Given that they were the originators of the Ulster junior football club competition, it was only appropriate that on the eve of the establishment of an official Ulster club Junior Football Championship that Cremartin Shamrocks should cement their place as Monaghan's representative in the competition by claiming the Packie Boylan Cup in 2004 If God loves a trier, then all belonging to the GAA in Cremartin must be destined to make it through the pearly gates. For having missed out at the final hurdle in 2003, the bold Shamrocks showed immense ambition, will-to-win and courage to rebound in brillant style to lift the Packie Boylan Cup last September. It is said that you need to lose a final to be able to adequately appreciate the warmth of the winners' dressing-room. Well in beating near-neighbours Blackhill in last Autumn's blue riband junior decider, the green and whites amply demonstrated that they were the hottest team around in JFC circles in Monaghan in 2004. The past year was a real rollercoaster ride for the Shamrocks with a less than impressive league campaign hardly the stuff of inspiration. In the week leading up to the championship decider, the Shamrocks had managed to win less than half of their games played in the league. Food for thought for the Cremartin think-tank, no doubt. Good job then that the club's finest kept their best wine for the championship feast! Cremartin's run to the top of the podium in 2004 was sure-footed if unspectacular, workmanlike without ever being elaborate. For instance, their opening round win over Oram had more to do with honest-to-goodness graft than spick and polish-type football. After all, the would-be champions' attack recorded a dozen wides over the hour, had some shaky moments at the other end of the field too and struggled to put translate hard-won possession in the middle into worthwhile attacking moves. For all that, the Shamrocks were well worth their 0-10 to 1-5 win in Toome at the end of May. They might have made hard work of it but Cremartin's victory was nothing less than they deserved, if only for the way they gritted their teeth to come from two points down at the interval to ultimately win by the same margin. In skipping to their hard-fought victory, the five points scored by Barry Carragher was pretty crucial with his conversion of a long range free in the 13th minute helping to settle nerves and get the Shamrocks on level terms at 0-2 apiece. The winners-elect then forged ahead by two points within nine minutes with efforts by Paul McNally and Colm Boyd. However any notion Cremartin might have had of having things their own way thereafter was blown out of the water when Oram snatched a goal in the 27th minute which hoisted the underdogs into a shock 1-4 to 0-5 lead. Like true champions in-waiting, Cremartin took the blow of the goal and came back off the ropes with renewed spirit and purpose, even if a hat-trick of wides in the early part of the third-quarter didn't augur well. However by the 6th minute they had managed to find their range with a point apiece from Gary Boyd and Ciaran Carragher levelling matters once again. Cremartin, slowly but surely, began to get the edge on their opponents and with ten minutes remaining had steered their way into a two point lead. And that was the way things stood to the final whistle, leaving the Shamrocks up and running but with some minor matters still to be ironed out all the same. Next up was a rapidly improving Currin who were, at that juncture, sitting proudly atop the Dr. Ward Cup league table and with eyes on a momentous double. In the end, it took a last-gasp converted free by top scorer Barry Carragher to seal a 0-11 to 0-10 victory in Scotstown. In what was arguably the game of the championship, both sides gave it their all in a manly, sporting contest which was always destined to go down to the wire. The sides were level on three separate occasions in the second half alone. Cremartin enjoyed the better start and two points inside the opening eight minures from the impressive Gary Boyd was just the start they yearned for. Amazingly, the Shamrocks failed to score for a further 21 minutes leaving Currin to cash in and edge into a three points lead. Cremartin refused to panic however as they worked hard to find their rhythm and their patience paid off with Barry Carragher pointing (off the fingertips of the Oram 'keeper) and Raymond Carragher doing the same only for Currin to hit back with the last score of the game, another point, to leave the would-be winners 0-4 to 0-6 adrift at the interval. Cremartin were jet-propelled as the second half gathered pace and five unanswered points - three of them from Barry Carragher - inside the opening ten minutes duly swept them into a valuable three points lead. However with nine minutes left to play, a Currin fightback saw the teams deadlocked once again, thus leaving the spoils dangling invitingly in front of the combatants. Fortunately for the Shamrocks, they showed themselves to have more in the tank than their opponents and even though Currin edged into a one point lead with two minutes of normal time remaining, a point by Noel Boyd in the 29th minute and one thereafter by Barry Carragher hardly 60 seconds into added-on time served to win the day for Cremartin on foot of a 0-11 to 0-10 victory. And so to the semi-final and a meeting with a fancied Corduff side who overcame a shock earlier round defeat to Killanny to make the last four of the competition. And what a thriller the semi was in Castleblayney in late August! After a titanic struggle, it took a point by Darren Bishop seconds into injury time to secure a 2-9 to 0-14 win for Cremartin. It was a game in which Cremartin were made to sweat all the way with Corduff looking set to at least grab a replay as they successfully came back from being three points down to gain parity only for Bishop to answer