Cootehill Celtic GAA haven't been snowed under by silverware in recent times. However two trophies came the club's way at underage level in 2008. In what was an otherwise undistuinquished year for the Celts, the success of the under 14 footballers in winning the Roinn B Shield competition and the success achieved by the club's under 12 hurlers enriched a disappointingly barren season. Silverware has been conspicuous by its absence down Cootehill way too often for the club's own good but the past year's double triumph did provide a welcome lift for everyone. Off the field, the marvellous manner in which the club hosted the Feile na nOg festival visitors during last summer bore testimony to the latent spirit within the ranks of the Hoops. But nothing can beat securing a county title to raise morale and foster a burgeoning ambition to beat the best of the rest on an annual, ongoing basis. And so the unexpected Shield success enjoyed by the club's under fourteen starlets certainly stole the show over the course of 2008 for the Cootehill GAA faithful. Mind you, as the year kicked off for the under fourteens, the likelihood of silverware being bagged by them seemed as real as Santa's appearance in the local supermarket. "We got off to a bad start, to say the least, in the first game when we went up to Crosserlough and were on the wrong end of a bad beating," team mentor Paul Sherlock recalls. "It was clear that we were out of our depth in Roinn B and that was disappointing because from there on we were always up against better, stronger teams. "Having said that, the team improved with each game and put in some good performances against the odds and were unlucky not to have picked up at least a point during the year." There was, in truth, only one way the team could have gone following the crushing defeat in Kilnaleck. But Cootehill's resolve, determination and ambition knew no bounds! After the hiding from the black and ambers, Cootehill's starlets picked themselves up and excellent performances against Drumgoon and Belturbet should have reaped a dividend. "I strongly felt that because of our poor results at under 12 level in 2007 that we should not have been in Roinn B for under 14 level in 2008 but we just had to get on with it," Paul says. "The fact that the players rebounded so well from the Crosserlough defeat said a lot about their character, their determination to do better and the pride they showed in themselves. "When the league was over and we got regraded for the championship, I reckoned the players had a much more fairer chance of showing what they were capable of." Certainly late summer heralded far better tidings for the young Hoops as they set about the task of overcoming fellow title wannabes Ballinagh in the Shield final. As things panned out, Cootehill went goal-crazy (8-7 to 4-16) on their home patch at Hugh O'Reilly Park to scoop the Roinn B Shield after a titantic tussle. As the final scoreline suggests, the Celts' capacity to bag timely goals proved all-important in a game that had the word cavalier stamped all over it. In what was a real rollercoaster, shapeless affair, all-out attack, close marking and some clinically dispatched scores from both sides was the order of the day. The success-starved Hoops led for all but three minutes of the game after an 11th minute goal briefly levelled matters (1-1 apiece) for the chasing Ballinagh team. Inside the following three minutes Cootehill's Tom Hayes turned provider in one instance and executioner-in-chief the next to help propel the hosts into a 3-1 to 1-1 lead. It was a lead the homesters would never subsequently relinquish although Ballinagh showed their mettle and their utter determination like real true title contenders. From there to the close of the game, a real panoply of score-taking skills were exhibited, albeit invariably aided by defences which never looked comfortable in retreat mode. Interestingly Ballinagh arguably won the majority of the battles in the vital diamond area of the field but actually ended up losing the war. The Saffrons were best around the middle but lacked the armour to stymie the key twin threats of the aforementioned Hayes and John Carney. Ballinagh's attack was afforded enough ammunition to match Cootehill's goal tally but, for the most part, they were shorn of the cunning necessary to unhinge the Cootehill rearguard. That said, Ballinagh's power and strength up front consistently caused Cootehill problems and tested nerves, composure and football nous in the Cootehill camp for the full hour. Cootehill did most of their best work in the first half and by the time John Carney goaled in the 22nd minute, the hosts appeared to have one hand on the Shield. Young Carney's major left his side sitting pretty on the back of a 5-2 to 2-1 lead but it wasn't long before that advantage was eaten into considerably the the Saffrons. However, it was ominous for Ballinagh that each time they managed to notch goals, as in the 23rd and 24th minutes, Cootehill had the ability to hit back almost immediatey. In that regard man-of-the-match Hayes hit back within 90 seconds of Ballinagh's 24th minute major to extend his side's lead to seven points once more. Cootehill were very much in pole position as they began the second half with a 