With one of the smallest picks in the county, Bellewstown have found the going tough these past few years. But despite their difficulties, team manager Martin McEnteggart is convinced that the black and ambers can begin the climb back up the Meath footballing ladder, starting with a junior 'B' championship win next year. They may be struggling to stay afloat, but the desire to be successful remains as strong as ever in Bellewstown. "It's what keeps us going, the hope that some day we will get back to the stage we were at 20 years," says team manager Martin McEnteggart. "The past few years have been tough - there has been talk about us maybe having to amalgamate with some other club - but we don't want it to have to come to that. With Duleek and St. Pat's so close to us, we have a very small pool of players from which to choose. But I firmly believe that if they knuckle down to some serious training, they can win the junior 'B' championship next year." McEnteggart has experienced the highs and lows during his long involvement with the men from The Hills. He first came on the scene in the early 1980s and was full forward on the team that defeated Simonstown Gaels by 0-5 to 0-4 in the 1986 junior championship final at Kells. But while Simonstown have gone from strength to strength since then and are now regarded as one of the top senior clubs in the county, Bellewstown have declined to such an extent that they cannot be sure if they will still be in existence in a few years' time. They lost their junior 'A' status in 2002 and have been languishing in the junior 'B' championship ever since. "It's amazing how the fortunes of both clubs have changed. After beating Simonstown that day, we could never have foreseen what lay ahead. We were looking forward to an exciting new era, but unfortunately it never materialized. Simonstown, on the other hand, have come on in leaps and bound since then and they're one of the biggest clubs in the county now," laments Martin, whose son Cormac plays under 10 football for Simonstown's great rivals, Navan O'Mahony's. Under the guidance of McEnteggart and his co-selectors Alan McKeon and John Kirwan, Bellewstown made an ideal start to their junior 'B' championship campaign when they beat Syddan by a point. But they failed to build on that performance and successive defeats to Na Fianna, Blackhall Gaels, Moynalty and St. Brigid's put paid to their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages. They received a walkover from Navan O'Mahonys and finished the campaign with a win over Moynalvey, but there was still no getting away from the fact that it was a disappointing year. "The whole thing fell apart after we beat Syddan in our first game," Martin ruefully reflects. "That win should have driven us on, but instead there was a very poor turnout at the next training session and the lads didn't respond as they should have. We got a second win against Moynalvey, but at that stage we were only playing for pride and the result didn't mean much to anyone." Bellewstown's Division 5 league campaign was equally disappointing. A great win over eventual junior 'B' championship winners Boardsmill was overshadowed by their failure to field in a number of games. "The win over Boardsmill showed what we are capable of, but unfortunately there weren't too many other highlights. We conceded a few walkovers and that was probably the most disappointing thing of all this year." Martin, who continues to line out in goal for the black and ambers, has no hesitation in citing a lacking of commitment as the reason for the club's poor showing this year. "There wasn't enough effort put into training, particularly from the younger players, and that's the bottom line. We weren't helped either by injuries. Every club gets injuries, but we suffer more than most because our panel is so small. We can't afford to be without anyone at any time. "I was disappointed with the response this year, but maybe if we brought in an outside manager next year, he could shake things up a bit. Before I took over the training, I was a selector with Stephen Sherlock and he seemed to be doing a decent job. Maybe that's the way forward, but it's a decision for the club at the end of the day." Despite this year's disappointment, McEnteggart was encouraged by the fact that Bellewstown were competitive in virtually every game they played. "As poor as attendances were at training, we weren't beaten heavily in any of our games and I know that if the lads were to put in a bigger effort, we could win the junior 'B' championship next year. "I would love to see them taking inspiration from what our neighbours Duleek achieved this year. They had a lot of disappointments in the past few years, but they never lost hope and are now intermediate champions. Their success shows just what can be achieved with hard work and commitment. "We have some good young players coming through, including Michael Moore and Padraig Howard, who was a half back on the Meath minor team this year. Stephen Mills had a great year, even though he's not getting any younger. Most of our players are either very young or are approaching the end of their careers. We would be far more competitive if we had a few more lads in their twenties, but unfortunately that's not the case." 2006 is a significant year for Bellewstown as it marks the club's 40th birthday and, of course, the 20th anniversary of their junior championship success. "This is a very important year coming up for Bellewstown and it would be nice to be able to commemorate our 40th anniversary by winning the junior 'B' championship. I would love to see the lads putting in a bigger effort and I think they will. They've already started back training one night a week and that is a positive sign. "I'm sure our junior championship final win over Simonstown in 1986 will also be remembered in some way. It's hard to believe that final took place nearly 20 years ago now. It was a low-scoring game on a wet day in Kells and I can remember Simonstown almost snatched victory in the closing stages when they hit the post. "But we held out for the win and hopefully we'll be able to talk about a similar success for the club this time next year," Martin concludes. Tweet

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