Long-serving sharpshooter Declan Smyth was deeply honoured to serve as Aghabog captain for the 2002 season. But the deadly attacker admits he was disappointed that the Emmets finished the season empty-handed, particularly in light of the huge effort that was invested into their bid for a return to the top table. On Sunday November 10th, Aghabog Emmets were pipped by Carrickmacross (2-10 to 1-11) in a very competitive intermediate football league semi-final (the competition formerly known as the Hackett Cup but now played for the McAviney Cup). Defeat brought to an end an epic, protracted season that had begun with purposeful training way back in January. It also spelt disappointment for Aghabog's truly motivated team captain Declan Smyth, who was hell bent on leading the rural club back into senior ranks. Alas, it wasn't to be. Smyth was voted Monaghan Junior Footballer of the Year in 1990 and has consistently been Aghabog's top scorer since. Football is a team game, however, and he admits that he'd gladly swap such accolades for a different result on November 10th last! Reflecting on that unfortunate two-point defeat to Carrick', the former county minor star notes: "We didn't play the football we're capable of on the day. It was disappointing because we had beaten them twice in the league stage of the competition - by six points in Carrickmacross and by nine points at home. "Considering that a lot of hard work and effort was put in by the players this year and that we had trained so hard, it was a disappointing end to our season." Aghabog were so close - two games away from a return to senior fare. In one fell swoop, though, the dream was dead for another year at least. Effectively, it was an insipid first-half display that saw them come unstuck: "We were nine points down at half time, which left us with a mountain to climb. We missed a penalty early in the second half and it didn't seem that important at the time. However, as we came more and more back into contention, it became apparent that the penalty miss would cost us. There were only two points between the teams in the end, so we were left to rue our missed chances. "It wasn't a windy day or anything. It wasn't as if there was real bad weather or anything making it a game of two halves. We conceded two very slack goals in the first half and there are very few teams capable of recovering a nine-point deficit ... apart from maybe Errigal Chiarain or someone like that! In fairness, Carrick' probably were the best team on the day. They had John Conlon back [from Australia] and he's always a big help." Frank Brady took charge of team affairs in '02. Frank led Aghabog to Hackett Cup (Division Two) glory in 1994 and kept them senior the following year. He was then out of management for six years but returned in 2002 with Tony McGorman and Paddy Reilly. To say that the players gave of their all would surely be an understatement: "We did 114 sessions this year, between matches, challenges and training," Declan recounts. "There was a lot of hard work put in. We started off with three weeks in the gym in Carrickmacross under Paul Baldwin on the 20th of January and, ironically, it all ended in Carrick' ten months later! "To be honest, we put in every bit as much effort as we did in '94 and '99 when we won Hackett Cups. But it's not getting any easier. I'm 31 now and Brendan [O'Brien, Aghabog's long-serving key player] is 32, so we're not getting any younger. A lot of the team are in and around the 26-32 age group and have ten or twelve years of first-time football behind them already. In a lot of ways, it's getting harder with each passing year. But we'll keep plugging away." The good news is that there is some fresh blood coming through to supplement the more experienced heads. "We have a lot of good young players coming through," Declan confirms. "Gary McBride, Shane Mulligan, Patrick O'Brien, Barry McCarron and Stephen Greenan are all very talented young footballers who should be a big asset to the club in the coming years." Himself a former Seans juvenile player, Declan Smyth joined Aghabog in 1987 and broke onto the first team in '89. The following year, he feasted on honours, collecting a McKeown Cup (junior B championship) and Crawley Cup (junior B league) double, as well as helping the Emmets through to the junior county final. A Dr Ward Cup (junior league) souvenir was added in 1992 along with a Flanagan Cup (U21 Division Three) medal. Add in a brace of Hackett Cup successes in '94 and '99 and one can clearly see that Declan has enjoyed a reasonably successful career in the Aghabog colours. Conspicuous in its absence from his impressive Roll of Honour is a championship medal, however - something he'd dearly love to rectify. "We've never really been a championship team, unfortunately," he says. "In 2000, after going up senior, we reached the senior championship semi-final but lost to Truagh by three points. That's about as close as we've got. "Even with the back-door system, we haven't been able to get going in the championship. In 2002, the Seans beat us by two points and we came back through the back door only to lose to Rockcorry by one point." Those defeats to neighbouring rivals stung, but Declan is quick to play down any rivalries or grudges perceived to exist between Aghabog and their near neighbours: "There's a good rivalry there, but also a good friendship and a lot of close ties between the clubs. Every club has ups and downs and, when the Seans went up, they were deserving of it and I genuinely think they'll acquit themselves well in senior football. They have some very good footballers and I wouldn't begrudge them at all. It's a good time to be going up and they'll be well fit for it." As for Aghabog, they didn't quite make it this time. But they gave it their best shot, as ever: "We held a meeting in the clubhouse on January 15th and Frank told us that his objective was to go for an intermediate championship. We've won the Hackett Cup before, so the championship was the one we really wanted and that's why Frank came back. "The boys really knuckled down. We had 25/30 lads up in Carrick' every Tuesday and Friday night for nine o'clock and they wouldn't get home until well after 11. The commitment was there." Declan admits that it would mean the world to him if Aghabog could break their championship hoodoo: "If I could just win a championship, it would mean that I could retire a happy man. It would be a real high point in my career." As it stands, the highlight of his career to date ("prized possession") is the Ulster minor league medal garnered with Monaghan in 1989, on a team including such would-be intercounty luminaries as Stephen McGinnity and Peter Duffy. Believe it or not, Declan was actually full back on that side! With his adopted club, however, it is as a highly dangerous forward that he's carved his reputation. Now a Smithboro resident (having got married and built a house there last year), the 2002 captain speaks of his club in glowing terms: "One thing I'll say about Aghabog is that they took me in and made me one of their own. There's a fine complex here and the players are left wanting for nothing. There's a good atmosphere in the club and a very close bond. You feel very much at home and it's an honour to play for them." So, how might they do next year? Is that elusive IFC still on the agenda? "Our aim is to go out and give it our best shot again. No disrespect to the rest of the teams in intermediate football, but we know we can do it. We lost to Magheracloone by a point in the Hackett Cup final in 1997 . . . they won the senior league last year and were in the senior championship final in 2002. So, if the boys stick together and we get it going, who knows what we might yet achieve? "Our prime target will be the championship. But a trophy at the end of the year is always nice, regardless of which one it is. That's what it's all about, so we'll be doing our best in every game and we'll gladly take anything that comes our way! "We've just had a ten-month season, so we'll take a couple of months off to relax and regroup. Hopefully we'll stick at it again next year and we'll make it back up to senior. "When you look at senior football in Monaghan at the moment, it's a bit of a mixed bag. There is no outstanding team apart from Clontibret, and most sides would fancy their chances of holding their own. It'd be nice to go back up and measure ourselves at that level. We had four players at county trials towards the end of the year, so hopefully that's a good indication of our strength." On the county front, Declan is keeping his fingers crossed that the appointment of Meath legend Colm Coyle as new county supremo will herald an improvement in Monaghan's flagging intercounty fortunes: "Colm must see some potential when he has taken the job on and I'm sure he'll give it a good shot. He has brought in Noel Marron - who took us [Aghabog] for a few training sessions this year - and Declan Brennan as his assistants and they are two very shrewd operators. Armagh in the first round of the Ulster championship is hardly an ideal draw, but hopefully Monaghan will soon be challenging for honours again." Indeed, there are a lot of uncertainties in gaelic football. But one thing's for sure: Declan Smyth will be a prominent figure as Aghabog challenge once more for intermediate honours in 2003. Tweet

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