Laragh United have been absent from the winners' enclosure at underage for far too long. 2002 put that right though. Under 12 joint team-manager Dominic McKenna reflects on a joyous year for all concerned. Nourishing the grass roots is a proven winner at any club. It's a truism of the kind that ordains that you only get out of something what you put in. Laragh's terrific Under 12 was a real case in point in that respect. Seldom has a squad of underage players shown such commitment and dedication to the cause as the Class of 2002 did down Stradone way. For the likes of joint team-manager Dominic McKenna, last year's Under 12 Roinn B Championship success was sweet, very sweet. As far back as 1991, Dominic was left with a sour taste in his mouth. A selector of the club's under 14 squad - a squad that included such would-be senior stars as Colin Oates, Raymond Maguire, Paul Cooney and Liam Johnston - he was to see a very strong Crosserlough outfit act out the role of party-poopers in the Roinn A Championship final that year. Dominic, like many another at Laragh, has seen both sides of the coin, has tasted the bitterness and the sweetness that goes with competing at the business-end of competitions. 2002's triumph was, you'll understand, went down a treat. "Football in Laragh needed a boost badly last year. An underage title was long overdue because it was something like 12-15 years ago since the last underage title was won. Hopefully this latest success will be the start of a consistent run of successes," Dominic enthuses. Interestingly though, the long-time mentor confesses that he wasn't anything more than just hopeful that Laragh would work the oracle at under 12 level last year. "We were positive about our chances but we weren't that confident, more hopeful. The same panel had a good enough record at under ten. They had won tournaments run by Killygarry and Kingscourt and by our own club and showed that they could compete with a lot of good teams their own age." And by early February, the self-same pool of players were positively knocking down the dressing-room door at P.J. Duke Park to get formal training up and running. Saturday morning sessions followed Tuesday night sessions. Dominic says that to describe the youngsters as keen at that juncture would be a understatement to say the least. All 24 members of the panel were to prove exemplary students of the big ball game and all of them were to show a supreme winning mentality. Run on a league basis, the Under 12 Roinn B Championship produced some very competitive and high-quality fare. Laragh entered the fray as one of the teams favoured to win the title by those au fait with underage football in the county. And they didn't disappoint either! Boasting a great 'spine' plus terrific athleticism and discipline in every sector, Laragh were positioned in one group alongside similarly ambitious teams in Cootehill Celtic, Killinkere, Ballyhaise and Lacken Celtic. A tremendously thorough programme of preparation which consisted of training on two separate days plus a series of challenge games had been completed with Roinn A teams such as Cavan Gaels, Kingscourt and Castlerahan being well and truly tested. As such the champions-elect were in fine fettle by the time they faced Ballyhaise in their opening match of the championship campaign. Played at P.J. Duke Park, the opener saw the homesters begin their quest for silverware in impressive fashion. Ballyhaise were well-beaten on the day. Thereafter the Stradone-based outfit went on an unbeaten run, winning all their matches in convincing fashion, which took them into a semi-final meeting with Swanlinbar at the Corlough venue. On a lovely Summer's evening, the football was correspondingly bright and breezy and the big travelling support from Laragh were served up just the dish they ordered with two first-half goals setting the scene for the match favourites. "The semi-final was a fantastic game. It could have went either way. We were only a point ahead at half-time but we felt fairly confident that we'd keep it going because the players had shown during the year that they generally played better in the second half of matches. "Swanlinbar were a very strong team and it was difficult for us to stop four or five of them in particular when they got into their stride but our lads were up for it on the day and fortunately we edged home by 2-8 to 2-4 with everyone putting in a brilliant, determined effort," Dominic recalls. No real concerns experienced against Swad then? "Definitely in the first 15 minutes we were concerned. They got a goal against the run of play which put them 1-2 to 0-2 ahead and they must have fancied their chances of going through at that stage but then we pulled a goal back to help us go one point up at half-time. "After that, we were the better team and though they never looked like throwing in the towel, our lads just had the edge on them." A thrilling game so? "It was the toughest and most exciting game we had all year and, to a large degree, it was the final for us, travelling some 40 miles to almost Swanlinbar's home patch and getting the better of them in a thriller," Dominic opines. In all, aside from their innate footballing ability, the Laragh lads demonstrated a level of fitness throughout the campaign which was to hold them in extremely good stead. In essence though, the would-be Roinn B champions proved to be the best football team in the competition. "I think what gave us the edge in a lot of the matches was the way our lads used the ball. They made better use of the ball than their opponents nearly all the time and the team's ability to set up scores from the half-back line was crucial too." The final against Cootehill Celtic at Kingspan/Breffni Park in mid-June put the icing on the cake for the talented Laragh youngsters. Approaching the game, Dominic and joint team-manager Pauric Rudden worked hard at making sure that their charges' feet were kept on terra firma. A succession of comfortable and impressive victories could have set Laragh up for a hefty fall if complacency was allowed to take root among the squad. However nothing was going to stop United. On an atrocious day for football at headquarters, Laragh swept to a fully-deserved 2-8 to 2-2 victory. Still, it wasn't all plain sailing. The Celts actually began the game in more sprightly fashion and a shock goal after just five minutes put Laragh very much on the backfoot. Taking on board the adage that when the going gets tough, the tough get going, the McKenna/Rudden-managed outfit duly rolled up their sleeves thereafter to catapult themselves into pole position. A great goal by full-forward Seamus Cooney and a point afterwards by the same player helped United capture a 1-5 to 2-1 lead at half-time. The second half began at a whirlwind pace but gradually Laragh began to dominate and, adapting better to the worsening ground conditions, seized the initiative with a goal and a point by Colm McKenna inside the final ten minutes driving the side inexorably towards the finishing line. It was a stirring, professional-like display and their six point winning margin didn't flatter Laragh either. Goalkeeper Laurence Brady dealt with the slippery ball very well and and his kick-outs were of an exceptionally high standard. The full-back line were the essence of consistency throughout the hour while the three half-backs in front of them swept up spillages like a new hoover. In the middle of the field, the midfield duo covered acres of ground while the half-forwards were the personification of alertness and agility. Elsewhere, the full-forward line were alive to every opportunity which presented itself while each of the substitutes introduced each played their part in fashioning the morale-boosting victory. So we can expect this group to go on and bring further silverware to the club? "We hope so but it won't be easy. A lot of people have put their shoulders to the wheel to get some silverware back on the sideboard but it will take even more hard work to keep the good times coming. "The numbers coming out of the school are better these times than they used to be and with the Under 13s getting to the final last year, there's a good selection of kids on the scene right now. All these fellas love winning and they'll be keen to do well this year at under 13 and under 14 levels. "Playing at those levels will be another step-up and we know that Roinn A will be much more difficult but the players have learned a lot from their campaign in 2002 and with the continued support of all the families, we'll not be that far away from the silverware in the year ahead," Dominic concludes. The successful Laragh United Under 12 Roinn B Championship panel which featured against Cootehill Celtic in the final last June was as follows; Laurence Brady; Aiden Brady, Johnny McMahon, Ciaran O'Donoghue; Darragh King, Patrick Rudden, Jackie Rudden; Enda Tierney (0-1), Adrian Cooney (0-2); Declan Smith, Colm McKenna (0-8), Colm Smith; Keith McGovern (0-1), Seamus Cooney, Kevin Costello (2-1). Subs used; Christopher Flood, Carl Donoghue, Ruairi Power, Seamus O'Rourke, Paul Smith. Tweet

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