2004 was a year of highs and lows for Shercock. Here's a selection. Beaten by 3-10 to 3-7 in a snatch and grab raid by Cuchullains in a thrilling Under 16 Division Three league decider at O'Raghallaigh Park, Kingscourt in mid June, Shercock's finest were determined to make amends. And in careering to a convincing ten point corresponding championship victory over Killeshandra/Cornafean in late September in Virginia, the Shercock lads fairly left their mark on 2004 and, in the process, added to the honours garnered two years previously. The Michael McEntee-captained side were fully focussed on the battle with the Leaguers/Reds selection which was, thankfully, played in excellent conditions and in front of a vocal and healthy attendance. Shercock started the match as they meant to continue and a Shane McPhillips goal after just seven minutes proved just the leg-up they needed to lay the foundation for an excellent title triumph. In an otherwise evenly-contested opening quarter, Shercock had by far the better goal chances and it took a great save from the 'keeper to deny the aforementioned McPhillips another goal some minutes later only for Michael McEntee to pop over the resultant '45. Young McPhillips was again denied moments later but with the highly influential Cathal O'Reilly following up to point, suddenly Shercock were six points to the good with 20 minutes played. From there to the finish, it was nip and tuck with the amalgam coming more into the game as the interval approached. However Shercock continued to give as good as they got and a Cathal O'Reilly point just before half-time made sure that they went in at the half-time break with a useful five points, 2-3 to 0-4, lead. As was their wont on the day, Shercock were again quickly out of the traps and a point apiece by Andrew Stone and Michael McEntee stretched the leaders' advantage once again. Despite their cushioned lead, Shercock hadn't things their own way and their goal came under sporadic attack. However with lightning counter-attacks, the would-be winners came good with the ever-dangerous Shane McPhillips and Daniel Clarke both finding the target. Further points reined in from the lively Shercock crew as their opponents backpeddled furiously. Predictably, Shercock maintained their high tempo right to the final whistle and points by Cathal O'Reilly, Edward McDermott, Barry McIntyre and substitute Dean Gallagher served to round off a brilliant, all-round display by the new champions. Those who did the needful on the day of the final were; Emmet O'Reilly, Michael O'Reilly, Gary Smith, Edward McDermott, Dean McPhillips, Barry McIntyre, Ciaran Ward, Michael McEntee, Glen McEneaney, Cathal O'Reilly, Andrew Sloane, Shane McPhillips, Daniel Clarke. Subs used; Stephen McCombe, Dean Gallagher, James McMahon, Ciaran McDermott. Meanwhile on the adult football front, the club's premier team showed a lot of promise despite going down by 1-10 to 1-12 in their opening round JFC tilt with would-be championship winners Butlersbridge in Cootehill. Shercock regrouped and successfully reached the semi-final but amazingly slumped to a 0-3 to 2-14 defeat at the hands of Redhills in an incredibly lop-sided replay at an almost unbelieving Kingspan/Breffni Park. Shercock's display bordered on the surreal with only a couple of players performing to anything near their capabilities. In what was a real shocker for all belonging to the Shercock club, Redhills had it all too easy as they made good the great escape they effected when grabbing a late equaliser in the drawn game. The opening quarter actually saw Shercock at their most spirited, determined best. However things went steadily downhill thereafter for the losers-elect for the final three-quarters of the match. Trailing by 0-0 to 2-5 by the end of the first quarter, MJ Lynch finally registered a point for Shercock when lofting over a long range effort in the 29th minute. One minute later Jodie Clarke pointed a free but there was to be no Lazarus-like miracle for the chasing team. Behind by 0-2 to 2-7 on the restart, Shercock needed to net at least one goal in double-quick time after the restart to stand any chance of getting back into the match. Shercock proceeded to fly off the blocks and managed to add to their tally with an Aidan Lennon point after four minutes. Sadly Lennon's effort was to be the losers' solitary score of the second half. In contrast the increasingly cocky Redhills side added a brace of points in the 14th and 16th minutes to compound Shercock's woes. It could have been a lot worse for the losers-elect too but for an earlier brilliant save by John Coyle from the dangerous Gumley. Under pressure Coyle later denied Alan Dunne in a carbon-copy incident. A few minutes later the final whistle sounded, ending Shercock's nightmare afternoon. Shercock's line-out against Redhills was as follows: John Coyle; Francis Byrne, John McEnroe, Michael Edwards; Donal Clerkin, Aidan Liggin, M.J Lynch (0-1); Brian Hamilton, Philip Og Burns; Pierre Sullivan, Jody Clarke (0-1,free), Aidan Lennon (0-1); Joe O'Reilly, Paddy McPhillips, James McElroy. Sub; Ollie Ward for Joe O'Reilly; Ciaran Lennon for James McElroy; Michael McEnaney for Donal Clerkin; Colm Courtney for John Coyle (inj). Elsewhere Shercock looked for the world like shoe-ins for a rare cup success at adult level but conspired to allow Crosserlough come back from a seven point deficit, with five minutes to go and forced a 2-4 draw in an exciting ACFL Division 3A decider. Shercock got off to a flyer with John McDermott goaling after just three minutes after he collected a long lob forward and then evaded two powder puff tackles before blasting the ball to the net. Shercock remained in pole position and in the 18th minute Cathal O'Reilly's floated centre saw Shane McPhillips outjump Damien Reilly in the Crosserlough goal and fist the ball to the empty net. And when Jodie Clarke made it 2-4 to 0-3 moments later, the game seemed to be drifting away from the black and ambers. However the sending off of Crosserlough's Tom Boylan and Shercock's Liam O'Reilly shortly afterwards seemed to have a more negative effect on O'Reilly's side. From there to the finish, Crosserlough