his club's prayers with his late, late winner. After Corduff looked the brighter side in the early minutes, a brillant point from all of 40 metres by Gregory Flanagan helped ease Cremartin in front after almost ten minutes of play. It was neck and neck thereafter until the 22nd minute when Darren Bishop's free went all the way to the Corduff net. Corduff recovered their composure though and came back to level matters at 0-8 to 1-5 at the interval. Cremartin were much the better side in the third quarter and looked likely winners as they sauntered into a five point lead with 44 minutes on the clock. But Corduff went onto put in a spirited finish and by the 59th minute had drawn level only for Bishop to display his heroics at the death and so ease a relieved Cremartin into the penultimate stage of the competition. There to meet Cremartin in the final on September 5th in Castleblayney was a Blackhill side that showed great character to rebound from a 1-5 to 1-11 first round defeat to Corduff to make the county decider. By dint of their unbeaten run and their greater experience, Cremartin went into the JFC final as clear favourites. And the game duly went to script with the physically stronger and more clinical Shamrocks full value for their 1-9 to 1-3 mid-Monaghan derby victory. And while the game failed to live up to its pre-match billing, Cremartin left no one among the big crowd in doubt as to who was the better team as they held their opponents scoreless for the first 27 minutes of the opening half and then for the entire duration of the third quarter. In truth, the Shamrocks did all they needed to do to seize the glittering prize with the retirement through injury in the first minute of Blackhill's centre-forward Darren Woods a leg-up Cremartin hardly needed to go on and win the day. And once Barry Carragher seized on a reb ound from a Darren Bishop piledriver to plant the ball into the corner of the Blackhill net after just nine minutes, an air of inevitability began to fill the landscape. Amazingly though, Cremartin failed to add to their tally until the 25th minute when Barry Carragher converted a free. It needn't have mattered though as Blackhill were punchless for the most part over the hour and Cremartin's four point lead at the interval, 1-3 to 0-2, was hardly of the flattering variety. The champions-elect seemed to find an extra gear as the second half got underway and a hat-trick of points in the opening four minutes left them pretty much on easy street. Now seven points in front, Cremartin understandably began to embroider some of their attacking moves and, as a result, took things a mite too easily at times. However Blackhill never really threatened to overhaul their neighbours' advantage and a spurned penalty opportunity (brillantly saved by Pauric Kerr) only served to cement Cremartin's sense of superiority. Indeed even the concession of a fisted goal in injury time scarcely put a dent in Cremartin's self-belief and assuredness. Cremartin had all the time and the space to celebrate their victory from a long way out. Winning the Packie Boylan Cup and winning the ticket to become the first team from Monaghan to contest the new, official Ulster club JFC was the very least their efforts deserved. Cremartin's finest last August lined up as follows: Pauric Kerr; Colm Boyd (0-1), Michael Boyd, Raymond Carragher; Macartan Carroll, Michael Malone, Niall Flanagan; Ciaran Carragher, Gerard Malone; Ronan Marray, Gregory Flanagan (0-2), Darren Bishop (0-1); Barry Carragher (1-4), Martin Morgan, Gary Boyd. Subs; Noel Boyd (0-1) for Ronan Marray; Paul McNally for Martin Morgan; Martin McNally for Gary Boyd. The U12 Conlon Cup The U12 competition did not start until the second week of April. By that time the management team of Harry Leonard, Kieran McNally and the ever ready Gerard Mulligan had their very young panel in great shape to take on the very daunting task or trying to be involved in the final shake up of the competition. With a number of challenge matches and a great number of the young players tried out in different positions during these matches, the team itself was beginning to take shape. We had a number of girls involved with the squad and they were to show a great level of skill and determination to be involved with this team. We played six league matches and finished third in the division which created a great semi-final game with Aughnamullen at their home venue. It wasn't until the second half that Cremartin pulled away from this very strong and highly fancied Aughnamullen side, we eventually ran out winners by seven points. Awaiting us in the final were our neighbours and arch-rivals Blackhill, who had accounted for Ballybay in the other semi-final. On final day, theh team management had once again made a few different changes in their team selection as they stated all during this competition they picked 'horses for courses', and it worked out very well for them on the day of the final. The final was played at the excellent Drumhowan venue, and with a large crowd under the roof of the stand it left for a great exciting final, and indeed noisy final at times. The team on duty that day was as follows, in goals was the strong and brave Patrick Kerr. In defence the ruthless Thomas Sherry never gave any forward a chance to settle, he was backed up by the ever present Fergal Mulligan at full back. On the other side the ever improving Fergal Flanagan showed just why he was picked to play corner back on that day. Our half back line of the dashing James Leonard and the tenious tackling Rachel Brennan held two of the oppositions best forwards at bay when our backs were really to the wall in the second half. Patrick McGuigan, captain supreme, held the team together with his presence around the middle of the field. Patrick's younger brother Jonathan, covered every blade of grass on the field