In 2004 another name was added to Monaghan's SFC Roll of Honour when Magheracloone Mitchells GAA broke new ground to become only the 15th club in the county to win the blue riband title. And here's how they done it! When Magheracloone lost out, after a replay, to Clontibret in their first-ever SFC final in 2002, it was suggested in some quarters that the old order in Monaghan football circles at the highest level was all but written in stone. The long-time stranglehold held by the big four of Castleblayney Faughs, Scotstown, Ballybay and Clontibret was set to continue, it was mooted. But the coterie of 'rolled-up-sleeves' gaels in Magheracloone weren't prepared to listen to such a mantra. And two years later, their unwillingness to bend the knee was manifest in the white and blacks collecting their first-ever blue-riband county title when one-time lords of the manor, Scotstown, were made to tip the forelock. It was, in the true sense of the word, an historic achievement. That major disappointment in 2002 almost drained the Farneymen of self-belief, conviction and self-esteem. But to the eternal credit of all belonging to the one-time county minnows, Magheracloone's premier footballers showed immense character, ambition and resolve to come back two years later and scoop the biggest prize sport in the county has to offer. So how did Magheracloone beat the odds and the best of the rest to land the glittering prize in 2004? In simple terms, they proved to be a class apart during the year and a side who appeared to determined to put behind themselves the angst and agony which went with losing out to Clontibret in the final two years ago. It also seemed clear that the players had also learned several important lessons from that unhappy campaign. For one, the team stocked a killer-streak in 2004 which might not have been evident in previous campaigns. Secondly, the team showed a great improvement in garnering a much better return on investment at the business end of the field. Seldom before had the team demonstrated the degree of efficiency in converting hard-won possession at the back and at midfield into scores on the board as they managed to do between the commencement of their successful championship odyssey in June and the realisation of the club's dream in September. It must be said that in skipping to their unprecedented title win, Magheracloone did the business with some comfort with only Latton really succeeding in putting it up to the champions-elect. First to fall on the altar of Magheracloone's power and passion last Summer was the Sean McDermotts crew. In careering to an emphatic 0-15 to 1-7 victory on June 20th last in Clontibret, Magheracloone fairly posted notice of the team's intention to go one step further than in 2002. Seans trailed for most of the match and while they forced Magheracloone to get into workmanlike mode in the first half, there was never really any doubt as to the ultimate destination of the spoils on the day. Indeed were it not for the Seans' achievement in notching 1-1 in injury time, the final scoreline would have a lot more lopsided. Whatever trouble Magheracloone had on the day surfaced in the first half at the end of which Magheracloone led by just the odd point in eleven. However a more vibrant second half display - inspired by the Freeman brothers Tom and Damien - was all the match favourites needed to seal their inaugural championship win. If the victory over Seans was unremarkable and merely a means towards an end for Magheracloone, their subsequent 1-14 to 0-14 triumph in late July over fancied Latton caught the imagination in a big, big way. Deemed to be arguably the match of the senior championship, the Carrickmacross-hosted clash saw both sides play some wonderful football for extended periods at a very high tempo and in a very sporting manner. For Magheracloone, the win was manufactured as a result of a superb team performance which saw a brillant division of labour, indomitable spirit and a terrific zest for battle which all conspired to see them win the war (of nerves) in what was a great advertisement for senior club football in the county. Latton impressed from start to finish but Magheracloone impressed just that bit more in what was a repeat of their 2003 SFC semi-final clash. Tom Freeman scored the opening point less than 60 seconds after the start but Latton went onto storm into a four point lead by the end of the opening quarter. Magheracloone refused to be be ruffled though, remaining cool, calm and collected and a fine point by James Ward, on the run, served to steady the ship. Ward was to go on and nick another point during the game in what was a real tour de force by the International Rules player. Still, Latton continued to be a potent force and with 20 minutes played, Ward and co. were still facing into a five point deficit. Slowly but surely though, the Farneysiders managed to shrug off that tiny bit of lethargy which seemed to hamstring their attempts at flying from the starting block. As the second quarter raced to a heady close, Magheracloone seemed to get their second wind and a point by Paudie Finnegan, after good work by Francie Doogan and Damien Freeman, plus a point by Tom Freeman (free) signalled a change in the direction of the tide. That seachange was underpinned in the 27th minute when the hard-working Doogan fed substitute Gerard Finnegan who parted to Damien Freeman. The impressive countyman then spotted the supporting Keith Gilsenan who promptly ran in on goal before giving the Latton 'keeper no chance in smashing the ball to the back of the net from close range. Moments later, Tom Freeman increased the Magheracloone momentum by showing a clean pair of heels to two Latton defenders before landing a great point to edge his side into a 1-6 to 0-8 interval lead. As was their wont, Latton were again sharpest from the starting blocks at the second half got underway but there was a steely determination on the part of their opponents not to allow the O'Raghaillaighs repeat the feat of opening up another four point gap. Instead, Magheracloone matched Latton in every department which served to make the final quarter an especially rivetting period. With 49 minutes on the clock, Magheracloone led by a single point. That lead was doubled three minutes later courtesy of a Fintan Kindlon point after great work by Padraig Kelly. Magheracloone 'keeper Shane Duffy kept up the pressure on the chasing team by converting a '45 with just over four minutes left