all but camped in Shercock's half, eventually nicking a draw. Shercock were left to rue their aforementioned slackness as they lost out by 3-7 to 3-10 in the replay. Crosserlough had much the better of the opening exchanges and by the 11th minute had steamed into a more than useful 1-3 to 0-1 lead after MJ Lynch managed to get Shercock up and running with a neat point from play in the 7th minute. Crosserlough continued to pull the strings approaching the end of the first quarter but Shercock exploded into action to bang in two shock goals. Shercock's first major came following a clever delivery forward by Jodie Clarke in the 12th minute which Francis McPhillips latched onto before promptly burying the ball into the back of the Crosserlough net. And less than two minutes later, Crosserlough 'keeper Damien Reilly was pulling the ball out of the back of his net once again after the aforementioned goalscorer McPhillips was quickest to react to a 'breaking ball' before driving home from close range. The high tempo of the game was unrelenting but Crosserlough again found themselves one point adrift, 1-4 to 2-2, after Jodie Clarke fired over a neat point. In a frenetic run-in to the half-time break, Cathal McDermott's fine point for Shercock was quickly cancelled out by a similar effort by Paul Galligan. Shercock went two points in front just two minutes after the restart courtesy of a Jodie Clarke point. Crosserlough then received a big let-off when Shane McPhillips' piledriver ricocheted to safety off the crossbar. With ten minutes left to play, Shercock faced into a 2-5 to 3-8 deficit. Shercock rose to the challenge though and points by Jodie Clarke and Sean Magee were followed by a 41st minute goal by Clarke after his speculative shot somehow eluded the Crosserlough defence to leave just the minimum separating the sides. Crosserlough refused to allow their opponents build on their goal however and a further two points in the final four minutes proved more than enough to copper-fasten Shercock's ill-luck. The Shercock team, and subs, that went under to Crosserlough in the ACFL Division 3A final replay was: Colin Courtney; Michael O'Reilly, Aidan Liggin, Michael Mulvey; Michael McEnaney, Liam Og O Reilly, Barry O'Reilly; Cathal McDermott (0-1), MJ Lynch (0-1); John McDermott, Joe O'Reilly, Shane McPhillips (0-1); Raymond O'Reilly, Francis McPhillips (2-1), Jodie Clarke (1-2). Subs used; Sean Magee (0-1), Michael McEntee, Dean McPhillips. Thereafter mid-November saw Shercock put behind them their various disappointments to qualify for the Division 3 league final after a thrilling 2-8 to 2-7 semi-final victory over 2004 championship winners Butlersbridge at O'Reilly Park, Cootehill. Sadly Shercock were to lose out on silverware with Redhills bagging a precious brace of goals to defeat the town team by 2-8 to 0-12 in the final in wintry Cootehill. When the same two sides met at headquarters in the JFC semi-final the previous September, seventeen points separated them in what was a proverbial mis-match. It was a different story in the league decider though as Redhills were pushed to the limit in re-affirming their superiority over what was a much improved town team. Redhills won the championship encounter pulling up but this time around they won it on the backfoot as Shercock attempted to achieve a late rescue mission with a hat-trick of unanswered points. In trying conditions, the final was a terrificly entertaining affair with the cliched phrases of ding-dong and end-to-end redolent of a contest worthy of the occasion. Shercock opened brightly and looked likely winners in the opening 12 minutes as they steered their way into a three points to nil lead. In truth though, that lead ought to have been double that if Shercock hadn't recorded three wides in the first five minutes. Shercock went onto notch six 'poor' wides in total inside the first quarter as they edged into a 0-3 to 0-2 lead. Redhills were playing a dangerous game as they defended the church end of the field and points by Paddy McPhillips and Brian Hamilton left Shercock ahead by three points with less than ten minutes left in the opening half. But, right on cue, Redhills' county star Michael Brides eluded the desperate dives of Shercock duo Sean Magee and John Coyle to shoot high into the net. Ironically, Shercock seemed to gain a degree of inspiration from the retirement through injury of Brides moments later and, accordingly, they boasted an increasingly more assured rearguard. But, as things transpired, Redhills pointed in the 29th minute to snatch the lead, 1-3 to 0-5, for the first time in the match; a lead they were never going to relinquish thereafter. Trailing by 0-5 to 1-4 on the restart, Shercock tried to play to the optimum of their ability thereafter and they almost sneaked back into the lead just three minutes after the restart. However a diving save by Fintan Reilly stopped Brian Hamilton's piledriver from 18 metres from finding the net. Two minutes later, Shercock were left holding their heads in anguish yet again when the unmarked Patrick Gumley fired past the helpless John Coyle. Light years more determined and sprightly than in their championship clash, Shercock hung in there though and a free apiece by Brian Hamilton and Jodie Clarke cut Redhills' lead to two points after ten minutes. Sloppy Shercock defensive work though allowed Redhills to snatch a point moments later but then a great individual effort by Liam O'Reilly on the resumption kept the healthy and vociferous attendance on tenterhooks. Shercock were left to play a game of catch-up which was destined to leave them without reward despite the would-be losers throwing everything and everyone forward in an attempt to pull the fat from the fire. The Shercock which narrowly failed to Redhills in the ACFL Division Three decider was; John Coyle; Ciaran Lennon, Sean McGee, Dean McPhillips; Michael John Lynch, John McEnroe, Liam O'Reilly (0-1); Pierre O'Sullivan, Brian Hamilton (0-4, three frees); John McDermott (0-1), Jodie Clarke (0-4, all frees), Joe Reilly; Shane McPhillips (0-1), Paddy McPhillips (0-1), Mickey McEntee. Tweet

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