The Meath SFC of 2005 will be remembered for many reasons, some good and some not so good. Most important of all though will be that a youthful Dunboyne side claimed the Keegan Cup for the first time in seven years. Brendan Boylan charts their journey to glory. That the most sought after silverware in Meath football is resting by the Dublin border this winter may be something of a surprise, given the manner in which it was achieved, but a closer inspection would indicate that they are a talented group of players that finally reached their full potential after many years of knocking at the door. Indeed, there is one other important factor very similar to the 1998 triumph. The year before, the club had been beaten by Summerhill in the U-21 FC Final, from that team, David Gallagher, Paul Watters, Ger McGovern, Davin Reilly, Nigel Crawford and Ken Gannon were part of the 15 that beat Oldcastle while there were several more members of that side among the subs. On December 22nd 2002, St Peter's won the County MFC title for the first and so far only time in the club's 103 year history. A little shy of three years on, Johnny O'Connor, Colin Clarke, Colm Brennan, Tommy O'Connor, Sean McGarrell, Aidan O'Connor and Stephen Moran took their place on the side that saw off Blackhall Gaels and in total 14 young men were on both panels. In a way, the foundations for this success were laid at the back end of 2004. St Peter's were very unlucky to lose out to eventual champions O'Mahonys after two pulsating U-21 FC semi final clashes. A few weeks later however, ample compensation was attained when a side that included a dozen U-21s captured the Feis Cup for the first time since 1958. The momentum that generated obviously carried over the Christmas period as they got off to a flying start in the All County League. They dug out a win against gritty Castletown before seeing off Kilmainhamwood after a cracking encounter and then getting a creditable draw against a Trim side which included Darren Fay, making his seasonal re-appearance. All that good work was blown up in smoke a few short weeks later however when the team hit one of their lowest points of the year and were soundly beaten by O'Mahonys in the championship. They lorded possession for the opening twelve minutes and as is so often the case the Navan side went down and shook the net with their first attack. The side in yellow and black only scored once from play over the hour and to compound their misery saw Andy McEntee miss a penalty late on as they slumped to a 0-05 to 1-08 reversal. Now, for a side whose confidence has just taken a serious battering, you wouldn't exactly be looking forward to facing perennial shockers Ballinlough and Cortown in the next two rounds, but that is exactly what confronted Dermot Morris and his men. Though maybe the drubbing against O'Mahonys was exactly what was required to refocus minds. Still minus Tommy O Connor, injured playing in the NFL against Cavan, and having seen Nigel Crawford sidelined in the meantime, they brushed aside a surprisingly weak Ballinlough challenge by 1-16 to 0-08 on a night when Ger Robinson showed the type of form that would carry through the remainder of the season, hitting an impressive 1-8. Another interesting development in Trim that night was the relocation of team captain Denis Gallagher to the half forwards, this was a move that would prove crucial as the campaign went on. Eight days later Skryne was the venue as a Cortown side coming into the game on a high after beating Dunderry presented the challenge. Veteran Micheal Reilly actually opened the scoring for Con Cleary's side before Robinson got Dunboyne off the mark. The ex Middlesbrough player was rapidly becoming the central figure in the entire contest as Dunboyne opened up with looked a comfortable lead of 1-05 to 0-02 with David Clarke and Stephen Moran being the only others to trouble the scoreboard operator. It wasn't comfortable at all however as Cortown went on to register the next 1-05 without reply which enabled them to lead by the minimum margin at the interval and stretch it immediately on the restart. Almost inevitably, it was a Robinson free that steadied Dunboyne and that score was actually the catalyst for an ultimately decisive spell of dominance. Stephen Moran hit the net soon afterwards, albeit rather fortunately, before scores from Nigel Whyte and Sean McGarrell followed and substitute Andy McEntee set Robbie Brennan up for the side's third goal prior to the veteran forward notching what proved to be their last score. Though it was Cortown who got the final three scores, one of which was a goal as Dunboyne ended up winning