previously involved on the big day and discovering that championship final victories are almost always ground out, (Dunshaughlin being a notable exception to the rule). And it was a major grinding operation. The first half was bitterly disappointing with only seven scores to entertain the crowd. Significantly, St. Pats led by a point at the break, 0-4 to 0-3, despite some 'brutal' finishing. Niall Flynn replied to an early Ballivor point but the misses soon accumulated and you could scarcely blame Stamullen supporters for envisaging yet another final nightmare. But Peter Sullivan eased their worries somewhat with three unanswered points to edge his team into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead before Ballivor got back into contention with two points before the interval. Among the missed opportunities for St. Pats were two excellent goal chances. The standard did not pick up on the resumption but it was now Ballivor's turn to squander some good scoring opportunities. They drew level, but two points from Peter Sullivan and another from Daithi Whyte provided a cushion for St. Patricks who needed it badly when Ballivor again clawed their way back to within a point. There were more misses before Daithi Whyte finished off a good move that also involved Cormac Sullivan and Ray Russell. At the end of normal time, Ballivor again reduced the defecit but St Pats displayed substantial tactical nous when killing the play at a crucial stage. Deep into injury time Peter Sullivan made it safe with his team's ninth point. It was most appropriate that Martin Kirk should captain the team to victory...he has been a great stalwart of the team throughout the '90's. The same could be said for veteran goalie David Mooney who has provided outstanding service to the club for close on twenty years. Niall, Ciaran and Ray Russell are St. Patricks men through and through, and are proudly maintaining a lengthy family association with the club. The same can be said of Noel Collier and Ronan Kearns while the Sullivan brothers and Cormac Murphy have been key figures in various Meath All-Ireland successes. Niall Flynn and Fergus Minogue added new perspectives and increased options on their arrival in the club while Daithi Whyte, James Hughes and Barry Campbell made substantial contributions to the long-awaited success. Another long-serving stalwart was Ivan Curran who was introduced during the course of the final to good effect and Martin Byrne also played his part when introduced against Ballivor. The influence of Dudley Farrell cannot be over-estimated and he received considerable assistance from his fellow selectors, Tommy Haran and Paul Harris. To win the Intermediate Championship and the Division 1 League represents quite an achievement for St. Patricks in the first year of the new Millennium...they certainly have the potential to enjoy a lengthy stay in the senior ranks! The line-out in the final was as follows; David Mooney, Noel Collier, Niall Russell, Ronan Kearns, Ray Russell, Cormac Murphy, Ciaran Russell, Cormac Sullivan, James Hughes, Martin Kirk, Peter Sullivan, Niall Flynn, Fergus Minogue, Barry Campbell and Daithi Whyte. Substitutes used were Ivan Curran and Martin Byrne while the remaining panel members were; Paddy Rothwell, Neil Lennon, David O Flaherty, Michael Calvey, JP Ryan, Sean Harris, Nicky Harris, Niall Sheridan, David Collier, Kevin Ludlow, Ciaran Duffy, Niall Whearty and Noel Dunne. St. Pat's tops in Battle of champions This ACFL Division1 final was played under floodlights in Simonstown and it was Intermediate champions St Patrick's who shone the brightest to claim victory at the expense of Keegan Cup kingpins Dunshaughlin by 0-9 to 0-8 in an exciting contest. At half-time the Stamullen side's supporters feared the worst when trailing by 0-7 to 0-2 but their team, inspired by Meath and Ireland star Cormac Sullivan at midfield, produced a marvellous second half display to earn the spoils. The team in white and green trimmings adopted a more direct route to goals in that period and it certainly paid divedends. More often than not long balls from Sullivan found either Daithi Whyte, Ivan Curran or Peter Sullivan and between them this trio caused chaos in the Dunshaughlin rearguard. Ivan Curran's 56th minute winning point was a perfect example. Daithi Whyte collected a massive defensive clearance from Sullivan out along the left sideline before slipping his marker and playing it to Curran who sidefooted over the bar. A minute prior to that, Trevor Dowd had a glorious opportunity to put Dunshaughlin one point ahead from a 21m free but inexplicably shot wide. Dunshaughlin's much vaunted full-forward trio of Richie Kealy, David Crimmins and Dowd never scaled the lofty heights of their collective performances against Kilmainhamwood in the championship final. All credit for that must go to the St. Pat's defence, Ray Russell, Cormac Murphy and Noel Collier particularly stood out. The fact that Dunshaughlin could only manage one point in the second half,a Trevor Dowd free, speaks volumes for the heroics of the Pat's back six. Dunshaughlin were quick out of the blocks and raced into a three point lead courtesy of Crimmins, Dowd and Brendan Kealy. Dowd should have netted in the 10th minute but somehow managed to kick wide from the edge of the small square. Fergus Minogue was guilty of a similar miss at the other end two minutes later, just before Peter Sullivan opened the Stamullen side's account. Whyte added his team's second from a free shortly after. The town team dominated the remainder of the half, however, adding on four more points. Corner-back Fergal Gogan even got in on the scoring act with a point on the stroke of half-time. Whatever St Pat's manager Dudley Farrell said to his team during the half-time interval certainly had the desired effect as they had the deficit reduced to three points inside the first five minutes of the resumption through points from Whyte (free) and Peter Sullivan. Substitute JP Ryan had an opportunity to make an instant impression with his first touch of the ball when finding himself clear on the Dunshaughlin goal after latching on to a Cormac Sullivan ball but he squandered the chance. He did, however, make amends a minute later with a point. Whyte earned and pointed a free to leave just one point in it, 0-7 to 0-6, before Dowd struck for his team's only point of the second half. A successfully converted '45' from Cormac Sullivan and Whyte's fourth point of the game drew the sides level with 13 minutes remaining before veteran Curran made sure the Tommy Mooney cup was on its way to Stamullen with the late winner. St Patrick's - D Mooney; N Collier, N Russell, R Kearns; R Russell, C Murphy, C Russell; C Sullivan (0-1), J Hughes; M Kirk, P Sullivan (0-2), N Flynn; F Minogue, I Curran (0-1), B Campbell. Subs - D Whyte (0-4) for Minogue, JP Ryan (0-1) for Campbell, P Muldowney for Kirk. St Pat's minors get in on winning act St Patrick's collected only their second ever minor title following their 4-12 to 0-4 success over Na Fianna in the MFL Division 3 decider which was played at Skryne in July. It was a comfortable victory for the Stamullen men even though they led by just 0-3 to 0-2 at the break. Paddy Muldowney, captain Ciaran Calvey and David Kirwin registered their first half points. Manager Shane Keogh and selectors Malachy Stafford and Johnny Purfield waved the magic wand during the half-time interval and their team responded. A brace of points from JP Ryan was added to by two more from Colm Stafford and when Robert Genocky scored the first of his two goals in the 40th minute it left St Pat's ahead 1-8 to 0-2. Genocky's second goal at the beginning of the last quarter put the issue beyond any doubt and there were further goals from Keith Reilly and JP Ryan before the final whistle. After the match, Meath Minor Board deputy vice-chairman Tommy Mahon presented the cup to victorious captain Ciaran Calvey. St Patrick's - P McGinty; M Smith, J Monks; B McAuley, P Muldowney (0-3), S Calvey; JP Ryan (1-4), C Calvey (0-1); D Kirwin (0-1), J Kenna (0-2), C Stafford (0-2); R Genockey (2-0), K Reilly (1-0). Subs - A Kingston for Monks, D O'Sullivan for Kirwin, J Russell for Stafford, M Haran for Smith, C Campbell for Genockey. Tweet

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