Just a little short
November 27, 2011Winners of the intermediate football league in 2005, Donaghmoyne enjoyed two seasons at the top table before losing their senior status at the end of the 2007 campaign. A rapid return was anticipated, but they have struggled to get back onto the top rung, suffering a series of agonising near misses in the meantime.
In 2008, they were beaten in the IFC final; in 2010, they topped the intermediate football league only to get caught out at the semi-final stage. Twenty-eleven may not look like quite such a near thing but, in fairness, Donaghmoyne were very close again...
On Friday June 10th, they opened their championship account with a fantastic 0-11 to 1-7 victory over a strong Tyholland side. Amazingly, they then had to wait nine weeks to play their next game in the knockout competition, slipping to an unlucky 2-10 to 1-11 defeat to Corduff on Sunday August 14th. A win there would have propelled them into the semi-finals, but it's not easy when you're waiting idly for over two months...
Still, the back door presented the Fontenoys with a second chance. In what was effectively another 'quarter-final', they were pitted against Rockcorry at Shamrock Park on Sunday August 28th. Donaghmoyne were arguably the better side that afternoon, hitting 50% more scores than their opponents, but they were always chasing the game and the concession of two first-half goals proved costly as they bowed out of contention on a 2-4 to 0-9 scoreline.
They may not have reached a final or semi-final this time but the story of Donaghmoyne's championship run speaks for itself: a one-point win, a two-point defeat and a one-point defeat. The three sides they played in the IFC all progressed and joined Carrickmacross in the Last Four, so Donaghmoyne had been close... Considering that they were missing so many players (including Rory Woods who was in the States), it was a brave effort. And talismanic attacker Pauric Donaghy - nephew of club legend Gene Finnegan - missed the crucial Rockcorry match because of prior holiday arrangements. This was a bitter pill to swallow for the club's leading marksman, who booked his holiday in advance, convinced he'd have a free weekend on August 27/28. But a draw in the Currin / Tyholland game turned the fixtures on their head and pushed Donaghmoyne's back-door game back a week. How cruelly ironic that a player who was forced to wait nine weeks to play his second championship match of the year missed the third one because it was played on the ONLY weekend of the year that he wasn't available?
The championship opener against Tyholland went right down to the wire before Donaghmoyne took the spoils with the last three points of an exciting match, including an injury-time winner from Donaghy. Deploying a direct style of play, they had outstanding performances from the likes of full back and captain Joe Kelly, half back Mattie O'Reilly, centre half Bernard Kelly, midfielder Ciaran Daly and attackers Pauric Donaghy, Darren Coleman, Niall Kelly and Gary Woods.
The team on duty was: Damien Boylan; Francis McBride, Joe Kelly, Declan Burns; Mattie O'Reilly, Bernard Kelly, Shane Kelly; Ciaran Daly, Gerard Lynch; Niall Kelly (0-1), Damien Connolly (0-1), Gary Woods (0-1), Pauric Donaghy 0-6, Colm Connolly, Darren Coleman (0-2). Sub: Kevin Martin for D Burns.
The quarter-final against Corduff was keenly-contested throughout but two Raymond Byrne goals proved decisive as Donaghmoyne - who battled gallantly throughout and were within a point with four minutes left - headed for the back door. In the second 'quarter-final' Rockcorry - who had also lost to Corduff (before beating Drumhowan and Eire Og) - provided the opposition and it was another titanic struggle.
Going into the game, the sides were in a similar position in the middle of the league table and Donaghmoyne had won their previous meeting of the 2011 calendar year by three points. But, on this occasion, missing Rory Woods, John Farrell and Pauric Donaghy, the Fontenoys were edged out by the minimum margin. Martin Carroll and Paul McKeown struck for first-half goals to put the winners ahead by 2-2 to 0-4 at the break. Despite the late dismissal of Damien Connolly, Donaghmoyne slotted over the last three points - reproducing their usual strong finish - but it wasn't to be enough as they crashed out and their season effectively ended on the last Sunday of August.
There was word that Rory Woods would be back for the game but his return never materialised. "We really missed Rory all year because he's worth four or five points a game," says Pauric Donaghy. "He also missed the league semi-final last year, which was a massive blow. We had topped the league and we looked good for promotion… If we'd had him against Corduff or Rockcorry this year, either, we would have won those games. We had five starting players in America for most of the year, as well as two in Australia, and it's hard to kick on without these lads."