7-4 to 4-3 buffer and then Dean McMullen made it an eleven point game for the first time (31st min). At that stage of the match, it seemed Ballinagh's goose was well and truly cooked. But the game was to have several more twists and turns before hurtling to a conclusion. Slowly but surely Ballinagh gained a decided grip in the middle third of the field and, significantly, restricted their opponents to just a single point between the 37th minute and 52nd minutes when sub. Eoin Boyle followed up to point after John Carney's shot rebounded off the butt of the post. The lights remained stuck on green for the Saffrons for the most part as the final quarter beckoned and another point reduced Cootehill's lead to just four points (7-6 to 4-11). Cootehill visibly tired but the roving commission afforded Tom Hayes in the final ten minutes was to prove pivotal in tripping up Ballinagh's Lazarus-like comeback attempt. Eager-beaver Hayes struck for another goal in the 54th minute which catapulted his side into a 8-7 to 4-14 lead. Ballinagh battled to the end but when goal-bound shots were blocked by Cormac Smith and Joseph Freeman in quick succession, it was clear that Cootehill wouldn't be denied. The successful Cootehill Celtic U14 footballers who did duty against Ballinagh in the Shield final were;Cormac Smith; Christopher Ellis, Fintan Roche, Aaron Cosgrove; Joseph Freeman, Christopher Keenan, Dermie Connolly; Ryan O'Reilly (0-1), Barry Smith; Fiachra Hughes (1-0), John Carney (3-2), Darragh McCarney; Dean McMullen (0-1), Sophie Keogh, Tom Hayes (4-2). Subs; Marguerite McGahan for Fiachra Hughes; Eoin Boyle (0-1) for Christopher Ellis (inj). Reacting to the Shield triumph, team-mentor Sherlock says the hope is that the club can build on its latest underage success in 2009: "Winning the Shield will give the players that extra bit of hope that they can achieve more as a team in the years ahead. "It was a good team effort all year with the support of the juvenile committee and the attitude of the players all combining to make for an enjoyable year overall." HURLERS TRIUMPH Meanwhile on the hurling front, the club's rejuvenation continues on track with the under 12s achieving success in their Division Three campaign. The young Hoops underpinned their winning pedigree by romping to a decisive 1-4 to 0-1 win over Bruise Mountain (Arva-Cornafean) in an exciting final at Kingspan/Breffni Park. Cootehill were full value for their win even if their eventual winning margin was of the slightly flattering variety. Cootehill's latest success was harder earned than the final scoreline suggests in a game which was a fast-paced, end-to-end affair from the opening whistle. Cootehill were on the frontfoot for the major part of the first half but were out of luck in the 8th minute when Tarren O'Reilly saw his shot richochet harmlessly off the bar. In what was overall a great team display, it was young O'Reilly's fine individual goal in the 13th minute which ultimately proved to be the pivotal score for the Hoops on the day. Thanks to the goal and a free in the 15th minute by Caoimhin Carney plus a far from work-shy midfield and a gutsy defence, Cootehill went on to lead by 1-1 to 0-0 at half-time. Good work by Enda Shalvey at the back helped keep the fired-up Bruise Mountain lads at bay as the second half got underway but then the chasing team converted a free. Tarren O'Reilly was unlucky on two occasions thereafter and in the 9th minute, with only a fine save preventing the Cootehill player nabbing his second goal of the game. The Arva/Cornafean axis gained more and more possession as the second half gathered pace but fine work by Jason Halton, Alex Gaffney and Dermie Connolly ensured that Cootehill remained in the driving seat. The challengers continued to work hard to get back into the match but they had a narrow wide as they went hunting for goals. At the other end of the field, Cootehill had better luck and a point apiece from Dermie Connolly and Tarren O'Reilly helped seal the issue for the long-time leaders and pave the way for team-captain Darren Lavery to receive the cup. The all-conquering Cootehill Celtic side who won the U12 final was as follows; Garret O'Reilly; Enda Shalvey, Darren Lavery, Jason Halton, Alex Gaffney; Dermie Connolly (0-1), Caoimhin Carney (0-2), Stephen McCooey; Tarren O'Reilly (1-1), Emmet Magee, Sam Foy, Shane Connolly. Subs; Denise McKitterick for Sam Foy; James Myles for Emmet Magee; Diarmaid Carney for Shane Connolly. Reacting to the hurlers' latest success, U12 team-manager Irene (nee Clarke) Halton said she always felt that her charges had the upper hand on their west Cavan side: "I honestly thought we were in control for most of the match," explained the six-times senior county camogie championship medallist. "We fancied our chances in 2008 because we reached the under twelve division two final in 2007 and the players really put in a lot of hard work all year and deserved to win. "I didn't think there was any stage of the match where we looked like getting beaten. Numbers playing the game are continuing to increase and we'd be hopeful that the same group of players coupled with some older players will do well at under fourteen level in 2009." Tweet

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