By reaching the Owen Ward Cup final, Donaghmoyne Fontenoys returned to the big stage in 2002. It was a landmark occasion for the club in more ways than one: afterwards veteran campaigner Noel Marron - one of Monaghan GAA's all-time great servants - announced his intention to retire from club football. Donaghmoyne's new-look young team did themselves proud in 2002 when storming to the senior league final. Even though they lost therein to double winners Clontibret, it nonetheless represented significant progress for the Fontenoys, who will be looking to improve even further next term. In all likelihood, they'll be without the highly-influential Noel Marron from here on in. That is, unless the inspirational former county stalwart reconsiders his decision to retire from the game he has served so magnificently. Nobody could possibly expect him to do so, however. He has represented his club above and beyond the call of duty, spearheading their challenge for honours for almost 20 years. There comes a time to step aside, though, and now may well be that time: on the evidence of what we saw in 2002, the younger players at the club could be ready to stand on their own feet. Donaghmoyne's dreams were dashed on the double by Clontibret in the year just ended. The O'Neills narrowly beat them in the championship and also came out on top in the Owen Ward Cup final at Scotstown on Sunday November 10th. Both defeats were equally disappointing - the championship one because it was a game Donaghmoyne should have won, the league game because it was a major final. Noel reflects: "We were very disappointed after the championship because we really should have beaten them on the day but we let them off the hook and they came back to win the county title. We were well ahead but, in a strange sort of way, we almost seemed more afraid of winning than we were of losing!" As it transpired, Donaghmoyne let it slip from their grasp. But they came back superbly in the league to blaze a trail right through to the final. All in all, it was a respectable season, as their most experienced player attests: "The last time we got to the Ward Cup final was 1985, so it looks like we've improved. But once you get that far, you'd like to win it, especially the older players in the team. But it was progress, no doubt about that." What was the mood like in the camp at the start of the year? How high were Donaghmoyne aiming? "Our aim was to make the Top 4 and we managed that for the first time in nine or ten years, which was a plus. We wouldn't have been expected to get to the final, but you'll always try your best in a semi-final, be it league or championship. Once you get there, you can win it..." In general, Donaghmoyne's Credit Union Senior Football League form was impressive and they were fully deserving of their semi-final spot at the end of an extremely close and hard-fought campaign. Only four points separated the top six teams at the end of the 'league' stage of the competition. The Fontenoys were in fourth place, level on points with third-place Latton, each with 22 points (from nine wins, four draws and five defeats). Indeed, such was the competitive nature of the top tier that every team lost at least five times! "We didn't start too well but after being knocked out of the championship we got a run going and were only beaten once in seven or eight games. That was enough to get us up into the Top 4." Donaghmoyne overcame table-toppers Truagh in the semi-final to book their place in the Owen Ward Cup final. Meanwhile, county champions Clontibret also advanced to the decider, at the expense of Latton. The 2002 SFL final took place at Scotstown on Sunday November 10th and Clontibret prevailed by 3-9 to 2-6. Donaghmoyne had stayed with them up until the final quarter but were eventually rolled over. The losers opened the scoring with a Paul Kelly free in the first minute but were stunned when the O'Neills replied with a goal a few minutes later. That score was the difference between the teams in a low-key first half that ended 1-3 to 0-3 in Clontibret's favour. Kelly and the Rory Woods had provided the Fontenoys' other scores of the half. When Sean McLoughlin fired home a 38th-minute goal to reduce the differential to the minimum, it looked like a close game was on the cards. Clontibret turned the screw and had already surged eleven points clear before Woods struck the south county side's second goal on the hour. The result disappointed the Donaghmoyne contingent assembled in Scotstown on a cold winter's afternoon in November. . . none more so than the team's battle-hardened full back. Marron warns that the hard work has only just begun: "There's little point in getting to a final this year and not being there again next year," he reasons. "That's the hard part. We got to the final, but we have no silverware to show for our efforts. We have to keep it going now, get back to another final and make amends. "I see no reason why we can't build on 2002. It's basically a very young team. Outside of four or five of us, the average age is about 20. [Midfielder] Francis Markey is just out of minor and, of the team that played in the league final, five of the six forwards were under 21 - two of them were 18! "It's a young team so we're going in the right direction and there are two or three more coming through from minor next year. If the lads stay at it and continue to develop, then Donaghmoyne should be okay. Of course, the danger is that you will slip back and hopefully that won't be the case. "There's no substitute for winning, which Clontibret showed by doing the double with a very young team. If you're good enough, you're old enough!" In the 2002 senior championship, Donaghmoyne played two and lost two. First they were beaten by Truagh (2-10 to 0-5); then Clontibret foiled their attempt to regain access to the competition via the back door (0-10 to 0-8). "We didn't perform at all against Truagh, but we should have beaten Clontibret on the day. We were four points up with ten minutes left but they got out of jail in the last ten minutes. We were definitely the better team on the day but they finished strongly and went on to win the double. It just goes to prove how thin a line there is between winning and losing." Noel is pleased to report that there is plenty of young talent coming through on the Donaghmoyne Fontenoys production line: "Our U15s won a league final a few years ago and last year the U16s got to a league final against Clones. There's a lot of good work being done in the club from U12 level up and there's plenty of young talent coming through. "We have no shortage of people doing great work with the youngsters. The problem is that - like a lot of clubs - it's very hard to hold onto players after minor level. Only six or seven at the most will come through from any minor team, but it's the same for every club." Noel played his first game for the Donaghmoyne first team way back in 1984. They were junior at the time but the young Marron didn't have to wait long to get his hands on a junior league medal. In 1986 Donaghmoyne won the Hackett Cup, beating Inniskeen in the final. Marron also starred on the club's under 21 championship winning team of that year. In 1994, Donaghmoyne reached the county final, losing to Clontibret therein. They were relegated the following year but bounced straight back, beating Ballybay in the Hackett Cup final in 1996. They've maintained their Division One status since. Noel has been a regular fixture on the team throughout. During the 2002 season, he was particularly busy. As well as lining out for the Fontenoys, he also helped Jack McCarville out with the county seniors and trained Aghabog. He will be a selector (alongside Declan Brennan) under Colm Coyle on the new senior county management team in 2003 and is optimistic about Monaghan's prospects: "I think the players are out there. It's just a matter of getting them together, believing they can win. Confidence and self-belief are what's lacking and the biggest challenge facing us is to instill those qualities into the players," says the man who played for Monaghan at senior level in three different decades [1989-2001]. "Unfortunately Monaghan never got to an Ulster final during my county career. We had some decent teams and came close a number of times - particularly in 1995 and two years ago when we lost semi-finals to Cavan. But you have to win semi-finals if you really want to find out what it's like to play in a final." Donaghmoyne made such a breakthrough in 2002. Here's hoping that Monaghan can follow suit ASAP! Donaghmoyne, 2002 Owen Ward Cup finalists: Raymond Marron; Kieran Lynch, Noel Marron, Tommy Marron; Sean McLoughlin (1-0), Fergal McMahon, Maurice Cumiskey; Peter McLoughlin, Francis Markey (0-1); Bernard Kelly, Rory Woods (1-3), Peter Finnegan; Paul Kelly (0-2), Kieran Daly, Michael McMahon. Sub used: Colm Connolly Tweet

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