Intermediate glory at small ball game
November 30, 2005
Blackhall Gaels joined a small and elite club on the fourth Sunday of October when they pounced late to defeat Na Fianna in a highly entertaining Intermediate Hurling Championship final at Trim.
The success means the Kilcloon/Batterstown combination will play their hurling in the senior ranks for the first time next year and, along with Navan O'Mahonys, Dunboyne and Trim, they will be one of only four clubs in the county with teams playing both football and hurling in the top flight.
The 0-13 to 0-12 victory in the decider represented a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Blackhall - coached by Martin Curran - who were beaten by 11 points when they met Na Fianna in an earlier group match and coming a year after their historic Minor Championship triumph there can be no doubting that they are an emerging force in the small ball code in the county.
The minors gave hurling in the club a huge boost when defeating Kilmessan in the final and the fact that this particular bunch of players had been hurling together since the age of 11 gives an accurate indication of the amount of dedicated work that has gone into the promotion of the sport over a seven or eight-year period.
A healthy sprinkling of those minors helped Blackhall to their breakthrough at intermediate level this year, three seasons after their success in the Junior Championship, and with so many young players on the panel the ambition will be to settle into the top grade and, hopefully, soon be in a position to mount a serious challenge for the Jubilee Cup.
It wasn't all plain sailing for Blackhall Gaels in the group stages of the Intermediate Championship, but it doesn't matter what type of passage you take to a final once the outcome on the most important day of all is the right one.
Neighbours Dunboyne, winners of the Junior Championship in 2004 and who were ultimately to go straight back down to that grade, provided the first round opposition at Dunsany and Blackhall secured a narrow win, coming out on top by 1-13 to 1-11.
It was Dunboyne who made the better start as they were boosted by an early goal and when Blackhall had David Carty sent off after 18 minutes they looked to be in trouble. However, a goal from Shane O'Loughlin helped to level the scores at 1-4 each and the Gaels held a slender 1-7 to 1-6 advantage at the interval.
The second half was also close and the sides were level on three occasions during the third quarter, but Blackhall just did enough to make a winning start to the competition as Jonathan Meyler contributed seven points.
Gaeil Colmcille struggled throughout the competition and Blackhall secured a second successive victory when they defeated the Kells side by 1-16 to 1-2 at Dunderry. Darren and Shane O'Loughlin were in superb form and the winners had eight points on the board before the Kells men got off the mark.
Shane O'Loughlin scored the Blackhall goal just before half-time and that boosted them to a commanding 1-12 to 0-1 interval lead. They added little to their tally in the second period but it made no difference as victory was a formality thanks to that dominant first half showing.
However, the winning run wasn't maintained and Dunderry, who had been relegated >from the senior ranks the previous year, scored a narrow 0-7 to 0-6 victory when the sides met in the third round at Kiltale. Dunderry also led by a point at the interval, but Blackhall levelled the scores late in the game and missed crucial chances which they were left to regret as Dunderry pounced with a late winner.
Kilskyre, like Dunderry another of the more fancied sides for outright success, were next up for Blackhall who dopped a third point in the group stages when they were held to a draw (Blackhall 1-10, Kilskyre 2-7).
Blackhall held a 0-7 to 0-4 lead at half-time, but Kilskyre subsequently look control to push ahead. However, a string of points and a well-taken goal from Darren O'Loughlin helped Blackhall to secure a share of the spoils as O'Loughlin top-scored with an impressive tally of 1-7.
After failing to secure a win in successive outings a victory was the requirement when Blackhall travelled to Athboy to meet Wolfe Tones in the fifth round. And they got it in quite convincing fashion as they scored by 2-12 to 1-10.
Tones led by 0-3 to 0-1 in the opening quarter, but Blackhall settled and hit the front on 22 minutes when Shane O'Loughlin netted. They were ahead by 1-5 to 0-3 at the break and a second goal from O'Loughlin appeared to leave them comfortably in the driving seat. However, Tones closed the gap to just two points, before Blackhall pushed clear again to win by five.
The sixth round clash with Na Fianna at Trim was a dress rehearsal for the final later in the year and represented Blackhall's heaviest loss of the campaign as the Baconstown/Enfield combination won by 1-20 to 1-9, thanks largely to a second half performance which demonstrated that they were one of the definite front-runners for the title.
