Emyvale reached their fourth Co. Monaghan Intermediate Football League Final in 2004 and they have now a fifty per cent success record in this particular competition. Successes in 1988 and 1995 were followed by a defeat in the replayed final of 2000 and defeat again in the 2004 Final on 31st October last. Two wins and two defeats, but truly a remarkable record of reaching the final stage on no less than four occasions in less than twenty years. After the 2000 League Final defeat, which had followed on a highly controversial drawn game, hopes were high that success might come their way the following year, but because they had been defeated in both Championship and League Finals of that year, they were forced up, 'empty-handed', into senior ranks for the year 2001, and fared none too well in the upper echelons during that season. Relegation for 2002 was, in fact, a blessing for the club, although a lot of people involved might not have thought so at the time. Finally, after three years of finishing in the middle areas in the Intermediate League, they once again reached the Final of the competition in the year just completed. Their league campaign opened with a home game on Sunday 22nd February when they had Eire Og as visitors and triumphed on a 1-11 to 1-9 scoreline, after leading at the break by 0-5 to 0-4. They lined out on that occasion as follows:- Glen Murphy, John Flannery, Niall Callery, Paddy Kelly, Gerard O'Brien, Paddy O'Brien, Jonathon Morrough (0-1, Carl Murphy, Brendan O'Brien, Emmet Colleran, Robert McHugh (0-2), Martin McAree (0-7), Fergal Colton, Cathal McKenna (1-0) and Brendan Askin. Subs used:- Donal McAreavey, Paul McKenna, Darren Farmer (0-1) and Paul Kelly. Under new Team Manager, Nudie Hughes, and selector, Gabriel McCormack, the side was given little respite, as the following Sunday they were away to Rockcorry, but again triumphed, this time by 2-8 to 0-12. The team showed only one change from the previous Sunday and had led by 2-4 to 0-5 at the interval. The scorers were:- Marty McAree (2-0), Darren Farmer (0-3), Fergal Colton (0-2), Paddy O'Brien (0-1), Emmet Colleran (0-1) and Brendan Askin (0-1). The 'good beginning' continued right into March when they had Donaghmoyne as visitors on Sunday 28th March, and recorded a magnificent 2-12 to 0-6 victory over the south county side. This was, unquestionably, Emyvale's most polished performance of the entire year as they were up against strong opponents, but made light of the challenge, and it became one of those rare occasions when they did everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. Martin McAree was in superb form, scoring from all angles, and one of his points from an acute angle in the corner was indeed a 'rare gem'. The team lined out:- Glen Murphy, Paddy Kelly, Niall Callery, John Flannery, Lorcan McGee, Paddy O'Brien, Jonathan Morrough, Carl Murphy (0-1), Brendan O'Brien (0-1), Marty McAree (1-6), Robert McHugh, Fergal Colton (0-2), Darren Farmer (0-2), Cathal McKenna (1-0) and Brendan Askin. Subs used:- Ryan McGee, Brendan Keenan, Barry McDonald and Brendan McNally. Emyvale now sat proudly at the top of the Intermediate League Table with full points from their three outings, but then came an unexpected set-back when they were well and truly beaten by an un-fancied Clones team at Emyvale on Sunday 11th April. The final score-line of Clones 5-7, Emyvale 0-12, told its own story. This was really a case of being 'brought down to earth' with a bang by the rampant visitors, who were well worthy of their ten points win. The 'rot' seemed to set in following that reversal and they lost again the following Sunday, 18th April, when they travelled to Drumhowan and lost by 2-12 to 2-7. Team Management, however, were not to be discouraged and were experimenting with some new young players, and one of these, Conor Corrigan, made his senior debut at this stage. The following weekend, Saturday 24th April, Emyvale recorded one of their major victories of the year when they overcame visiting Ballybay, 0-12 to 1-8, in a real thriller of a game that went right down to the wire. After a shaky start when they conceded three early points, Emyvale recovered well to forge in front and lead at half-time by 0-6 to 0-4. Ballybay fought back gamely in the second half and it looked as if it might end all-square when Robbie McHugh sent over the winner four minutes from time. The line out on this occasion was:- Glen Murphy, Paddy Kelly, Niall Callery, John Flannery, Lorcan McGee, Paddy O'Brien, Gerard O'Brien, Darren Farmer (0-3), Brendan O'Brien, Fergal Colton (0-1), Robert McHugh (0-1), Marty McAree (0-2), Donal McAreavey (0-1), Cathal McKenna (0-1) and Conor Corrigan. Sub used:- Brendan Askin (0-3). The Championship then intervened with a narrow defeat by Tyholland at Scotstown, but Emyvale travelled to Tyholland again the very next weekend and appeared to have their previous week's conquerors completely on the rack, leading by nine points with time running out. Inexplicably, they lapsed in the final seven minutes and the home side drew level, with a final score of Emyvale 1-8, Tyholland 2-5. Several leading players had been injured the previous Sunday and Emyvale fielded an experimental side, which read:- Stephen McAree, Jonathan Morrough, Niall Callery, John Flannery, Gerard O'Brien, Lorcan McGee, Stephen Kelly, Carl Murphy, Brendan O'Brien, Marty McAree (0-3), Robert McHugh (1-2), Fergal Colton (0-1), Conor Corrigan, Cathal McKenna (0-1) and Donal McAreavey (0-1). Subs used:- Ryan McGee, Emmet Colleran and Barry McDonald. On Wednesday 26th May, Emyvale had Monaghan Harps as visitors and won by 1-11 to 1-6, but then completed the