by 3-11 to 2-07. With confidence now restored, every game took on greater importance as the chase for knockout places heated up. The fact that Summerhill hadn't won a game up to that point seemed to count for little as Paddy Carr's side opened with a brace of points and also saw Ger Robinson hit the post with a Dunboyne penalty. One major plus for Dermot Morris side was the return of Nigel Crawford and the county star was in dominant form as a 1-04 to 0-03 interval lead was established thanks to a Denis Gallagher goal after a peach of a pass from Tommy O'Connor and points from Crawford, Sean McGarrell and Stephen Moran. Further scores from Robinson and Moran embellished that position on the resumption before Willie Millner created a goal for Summerhill which cut Dunboyne s lead to two, 1-06 to 1-04. Dunboyne never flinched however and when O'Connor, Crawford and Conor O'Donoghue culminating in Crawford bulging the net it left them safe before Denis Gallagher registered the score of the game from out under the scoreboard in Dunsany, though it was Stephen Moran who closed out a seven point win with a few late frees. Trim had been most peoples favourites to lift the Keegan Cup for most of the season and in the early part of the season they fully justified that by winning their first four group games. However, they entered the fifth round clash under a tragic cloud following the death of James Conroy. It seemed to be telling too as Dunboyne opened a six point interval lead with the aid of a smashing Ger Robinson goal. In truth, it was a game Dunboyne should have won, but they could just as easily have lost it had their opponents been less erratic in front of goals. Dunboyne probably lost their best chance of winning the game in the opening period of the second half and though scores from Robbie Brennan and Stephen Moran did leave them two clear, their ineptitude in front of goal in the early part of the half proved costly as late scores from Ronan Fitzsimons and substitute Derek Donohoe earned Trim an unlikely draw. A week later at Dunsany was something of a historic occasion as it marked the first championship meeting between Dunboyne and neighbours Blackhall Gaels. When the sides met earlier in the season in the league the former recorded a two point win on home territory so a close contest was anticipated. It turned out just as such. Sean Whelan opened the scoring from a free before Ger Robinson and Stephen Moran got Dunboyne back to parity. Though Gordon Ward's side enjoyed another spell of dominance as they opened a lead of 0-06 to 0-03 only to see Dunboyne's two aforementioned corner forwards cut the gap to the minimum by the interval. Tadhg Brosnan then stretched the Gaels lead on the resumption before scores from Robbie Brennan and Barry Watters had Dunboyne level entering the last quarter. Again though, Ward's men pulled away into a three point lead only to be pegged back when Nigel Crawford repeated his goal scoring exploits in Dunsany of earlier in the season when bursting through and blasting past Martin Whelan. Games of this magnitude can turn on one small thing and Dunboyne learned this very quickly to their cost. Immediately after Crawford's major , Robinson had another attempt smartly turned away by Whelan and when Denis Gallagher surrendered possession Mark Crampton ended up restoring a Blackhall lead that would not be relinquished. All that meant that Dunboyne had to beat Dunderry in the last round and hope that, as would prove ironic later on, that O'Mahonys would do them a favour and dispose of a Summerhill side that had been on something of a roll since their clash with Dermot Morris side. As with the early part of the campaign, maybe the starkness of the situation was just what Dunboyne needed to keep them focused. They had the game closed out as a contest by half time, when they led by 0-07 to 0-01. Of that total, their deadly duo of Robinson and Moran had accounted for all but one of their scores. Daithi Stephens' side did get the opening two scores after the break but when Robbie Brennan pointed it took the contribution of the Dunboyne inside line to 0-11 before substitutes Aidan O'Connor and Sean McGarrell closed the scoring in a 0-15 to 0-03 win. Their reward for that win was a last eight joust against St Patrick's. Mind you, reward is a term that should be used sparingly in this case as Dunboyne had only beaten the Stamullen side once since conquering them to attain senior status in 1992. Though on the plus side, the game was fixed for Sean Eiffe Park in Ratoath where Dunboyne's senior football team has, at the time of writing, never lost a game. They got off to a flying