and carried out different assignments that were handed down to him. Up front a real bright star shone really well on that day, Conor Mulligan picked the best day of the year to show just exactly what he was capable of doing both as a great target man and a great score taker, both himself and Mark Bishop tormented the Blackhill defence. Noelle Marry came in at wing half forward, she showed a great eye for scores, Noelle was well supported by the ever improving Patrick McNally who played his heart out at wing half forward. Simon Atkinson, who has another two years at this level, showed that he is definitely a player for the future. Another young man who came on to the team late in the second half and helped the forwards was the young Jake Carvill. The final whistle sounded and to their credit the team had pulled off a fantastic win at Under 12 level. Great excitement followed and the camera man was very busy doing interviews with different players, their parents and above all their wise men who had lead this ever improving team to the 'holy land'. The team and management returned to a 'civic' reception at the Cremartin Centre where they were met with great cheers and celebrations. Definitely a job well done to one and all. Final score; Cremartin 1-8, Blackhill 1-6. Heartbreak for Cremartin in junior club final Cremartin were described as "a team on a mission" in the match programme for the Ulster Junior club championship final, a game that was staged as the curtain raiser to the senior club final in Casement Park, Belfast. Bringing the Paul Kerr Cup back to Cremartin would have been mission accomplished for the Shamrocks but on the day bitter disappointment was their lot as Tyrone champions Stewartstown came with a strong second half performance to edge out the team and the club that had made the Junior club championship a reality by virtue of their work in establishing the need for such a competition by staging a very successful tournament in recent years for the Junior club champions of all nine counties. Sentiment however played no part on the day as it was down to who would take their chances best in what was always going to be a very closely contested affair. Cremartin had been warned in their semi final against Lisummon that early dominance may not produce the end result as on that occasion they looked like cruising to a comfortable victory only to have to hang on grimly in the final minutes as Lisummon came with an increasingly effective second-half performance. It was almost a repeat in the final as Stewartstown got off to a very bad start. They were rocked with the concession of an early goal and were outplayed in most sectors but crucially for Cremartin they did not push home their advantage when they were on top and ultimately paid a heavy price. The Cremartin dressing room after the match was a very sombre place and it was a very poignant moment when Eamonn Kerr and other members of his family went to the Cremartin dressing room to commiserate with the players and thank them for their efforts in trying to bring the Cup that commemorates his own son back to Shamrock Park. However it was not to be and with Cremartin now promoted to intermediate ranks in Monaghan their next goal will be to maintain and build on that intermediate status and so they may not be competing for this trophy again for some time to come. Cremartin's dream of taking the Paul Kerr Cup and the inaugural Ulster Junior football club championship title back to Shamrock Park was shattered by a resurgent Stewartstown who put in an increasingly dominant second half performance in Casement Park on Sunday 28th November. Cremartin started in whirlwind fashion and left Stewartstown trailing in their wake as they mounted attack after attack but crucially too many shots drifted wide of the posts in the difficult wind or dropped short to the hands of Stewartstown keeper Martin Gervin. One sensed even in those early stages that those missed chances were leaving the door ajar for a team that was always going to have its dominant period in the match. Cremartin led by seven points after 19 minutes play with Stewartstown not even registering a score at that stage but crucially Cremartin were not to score again for all of 44 minutes, a minute into stoppage time at the end of the match by which stage they were chasing a two points deficit. Even at that stage they might have snatched a late dramatic victory but Barry Carragher's attempt on goal skimmed the top of the crossbar, possibly with the help of a touch from Stewartstown keeper Martin Gervin and that one point margin separated them when referee JJ Cleary of Derry blew the full-time whistle shortly afterwards. Barry Carragher accounted for their total score of two goals and two points but in contrast Stewartstown had a variety of scorers and players stepping up to take responsibility when in position. Cremartin totally dominated the early exchanges and it wasn't until the 24th minute of the first half that Stewartstown registered their first score but by half time they had reduced the deficit to four points and begun to show signs that the disastrous start they had experienced was totally out of character for this team. For the remainder of the game Stewartstown became increasingly effective with the result that Cremartin were pinned back in their own half for long periods but even when they did break clear on a number of occasions players took the wrong option or moves broke down and chances again went a begging. Final score - Stewartstown 0-9, Cremartin 2-2 Cremartin: Pauric Kerr, Colm Boyd, Michael Boyd, Gerard Flanagan, Macarten Carroll, Michael Malone, Niall Flanagan, Ciaran Carragher, Gerard Malone, Martin Morgan, Gregory Flanagan, Darren Bishop, Barry Carragher 2-2, Noel Boyd, Gary Boyd. Subs: Paul McNally for C Carragher. Tweet

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