The teams were level on three occasions in the first half, but Mark Mullally's goal helped Blackhall to a 1-7 to 0-8 interval lead. However, they managed to add only two points to their tally in the second period as Na Fianna notched 1-12 to win with plenty to spare. The highly talented David Kirby proved his value to the winners by scoring 1-13.
That defeat represented a significant blow to Blackhall's hopes of reaching the semi-finals, but they bounced back to defeat Donaghmore/Ashbourne by 1-13 to 0-8 in the final round of group matches at Ratoath and secure their place in the business end of the battle for the intermediate title.
They led by 0-7 to 0-3 at the break and a goal on the restart by Anton Cleary put the issue beyond doubt. Darren O'Loughlin made a telling contribution to the victory with a personal return of eight points.
Blackhall had accomplished goal number one and reached the last four and this is where revenge missions became the order of the day.
Dunderry had edged them out by a point in the third round of group games, but this time the gap between the sides at the finish was far greater and it was Blackhall who triumphed by 3-13 to 2-4. The winners led by 0-5 to 0-2 in the early stages, but suffered a big blow when Shane O'Loughlin was forced to retire with an injury that caused him to miss the final.
Dunderry rocked Blackhall with two goals which helped them push five points clear approaching half-time, but Jonathan Meyler gave Blackhall a big boost with a tremendous goal and they were behind by only 1-5 to 2-4 at the interval.
Amazingly, they held Dunderry scoreless in the second half and with Darren O'Loughlin notching 1-1 in a two-minute spell after the change of ends Blackhall assumed control. Cleary scored their third goal six minutes into the second half and they tagged on a further seven points to win with ease. O'Loughlin contributed 1-7.
That performance suggested that Blackhall were finding their best form at just the right time and they clearly went into the final determined to avenge that earlier hammering against Na Fianna.
However, it wasn't exactly looking promising for Blackhall as Na Fianna, who were coached by Mickey Cole, led by 0-8 to 0-3 close to half-time despite playing against the breeze. Blackhall made switches in defence and the performances of Conor Burke and Kevin Maye proved particularly significant subsequently as they tightened things up at the back.
Na Fianna still led by 0-8 to 0-4 at the interval, before Blackhall made more changes for the second half. The Na Fianna advantage stood at 0-10 to 0-6 after 40 minutes, but the Gaels won the remainder by 0-7 to 0-2 and had the deficit down to the minimum going into the final quarter.
Darren O'Loughlin, who rowed in with a highly significant nine points over the hour, had Blackhall level for the first time nine minutes from the end, but Na Fianna were in front at 0-12 to 0-10 after 56 minutes.
Blackhall needed to do something and do it fast. They did and it left Na Fianna shattered as they scored the final three points of the final, with O'Loughlin firing over the winner from a long range free in the third minute of injury time. It was the only time they led.
But there was further drama as Na Fianna's Barry Slevin was denied by a fine block from Thomas Murphy. Also of major significance to the win was the goalkeeping of Alan Nestor who produced some outstanding saves.
It was a very proud moment for Blackhall captain Mark Mullally when he raised the cup in triumph.
The history-making Blackhall Gaels team in the final was - A. Nestor; D. McGowan, C. Burke, T. Murphy; K. Maye, E. Broad, A. Ferris; C. Ledwith, M. Mullally (0-1); D. O'Loughlin (0-9), A. Cleary, J. Meyler (0-1); T. Coyle (0-1), F. Smith (0-1), P. O'Brien. Subs - D. Carty for Broad, J. Bailey for Cleary, T. Delany for Smith.
A final to forget
Blackhall Gaels derived enormous pleasure from winning their first Senior Football Championship title in 2003, but they suffered the other shattering emotion of losing a final two years later when neighbours Dunboyne got the better of them in a disappointing decider.
The Kilcloon/Batterstown combination have achieved so much in their short history since being founded in January, 1995, including the annexation of two Intermediate Championships, but that Keegan Cup triumph two years ago, when they came from a seemingly impossible position at the interval to beat Simonstown Gaels, was the undoubted highlight.
And how they must have dreamt of taking the most coveted piece of silverware in Royal County football home again when they progressed to this year's final. They weren't always impressive along the way, but they clearly possessed a hunger and a determination which suggested they were capable of finishing the job.