Part of a family with strong Donaghmoyne GAA tradition, Pauric started his playing career with Carrickmacross Emmets but transferred to the country club in 2006. Playing juvenile football with Carrick', he met with a lot of success, including county medals at U12, U13 and U14 grades, an U16 championship and a MFC. He has been a regular starter with the Fontenoys since 2007 and has developed into the club's leading marksman, normally starting at top-of-the-right. The 23-year-old attacker also had the distinction of representing Monaghan at both minor and U21 levels and was a crucial loss to Donaghmoyne for their back-door quarter-final against Rock'.
Local man Paddy McNally took charge of the team in 2011, with Declan Toner from Armagh in as trainer. "It was dead-on," Pauric notes. "We were out twice a week with a league game at the weekend, or else we trained three times if there was no match. The sessions were good and we were fairly fit. We had a very young side this year, with a lot of lads from the team that reached the minor final two years ago starting to come through onto the first team. If anything, we're probably a bit too young and we might need another year or two to get more experience and cuteness. The average age of most of them is around 20 and, with all the lads who have emigrated, I'd already be one of the oldest players on the team."
Donaghmoyne are holding their own under very difficult circumstances. Having flirted with relegation to junior ranks in 2009, they have put their difficulties behind them and are within touching distance of a return to the top table. Even with up to half a starting team out of the country, they have blooded some fresh talent and were extremely unfortunate the way things worked out in 2011. They'll be a year older and wiser in 2012; if they show the same spirit again, they'll definitely be in the shake-up.
Monaghan and Ulster champions once more
Yet again the Donaghmoyne ladies proved too hot for the rest of Monaghan and Ulster clinching their ninth successive county title and their sixth Provincial crown in eight years writes Alan Gunn.
However, this bunch of girls will still be disappointed at not reaching the Holy Grail of All-Ireland success. Their path to the final was blocked by a Carnacon side that left Fontenoy Park in early November with a win that will haunt Donaghmoyne for some time, after a game the home side should have taken with something to spare.
Three sides began the year battling it out for county honours and after a round robin series of games the big two of Donaghmoyne and Emyvale came head to head in the final. Many wondered was this the year the Fontenoy's were going to let slip their grip on county honours. How wrong they proved those people to be wrong with yet another super performance to simply blow away the opposition 4-11 to 0-7. Title number nine was already heading to the south of the county with only 20 minutes on the clock as McConnell found the net twice and Annette Duffy also raised the green flag to open a 3-5 to 0-0 lead. McConnell went onto to finish with 3-5 and deserved picked up the Player of the Match award.
In the Ulster championship Antrim side St Galls were visitors to Fontenoy Park in the opening round a week after a number of the home side were involved with the county in the All-Ireland final. Understandably the home were a little rusty and despite failing to produce anywhere near their best they still came out on top with 14 points to spare (2-17 to 2-3). This set up a difficult assignment against Armagh champions Clan Eireann in Lurgan in the semi final. However, they turned in a very impressive display to book their place in the final on a score of 1-14 to 1-4.
Cathriona McConnell was instrumental in the victory along with the exceptional display from Niamh Lynch and the performances of Sharon Courtney and Amanda Casey were top notch. The Fontenoy's played into a strong wind in the opening period but still found themselves four points clear at the break despite a shaky start. The home side had led by three points after nine minutes but only managed to score a further point, that coming in the second half. Leading 1-7 to 1-3, McConnell with the goal, Donaghmoyne never looked back to ease home in front.
In the final they faced Donegal side Glenfin and an opportunity to make up for the defeat twelve months ago against the then Donegal champions Termon. This time around Donaghmoyne never looked like been caught on the hop and made no mistake, with 1-14 to 0-4 the final score. A first half goal from the ever impressive McConnell set them up to lead at the break 1-6 to 0-3. Four unanswered points on the restart made sure their opponents were never going to get back into the contest and a sixth Ulster title was on its way to Donaghmoyne.
There was little time to celebrate with the All Ireland series the following week and Mayo and Connacht champions Carnacon were the opposition. Just a point separated the sides at the break with the home team enjoying that advantage. When Cathriona McConnell netted 11 minutes after the restart to open up a five point lead it was looking good for the Monaghan champions. That though was to be their last score as Carnacon reeled them in and with six unanswered points they snatched victory by the narrowest of margins 0-11 to 1-7. Tweet
