The old adage 'if you don't succeed . . .' certainly rang true for Butlersbridge in 2002. And no one was more thrilled than the team's most experienced player. Kevin Carney reports Even now, months later, the emotional rollercoaster which enveloped the gaels of Butlersbridge last Summer can be detected in Paddy McGovern's voice. A fight for the right to lift a cup named after one of their own was a powerful, passionate driving force. The flight to win the fight was an all-consuming goal for Paddy and his clubmates. And the team's senior citizen admits that winning the 2002 Cavan Junior Football Championship title was all more special because of the late Sean Leddy. "After Sean died, a big cloud was left hanging over the club and I, for one, didn't think we'd come out from under it for a long time. "And losing the junior championship final to Drumlane in '99 set us back even further. So in that sense collecting the Sean Leddy Memorial cup after beating Kildallan made it all the more emotional for everyone connected with the 'Bridge," the 39-year old explains. In some respects irony and emotion seemed to wrap themselves around the 'Bridge's odyssey to the winners' podium last November. The emotion of it all was easy to understand but the irony lay in the fact that few football people, including those from within the Butlersbridge GAA fraternity, really genuinely thought that 2002 would be the year that all the banging on the door would finally reap the ultimate dividend. "I personally thought that we had a better team in '99, that we had more skilful players around then. And when the season began we were missing a good few of our best players so our chances of doing anything in 2002 didn't look that good." Indeed, as the season got underway, Butlersbridge seemed more concerned with just making sure they had a full team in place rather than eyeing up silverware. How ironic then that by season's end, the club would have two solid panels in place and the blue riband junior championship cup plus the division three reserve league cup in the trophy cabinet! Still without the services of Darragh Kehoe, Noel McPhillips, Michael Fitzpatrick, Fergal Boylan and Adrian McConnell on board at the start of the year, one can fully understand Paddy McGovern's less than optimistic outlook this time last year. Fortunately ace-freetaker Fitzpatrick did make it back in time to assist the 'Bridge in their championship endeavours. So how did the club overcome such a leakage of talent? "Basically a few young fellas were drafted into the team. They were given their chance to see what they could do and they grabbed it with both hands. "The replacements showed great commitment to the cause, as did everyone last year. "There were at least 25-30 fellas at the training sessions, the spirit was great and morale too and having Mickey (Fitzpatrick) back for the first round of the championship," Paddy recalls. Lumped in a section which also included Crosserlough, Cavan Gaels, Munterconnacht and Killeshandra, the aforementioned Fitzpatrick was fortunately in tow as the would-be champions duly recorded a morale-boosting opening win in the campaign. As it happened it took a last minute goal by Ronan Flanagan to clinch a hard-fought 1-11 to 0-10 victory over the black and ambers' second string in a rip-roaring tie at Killeshandra. For once, the final scoreline fairly reflected the nature of the proceedings over the hour with the 59th minute strike making all the difference on the day. The 'Bridge were under pressure throughout the tie though and had to concede the majority of possession to Crosserlough in what was an entertaining first half. However, joint championship favourites Butlersbridge showed their fighting pedigree by giving as good as they got in the opening half and two great points from Gerard Boylan in particular highlighted a fine comeback which ultimately saw them Crosserlough trail at the break by 0-5 to 0-6. Crosserlough continued to have more of the play as the second half gathered pace but despite knocking over four points in quick succession, the 'Bridge countered in similar fashion to set up a nervous finale to the game. A further point from Brendan O'Rourke handed Crosserlough a two point lead. Crosserlough then proceeded to commit hara-kari by shooting five wides in a row leaving the 'Bridge to snatch the spoils with Flanagan's late, late goal and a point moments later by the same player sealing the 'Bridge's good start to the competition. "The late goal was the score that settled the match, simple as that. We got the rub of the green that day but it was about time our luck changed. In other years, we lost a lot of important matches by just one or two points after playing whatever football was played in the matches. The Crosserlough game always looked like it was going to be decided by the team that got through for a goal and that's the way it turned out. "We had played them the previous year too and we knew that they were a strong outfit and that it wasn't going to be easy against them. "It was just as well that Mickey Fitz was back because his frees helped us a lot that day." So the win was a good boost to the team's self-belief then? "Definitely, but then again Phelim (Plunkett) had great faith in us. It's good for the players if the manager has faith in them and Phelim has always had that over the last five years he's been with us." Significantly without the unavoidably-absent Plunkett along the line for the Munterconnacht match thereafter, the 