first half of the league programme a week later by going down to Doohamlet- 0-9 to 0-6. The championship again intervened and the 'back door' system saw Emyvale draw with Drumhowan at Scotstown, but they won the replay rather comfortably a week later. This was followed up with a victory over Doohamlet at Clontibret in the quarter-final. The second half of the league programme opened with an unexpected reverse at Smithboro, losing to Eire Og by 4-5 to 1-5, and then a draw with Rockcorry four days later, 1-10 each. Emyvale now needed points badly but suffered another reverse when they travelled to Donaghmoyne and lost by 2-11 to 1-11. However, they then had two quick wins - over Drumhowan by 2-14 to 1-8, and over Clones by 1-8 to 0-6, only to lose by 0-10 to 0-6 to Ballybay. Emyvale then defeated Tyholland, 1-9 to 0-9, at Emyvale with this team:- Declan Callery, Jonathan Morrough, Niall Callery, John Flannery, Lorcan McGee, Paddy O'Brien, John Thomas Treanor (0-2), Darren Farmer (0-1), Carl Murphy, Marty McAree (0-1), Brendan McKenna (0-1), Robbie McHugh (0-1), Donal McAreavey (1-1), Cathal McKenna and Fergal Colton (0-2). Subs used:- Shane McKenna, Gerard O'Brien and Brendan Askin. This should have been a great spur for the Championship encounter with the same opposition at the semi-final stage a fortnight later, but we went under by 1-12 to 0-9. This was followed by a 0-13 to 1-8 win over Monaghan Harps in the League, with a little changed line-out, and the league campaign was then completed with a draw at 0-11 to 1-8 with Doohamlet at Emyvale on 4th September. Both these sides were now level in the 'Top Four' positions at 21 points each from eighteen games played. A play-off was now necessary which took place at Tyholland on Saturday 2nd October and this time Emyvale prevailed on a 0-11 to 0-10 score-line. The clashes between these two teams were regarded as one of the highlights of the football year, as they served up some superb football in all their four meeting - three in the League and one in the Championship. In the League play-off Emyvale had lined out:- Declan Callery, Shane McKenna, John Flannery, Gerard O'Brien, Robby McHugh, Paddy O'Brien, Jonathan Morrough, Bendan McKenna (0-3), Brendan O'Brien, Donal McAeavey, Darren Farmer (0-4), Marty McAree (0-1), Fergal Colton, Cathal McKenna (0-2) and Brendan Askin (0-1). Subs used:- John Thomas Treanor, Carl Murphy and Brendan McNally In the League semi-final Emyvale had to travel to Ballybay who had finished in the top spot but Emyvale once again 'produced the goods' on the day, and won by 1-9 to 1-8 to qualify for the Final. All roads now led to Scotstown on Sunday 31st October when the opposition would again be provided by Tyholland. Emyvale, playing in their fourth Intermediate Football League Final, gave as good as they got in the opening half, but, in a disastrous four minutes of injury time, played just before the interval, the defence leaked two gift goals, and they went to the dressing rooms fourteen points in arrears, 3-7 to 0-2. A great second half fight back featured their performance, but the leeway was too much to make up, and they eventually went under by 3-11 to 2-4, even though they outscored the opposition, 2-2 to 0-4, in that same second half. For this Final Emyvale lined out:- Glen Murphy, Jonathan Morrough, John Flannery, Shane McKenna, Gerard O'Brien, Paddy O'Brien, Robbie McHugh, Carl Murphy, Brendan McKenna (0-1), Niall Callery, Fergal Colton, Martin McAree (2-2), John Thomas Treanor (0-1), Cathal McKenna and Declan Callery. Sub used:- Donal McAreavey. Pick of the bunch Emyvale clubman Gerry McCarron was a useful footballer with Scotstown and Eire Og in his day. But it's as a referee that he has made his mark most of all. Words: Kevin Carney 2003 Senior Referee of the Year Gerry McCarron takes the congratulations of all and sundry in his stride. It's a stride that has held him in good stead for a long number of years. McCarron is deemed to be one of the fittest players on the local GAA scene. Passing fitness examinations and collecting awards seem to come pretty easy to him. So what of his 2003 gong? Must have been a great year for him? "It was but, to be honest, I probably had better years but didn't take charge of the county final," Gerry admits. The Emyvale clubman has taken charge of two blue riband finals in Monaghan to date. His debut performance in the 1999 decider between Carrick and 'Blayney propelled his career into the shop window with his dismissal of the former's John Conlon a real talking point in that game. "The decision to send off the player got a lot of publicity at the time but it didn't do me any harm. "It was an off-the-ball incident that I didn't see but one of my umpires did. "After consulting with him, I decided to send John Conlon off. "I felt it was the correct thing to do and a good decision at the time and the county board could see by video evidence afterwards that it was a good decision." Gerry believes that the aforementioned sending-off incident was a good exercise in good communication between referee and umpire. He is fortunate that he and his team of umpires seldom get their wires crossed. It means a great deal. He has had the same four men with him for the most part of ten years now. Seamus Sherry, Sean McQuillan, Pauric Treanor and Seamus Reed are all Emyvale clubmen and highly experienced umpires. "For your umpires to know how you work and vice-versa - it can make all the difference. It can be crucial in the match to keep the communication lines open. " It's the same as playing on a team. You have to be on the same wavelength with your umpires," Gerry explains. Fresh from his enjoyable