Alas, it wasn't to be on that windy day at Pairc Tailteann as Dunboyne inflicted too much damage against the elements in the first half and, try as they might, Blackhall just couldn't get enough scores in the second period to make a successful recovery. Dunboyne won by 1-8 to 0-8.
Blackhall, with Gordon Ward in the role of manager and Eugene Ferris, Michael Lillis and John McKeon acting as his selectors, progressed to the last eight of the championship quite comfortably, but without setting the world alight, and could hardly have asked for an easier opening to their group campaign than against a very disappointing Cortown side at Pairc Tailteann back in April.
Jonathan Meyler's goal after 19 minutes boosted the Gaels to a 1-6 to 0-2 interval lead and the advantage stretched to 2-9 to 0-2 after Meyler had netted for a second time 10 minutes after the change of ends. Blackhall managed only a point in the closing 20 minutes, but it didn't matter as they were already safely over the finishing line. It finished 2-10 to 1-5.
They didn't need to be impressive in that opener, but they demonstrated signs of their true capabilities when edging out Summerhill by 0-13 to 0-10 in the second round at Longwood. Blackhall held a slender 0-9 to 0-8 lead at half-time, but Summerhill scored the first two points of the second period to edge ahead. However, they didn't manage to hit the target for the last 28 minutes and Blackhall scored four unanswered points to win by three.
With the confidence of two wins under their belt Blackhall must have been optimistic as they prepared for a third round clash against Trim, another of the more fancied sides for outright success, at Summerhill, but they were stopped firmly in their tracks as the town side won by all of nine points on a 2-8 to 0-5 score line.
A close match looked to be on the cards when the sides were tied on 0-2 each after 27 minutes, but a brace of goals from midfielder Ronan Fitzsimons in the space of four minutes put Trim in the driving seat and they led by 2-2 to 0-3 at the interval. Nigel Nestor returned for Blackhall as a substitute for the second half and they managed to close the gap to three points. However, Trim pushed clear again to win easily.
Navan O'Mahonys, who were to improve significantly as the competition progressed, were next up for Blackhall at Pairc Tailteann and the town side looked set for victory when they opened up a wind-assisted 0-9 to 0-1 interval lead. Worryingly for the Gaels, they failed to score from play in that half, with Sean Whelan getting their only score from a 23rd minute free.
The O'Mahonys' advantage stood at 0-11 to 0-4 by the three-quarter stage, but the dismissals of both Niall McKeigue and Lee Russell didn't help their cause and Blackhall were boosted by a Mark Crampton goal 10 minutes from the end. They capped a fine recovery when Mark Ferris scored the winning point just ahead of the final whistle. It finished 1-9 to 0-11.
Goals, as they say, win games and Blackhall notched four of them in their fifth round meeting with Dunderry at Dunsany to win by 4-7 to 0-13. Tadhg Brosnan and Mark Crampton both found the net in the first half as the winners built up a narrow 2-3 to 0-7 interval lead. Brosnan scored his second goal after the change of ends, but battling Dunderry cut the deficit to 0-11 to 3-4.
However, a fourth goal from Sean Whelan secured a fourth victory of the group campaign for Blackhall on a day when they kicked 12 wides.
It was back to Dunsany for a sixth round tie against Dunboyne in what was to be a dress rehearsal for the final. This time Blackhall won what was the first meeting of the clubs in the SFC, coming out on top by the narrowest of margins (0-13 to 1-9).
Blackhall were never headed in a highly entertaining encounter and the victory secured their place in the quarter-finals. Paul Nestor was superb at centre half-back, Anthony Moyles starred at midfield and the full-forward line of Brosnan, Crampton and Whelan contributed 12 of the 13 points between them.
The Gaels led by 0-6 to 0-5 at the break and edged further ahead. However, Nigel Crawford responded with a brilliant goal for Dunboyne to draw the sides level (1-7 to 0-10), before Blackhall did just enough subsequently to shade the verdict.
With the pressure off as regards making the last eight, Blackhall easily got the better of Ballinlough in the final round of group games at Simonstown, winning by 2-10 to 1-3 to consign the north Meath side to a relegation dogfight.