'Bridge slumped to their only defeat of the championship campaign. Later the champions-elect would draw with the same opposition and then subsequently beat them in a play-off tie. Thereafter a hard-fought 0-14 to 2-6 win over Killeshandra served to add a touch of the ordinary to the polish and graft demonstrated by the team up to that point. "The fact that we were almost certain to get into the top two at that stage seemed to work against us psychologically for the Killeshandra match and we didn't really get going until the second half." But the fact that McGovern and co. managed to beat Cavan Gaels despite the dismissal of a player in the second half really saw the team come of age in 2002. "After we went a man down against the Gaels, every player really dug deep and pulled up his socks. "It was a really spirited performance by the team that day; you could see the hunger and determination in the lads' eyes," Paddy delights in remembering. In truth it wasn't until the 'Bridge's semi-final duel with Templeport that the county took notice of the village side's intent. In cantering to a 1-12 to 0-8 win at Kingspan/Breffni Park, Phelim Plunkett's charges impressed and arguably played their best football of the campaign. In a game noted for its early sparring, neither side managed to secure any degree of sustained leverage from the close quarter exchanges but after a tentative opening quarter, man of the match Paul Murphy fired over possibly the point of the game. Just two minutes later the same player almost bagged a major but his rocket of a shot was saved and then his fisted effort from the rebound was also repulsed. It was nip and tuck all the way to the interval, at which juncture the 'Bridge led by the odd point in eleven. The second half started with a spurt with the one and only McGovern nicking a timely goal to help catapult his side into a vital five point lead. One to remember no doubt? "A goal in any championship game is always very important and it was good that we got it because it was a real dogged kind of match. " I can't remember too much about the goal except that Barry (Reynolds) did well out the field and flicked it into me just at the right time and I hadn't much to do but tuck it away," confirms the former county underage player. And the game itself? "I think our seven point win was a fair reflection of the difference between us on the day. I think we were really up for the match and finished well. The game showed up just how strong our bench was at that time too." And to the final after a prolonged delay as a decision was made by the Ulster and Central Council's on Mullahoran's appeal against being thrown out of the tournament for fielding an illegal player in their semi-final win over Kildallan. One wonders did the long wait between the semi-final and the final distract Butlersbridge in any way? "We coped very well. We didn't allow the delay to effect us at all. Our chairman Paul Henry did a great job along with the team-management in keeping things on the boil. "We even went to Dublin for the second Compromise Rules game and had a challenge match with a local team while we were up there. "That helped keep morale and team-spirit just right." As things panned out, things worked to a tee for the 'Bridge boys on November 17th at Kingspan/Breffni Park. In a game in which nerves seem to stifle the efforts of both teams to play to their potential, Butlersbridge were most efficient of the combatants after leaving the blocks but despite the proverbial lorry loads of possession enjoyed just a 0-3 to 0-0 lead after the opening 15 minutes, Michael Fitzpatrick notching all three. Kildallan's lethargy was confirmed by their inability to score until the 19th minute. The 'Bridge remained in the ascendancy 'till the interval by which stage they had conjured up a 0-4 to 0-2 lead with Carlos Conlon augmenting their tally. Kildallan had little to offer on the day though and when Carlos Conlon got his fist to a high delivery by Michael Fitzpatrick to put his side 1-4 to 0-3 to the good, the writing was well and truly on the wall. The subsequent dismissal of a Kildallan player four minutes from the end left the business of winning the title for Butlersbridge all but a fait accompli. And despite some earnest pressure in the dying minutes by the west Cavan side, the 'Bridge never looked like caving in and their eventual 1-6 to 0-6 victory certainly wasn't of the flattering kind. "Looking back on the video, it was definitely a poor game and we were really relying on Mickey (Fitzpatrick) putting over the frees. But when you get to a final, it's all about winning the cup and that's what we done," Paddy recalls. But how did being substituted with about five minutes to go feel like? "I didn't mind. Some of the lads on the bench were entitled to get a run but it was the longest five minutes of my career, I can tell you," Paddy quips. Bet the deeds of the house the celebrations went on for a lot, lot longer! Hats off then to the following players who, in overcoming Kildallan, succeeded in securing their club's first JFC title since 1974; Niall McCorry; Mark Shannon, Diarmuid Smith, John Emo; Paul Murphy, Padraig McGearty, Stephen O'Hara; David McEntee, Matthew Boylan; Patrick McGovern, Michael Fitzpatrick (0-5), Carlos Conlon (1-1); Sean Henry, Killian Shannon, Barry Reynolds. Subs; Paul McCorry for Mark Shannon; Ronan Flanagan for Sean Henry; Lorcan Mulvey for Patrick McGovern. Tweet

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