start on this occasion too as captain Denis Gallagher pointed twice in the opening minutes before Niall Mooney and Barry Campbell restored parity. Dunboyne went on to dominate the rest of the first half with scores from Nigel Crawford, Stephen Moran and Ger Robinson. However, they were thankful that a free from the latter left them ahead by 0-07 to 0-06 at the interval after Cormac Murphy missed a glorious goal chance for the opposition. Another Gallagher point extended the Dunboyne lead before Whyte and Campbell again restored parity. Colm Brennan got the ball rolling on what was ultimately a decisive spell of Dunboyne dominance when flashing over after a raid from wing back. Dermot Morris' side were then in full flow as further scores from David Gallagher, Colin Clarke and Robinson left them two clear before the latter made the game safe when netting after clever work by substitute Andy McEntee and he went to close the scoring with two frees. From start to finish, the semi final between St Peter's, Dunboyne and Navan O Mahonys was dramatic. On paper, it had the making of a classic and from the minute county goalkeeper David Gallagher burst forward from centre back to open the scoring it was clear that this was going to be no ordinary game. Though I doubt if even Alfred Hitchcock could come up with a plot with as many twists. Just when it appeared the Dunboyne boys were gaining something of a foothold on proceedings they had full forward Robbie Brennan dismissed for what looked a fairly innocuous challenge. And all this with under five minutes on the clock! In fairness to Dunboyne, they didn't buckle, and with Nigel Crawford imperious at midfield they worked their collective socks off and a point deep in first half period stoppage time from team captain Denis Gallagher gave them an unlikely interval advantage. With wind advantage to come, there was still a feeling that, even though Dunboyne were a man down, there was a confidence that they could add to their sole final appearance in 1998. Though in saying that, knowing the conveyor belt of talent O'Mahonys have available to them I knew it was not going to be an easy task to contain them. My concerns appeared well founded as Reilly, Barry Regan, Stephen Bray and substitute David Murtagh eased them into a seemingly safe position, though there were yet more twists to come. Though for all the Navan side's youth and flair, it was a grand old warrior that was the principal player in the next twist to this intriguing plot. Last December, Andy McEntee, then aged 39, said after our Feis Cup win that the boots were being hung up, though it's doubtful anybody ever believed him, and boy, on that Sunday were Dunboyne glad he didn't! Now, the legs may not be as quick as they used be but it was has speed of thought that created the chance for Ger Robinson to sensationally give us a one point advantage with two minutes of the allotted three for stoppages evaporated. There was an article written some time ago on the O'Mahony's U-21 side that had won every title from U-12 up. During the column, it was mentioned that the Brew s Hill outfit played a brand of football that would put most senior sides to shame and they produced it that Sunday when it was needed most. As Dunboyne displayed their obvious and understandable relief, O'Mahonys netminder Marcus Brennan got a move rolling which eventually culminated in centre back Niall McKeigue stole forward to loft over an equaliser and send to tie to an extra twenty minutes. Now, the decision to play extra time did seem very harsh on both sides, particularly Dunboyne, and I doubt if either would have objected to a replay. Of course, the extra period did mean that Dunboyne were back to a full complement of players but that fatigue of playing for 56 minutes with a man less was eventually the deciding factor as a fresher Navan side hung on for a two point win, or so it seemed! Attention was then taken away from Dunboyne's dejection rather suddenly however when it emerged that the opposition had used one more sub than is permitted during extra time. I must admit that, as extra time is considered a new game, I would have assumed five subs would be permitted. The rulebook was clear in that it said that the side breaching the rule must forfeit the game. Though the two weeks of argument and counter argument that ensued was far from ideal preparation for a county final, either for Dunboyne or indeed Blackhall Gaels who faced a degree of uncertainty as to who they would be playing until a few days before the big game. Wisely though, neither the Dunboyne players or management got involved in any of the debate and so remained focused on the game. However, they had problems of a different kind to deal with. Robbie Brennan was suspended following his dismissal in the new infamous game while wing forward David Clarke broke his collarbone in the same game and Andy McEntee was also carrying a knee injury. If anything, all of the above only served to enable Dunboyne to go into the game more united and determined than ever.                                                                               