trip to Casement Park where he officiated at the Ulster Intermediate Club tie between Moneyglass and Irvinestown, Gerry says that, like the goalkeepers, there's an unofficial union between umpires and referees. In other words they stick together, give each other advice and support each other especially if, and when, you know what hits the fan. And while he acknowledges the help afforded to umpires by the Ulster Council in putting on courses each year, Gerry believes that experience and common sense go furthest in helping umpires improve as officials. "Umpires, no more than referees, are always learning from every game they're at. "They watch how other umpires do their job in the same way that I'd watch another referee on duty. "We stick by one another but that's not to say that a referee shouldn't be afraid to overrule his umpire. "I've done that in the past and have proven to be right." The pressure on umpires and referees to get it right is increasing all the time, is it not? "Definitely. Television and radio coverage has increased a lot over the years and you've even got a lot of coverage of club games now with TG4," Gerry explains. Interestingly, the 46-year old Tydavnet native doesn't support the suggestion by the GAA's Director General Liam Mulvihill that umpires should be asked to partake in an eye test examination. And neither does he believe that there's anything to be gained by having a decision like the controversial one in the James Stephens-UCD hurling match reversed by dint of video evidence. "I think the result should stand every time. "What happened in Portlaoise that day was the result of human error and you're always going to have human error in matches. "The players, the coaches, the referees and the umpires all make mistakes sometimes during matches - that's part and parcel of football and hurling," opines Gerry who is joined on the referee's panel in Monaghan by fellow clubman John Finn. There's little doubt but that Gerry and his ilk are officiating in much changed times. Times have changed for players over the years but the same can be said to a lesser degree for the match officials. The days of a referee being totally biased towards one team are long gone and it's no longer the case either that any man who could blow a whistle was guaranteed to get to referee all the games he wanted. One wonders though what is the most difficult part of the job of refereeing? "The most annoying thing for me would be when you give a free to a player who's just after being fouled and he continues to complain. "I don't accept any of that carry-on and more often than not I'd throw the ball up very quickly." What's the greatest number of players you've ever sent off in the same game? "I'd say three. I think it was a local derby at junior level a few years ago." Gerry swears that his conscience was crystal clear going to bed that night too! As someone who played Gaelic football for Scotstown (and Eire Og) for a long number of years, playing alongside such then luminaries of the game as Fergus Caulfield, Ronnie McDermott, Gene Sherry and winning a county minor championship medal (1976) into the bargain, Gerry knows only too well that players will try their damndest to get away with everything on the field of play. But he insists that the vast majority of players just want to play the game. Only three or four players, on any given day, want to play AND referee the game. A lot of the players, he asserts, aren't au fait with the rules of the game. He cites the instance where a player falls on the ground while in possession and when the ball spills from his grasp, he fists it away on the ground. That's not a foul. Zero per cent of players, Gerry says, would deem it so. Gerry admits that he sometimes gets it wrong too. A quick apology to the player(s) concerned after the game suffices, he tells us. Now on the inter-county list for the last five years - he was promoted at the same time as Cavan official Joe McQuillan - Gerry has managed to referee quite a few high profile games of late. In recent times he has officiated at, for instance, last year's Ulster club clash between Cavan Gaels and Four Masters (Donegal) at Breffni Park; Leitrim versus Kildare in an All-Ireland JFC semi-final; and a Dr. McKenna Cup tie between Tyrone and Jordanstown which was played under lights in Carrickmore. "Refereeing under lights was a good experience and playing more matches in the evenings is something the GAA should look at. "I acted as linesman in a national league match between Kerry and Dublin in front of 10,000 at Parnell Park but you could only imagine what the atmosphere there would have been like had it been played under lights." A former well-known referee in local soccer circles (he also founded the Killylough soccer club) before switching codes in 1993, Gerry says that refereeing juvenile matches from the outset is a fair test for aspiring refs. "Juvenile level is the hardest level of all to referee. If you can referee well at that level you'll be alright at every other level. "At juvenile level, you could have twenty parents all just seeing what they want to see. Refereeing a local local derby match at juvenile level would test any referee." With his 2003 Senior Referee of the Year award sitting proudly on the mantlepiece and some very positive reports from observers to his credit since, Gerry is entitled to look forward to 2005 with a lot of optimism. Refereeing a NFL match this coming year would be a treat, he says, but, either way, he is looking forward to another year as a man in black determined to do his best. And that's all anyone can do. Tweet

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