to play but then a further point by Latton one minute from time had the Magheracloone faithful well and truly sweating. The black and white clad supporters needn't have fretted though for Tom Freeman was on hand at the death to finish off a sweet counter-attack and so seal a thrilling three point victory. The semi-final pairings saw Magheracloone teamed up with Inniskeen while Latton and Scotstown were pitted together in the other semi-final. First up were the Mitchells and Grattans in a match played in Carrickmacross. Once again Magheracloone left nothing to chance as they kept their feet pressed firmly to the pedals for all but fleeting minutes of the game. And for once, the gulf between the sides on the day was fairly reflected by the 1-16 to 1-8 final scoreline. It was simply that comprehensive for the all-conquering Mitchells. David Reilly's men led for all but two minutes of the game when, briefly, the Grattans nipped into the lead with a brace of points in the 9th and 10th minutes. That though was as good as it got for the match underdogs as Magheracloone proceeded to dominate in every single sector of the field. With number one Shane Duffy again getting on the scoresheet, Padraig Kelly again vying for the man of the match award and James Ward acting as the perfect lynchpin from centre-back, the vaunted Inniskeen attack simply couldn't get a look-in for the most part. In the middle of the field, Francis Doogan was again the personification of hard work while the Mitchells attack worked well as a unit with again a good division of labour in evidence. Again, of course, the twin terrors that is the Freeman brothers were the proverbial thorns in the side of Inniskeen all afternoon with Tom setting the pattern of the game from as early as 12 seconds into the game with a clinical point. After allowing a wee bit of complacency to set in which allowed Inniskeen nip into the lead by the 10th minute, Magheracloone quickly woke themselves up to hit three points on the trot before the end of the first quarter. Inniskeen worked overtime to try and stymie their opponents' scope but just when they thought they might have been able to limp their way to the interval without being mortally wounded, Tom Freeman hit them straight in the solar plexis with a goal in the 30th minute. To add salt into Inniskeen's by now gaping wound, Damien Freeman tagged on a further point to leave Magheracloone leading by 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time. The second half was the proverbial cakewalk for Magheracloone as they countered rare Inniskeen points by often firing over a brace in replay in as many minutes. With less than 25 minutes played in the second half, Inniskeen were eleven points adrift with an excellent point by Fintan Kindlon in particular catching the eye. To their credit, Inniskeen fought to the bitter end and managed to convert a late penalty to take the bad look off the scoreboard a bit. Amazingly there would be similar daylight on the scoreboard between Magheracloone and Scotstown when the long whistle was sounded by referee Brendan Walshe (Ballybay) in the final on September 19th in Clones. Who would have thought it? Magheracloone's 1-10 to 0-5 victory would be as handsome and as clear-cut as any they'd enjoyed on their championship run in 2004. In fact, Scotstown hardly troubled the Mitchells over the hour, save the opening ten minutes when they managed to gain parity at two points apiece. Crucially, Magheracloone never trailed their opponents. Indeed when man of the match Paudie Finnegan cleverly skipped around advancing Scotstown 'keeper Philip Maguire in the 17th minute to score the only goal of the game, an increasing aura of inevitability swept across the bows of St. Tighernach's Park. The old cry of Magheracloone's achilees heel being up front was well and truly drowned out at Clones last September. Five of the team's six starting forwards managed to get on the scoresheet while the blues' failure to come to grips with the excellent foraging and covering of Paul Jones also contributed greatly to their downfall. In truth though, Scotstown never really looked like recovering the ground they lost in conceding Finnegan's aforementioned goal. And when a point apiece by Fintan Kindlon and Tom Freeman followed soon after, Scotstown increasingly looked like a team on skid row. Things got progressively better for Magheracloone when brothers Damien and Tom combined for the latter to fire the would-be winners into a five point lead with 26 minutes on the clock. Magheracloone seemed be on the cusp of cruise control at this stage and while Scotstown did manage to pull a point back, the Mitchells once again stepped up a gear to head into the interval in confident mood on the back of a 1-6 to 0-4 lead. That advantage was stretched to seven points just eight minutes after the restart leaving the beginning of the end very much signposted for the north Monaghan men. Understandably, Magheracloone took their feet off the gas a bit and, predictably, Scotstown fought to the bitter end to at least keep the game alive, if barely. But the blues spurned a series of scoring chances which was all the latitude Magheracloone needed to go on and build up a nine point lead with ten minutes to play, thanks to a Tom Freeman brace, including one from a free. In the best tradition of sporting cliches, the tie was now all over bar the shouting. With eight minutes left to play, Scotstown registered their only point of the second half. It was one which had consolation stamped all over it. Magheracloone had done more than enough to ensure that it would be their day, their year, their piece of history. The Mick Duffy Cup seldom looked more at home. A daunting task in the Ulster club championship might well have loitered on the horizon on the night of September 19th but the estatic Mitchells couldn't have been criticised for scarcely giving it a second thought. After all, it's not everyday that history is made! Magheracloone (versus Scotstown, SFC final, Clones, September 19th 2004): Shane Duffy; Donal Kindlon, Padraig Kelly, Michael Jones; John McMahon, James Ward, Bernard Freeman; Francis Doogan, Francie Jones; Keith Gilsenan (0-1), Paul Jones, Thomas Freeman (0-5); Paudie Finnegan (1-2), Damien Freeman (0-1), Fintan Kindlon (0-1). Subs; Gerard Finnegan for Francie Jones; Gerard McCaul for John McMahon; Kieran McCaul for Keith Gilsenan; Mark Gilsenan for Padraig Kelly. Tweet

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