Blackhall led by 0-4 to 0-2 at the break after Ballinlough had kicked nine wides and wasted goal opportunities. However, the losers, who had the influential Peadar Byrne sent off two minutes into the second half, were on level terms (1-3 to 0-6) within 12 minutes of restart. Blackhall responded to the danger by pushing ahead by 0-9 to 1-3 and two late goals from Whelan left them well clear at the finish.
Wolfe Tones had made a very good impression in their first campaign back in the top flight and it took a strong finish from Blackhall to edge them out by 0-14 to 0-12 when the sides met in a quarter-final at Pairc Tailteann.
The sides were level seven times and Blackhall recovered from a 0-3 to 0-6 deficit to lead by 0-8 to 0-6 at the interval. But they were adrift at 0-10 to 0-11 in the last quarter, before they won the remainder by 0-4 to 0-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
They couldn't possibly lack incentive going into this match. Not only were they playing for a place in the county final, but there was also the opportunity to exact revenge for that nine-point hammering they suffered at the hands of Trim in the third round. And how they exacted revenge, winning by 1-10 to 0-5.
It was a poor match, but that hardly mattered to Blackhall who found their form in the second half to advance. This was a third successive semi-final loss for Trim who under-performed dreadfully, fluffing a great chance of a goal after 23 minutes when Paul Gilsenan shot wide from a penalty.
They still managed to lead by 0-3 to 0-2 at half-time, but Paul Nestor netted from a Blackhall penalty 13 minutes into the second period to boost them to a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage.
Trim managed to score only a solitary point subsequently and Blackhall pushed ahead to win by eight points.
Little went right for Blackhall in the final against a Dunboyne side which had lost their semi-final to O'Mahonys, but were awarded the game after it transpired that the Brews Hill side had used too many substitutes in extra-time. Much of the talk and publicity on the lead up to the final appeared to concentrate on that controversy and how that affected Blackhall is debatable.
Tommy O'Connor got the all-important goal for Dunboyne on seven minutes and they led by 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval. Against the wind in the second half it was always going to be tough for Blackhall and the somewhat harsh dismissal of Paul Nestor after 41 minutes and the retirement of Mark Crampton with an arm injury just before the break certainly didn't help their cause.
They battled away against the odds, with Anthony Moyles doing his best to drive them on, and cut the deficit to 0-8 to 1-7 after 58 minutes. But they also missed crucial chances and were left to regret 11 wides over the hour. Ger Robinson completed the scoring with an injury time point for Dunboyne.
It just wasn't Blackhall's day, but they are a resourceful bunch of players with the heart to bounce back from this big disappointment.
The Blackhall Gaels team in the final was: M. Whelan; D. O'Neill, P. Nestor, B. Moyles; J. Joyce, G. Beirne (0-1), A. Dalton; A. Moyles, M. Ferris; S. Nally, N. O'Hora, N. Nestor; S. Whelan (0-5), T. Brosnan (0-1), M. Crampton (0-1). Subs - J. Meyler for Crampton, D. Beirne for Nally, B. McKeon for Meyler, J. Callanan for O'Neill.
JUNIOR D SUCCESS
There was some compensation for Blackhall Gaels as they won the Junior D Championship, beating Dunsany by 1-7 to 1-5 in the final at Dunshaughlin, thus avenging a defeat by the same opposition earlier in the competition.
This was a close final all the way and Blackhall recovered from a 0-3 to 1-2 interval deficit to claim the title. David Carty (two) and Tom Murphy scored their first half points, but they also kicked nine wides in that period.
Dunsany had a player sent off in the second half and that helped to give Blackhall the edge as the period progressed. Dunsany's two-point advantage was maintained as the sides traded points, but Shane O'Loughlin cut the deficit to minimum, before Blackhall appeared to gain the initiative.
A great goal by Patrick O'Brien helped them push ahead by 1-5 to 1-3, but Dunsany hit back to draw level. However, Blackhall finished best, with Carty getting the scores that clinched the title.
The Blackhall Gaels team in the final was: D. Ferris; B. Bent, T. Dalton, C. O'Brien; J. Reilly, M. Dowd, B. Tighe; S. O'Loughlin (0-1), E. Broad; T. Murphy (0-1), D. Carty (0-4), D. Lucas; S. McGovern (0-1), P. O'Brien (1-0), J. Ferris. Subs - C. Burke for J. Ferris, J. McGovern for Lucas.
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