Now, having ended up playing against the very stiff breeze in the opening half, you would think the side who wore all black on final day would have been happy enough to contain their opponents to a manageable margin. In fact, they couldn't have dreamed of a better start. Captain Denis Gallagher pointed almost from the throw in, then Colm Brennan repeated the trick before Stephen Moran did extremely well to combine with his cousin Tommy O'Connor and the latter blasted to the net to leave the underdogs clear by 1-02 to 0-01 after only seven minutes. There has been much written about the spirit of the Gaels over the years, indeed the Batterstown/Kilcloon club published a book of the same title some years ago, and anybody that ever doubted the thinking behind the motto got their answer on October 9th. After Tadhg Brosnan got them off the mark with a super score, in the midst of the Dunboyne onslaught, Sean Whelan converted a series of frees as the gap was narrowed to a point. Two things were surprising during that spell, firstly that Blackhall's shooting was pretty poor with wind advantage and secondly that the Dunboyne defence, which had been the foundation of everything good they did to that point, were giving away too many easy frees. As it happened, getting to within a point was as good as it got for Gordon Ward's team.                                                                                               Dunboyne went on to dominate the remainder of the half as points from Moran and Ger Robinson gave them a lead of 1-05 to 0-04 at half time and with wind advantage to come it was hard to see them losing the game from such a position. And as if Blackhall's situation wasn t bad enough, they lost arguably their most influential attacker, Mark Crampton, to a nasty had injury right on the call of half time. Another Whelan free narrowed the gap to three before Dunboyne went on another, and ultimately decisive burst as Stephen Moran and Aidan O'Connor registered superb scores to leave them five clear and seemingly place one of Denis Gallagher's hands on the Keegan Cup. In between all the action, and as if losing Crampton wasn't bad enough, Blackhall suffered an even more crushing blow when Paul Nestor was dismissed on receipt, harshly in the view of many, of a second yellow from referee Jimmy Henry. Though two things that were already mentioned in this article were very obvious in those closing stages. Firstly, the spirit of the Gaels. Further points from Whelan and attacking half back George Beirne cut the gap to two to leave Dunboyne sweating but it was then that their much lauded rearguard was seen at their best. It was suggested in the press post match that they must have studied Tyrone's methods. That view could be very easily formed on viewing the swarm defending that ensued in the dying seconds. Every time there was even a threat of an attack Barry Watters, Damien Sweeney and David Gallagher seemed to be there to lift the siege. Indeed, perhaps the centre of the mentioned trio did the most important job of all when nullifying the threat of Brosnan as the Gaels front line looked devoid of ideas and too reliant on Brosnan without Crampton. With the backs coping as well as they were, it was only a matter of holding possession and Dunboyne did this admirably before Ger Robinson capped off what turned out to be a Man of the Match display by swinging over the best score of the game in the last minute of stoppage time Although the corner forward received the ultimate accolade, Barry Watters, Damien Sweeney, Colm Brennan, Denis and David Gallagher, Aidan O Connor, Tommy O'Connor and Stephen Moran must have ran him close. In truth it was a superb team display by a very young side With this current bunch of players about, they may not be waiting seven years for another title. The team and scorers on October 9th were: J. O'Connor; B. Watters, D. Sweeney, C. Clarke; T. O'Connor (1-0), David Gallagher, G. Watters; N. Crawford, S. McGarrell; C. Brennan (0-1), Denis Gallagher (0-1), A. O Connor (0-1); G. Robinson (0-3), C. O'Donoghue, S. Moran (0-2). Sub - A. McEntee for O'Donoghue. Tweet

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