Denn - 2003 Intermediate Championship winners. The mass ranks of maroon and white must surely still be pinching themselves after seeing their infamous losing sequence come to an end. Kevin Carney reports. Nothing is ever black and white, it seems. Certainly with regard to Denn's capacity to put their ghosts behind them and thus end their long-running losing sequence in the intermediate championship, the jury was still out at the commencement of the 2003 IFC campaign. And given the club's infamous run of county intermediate final defeats (four) over the previous six years, one could readily imagine the gaels around Crosskeys and its hinterland wondering at the start of 2003 if their favourites were ever going to add to their tally of IFC triumphs. The maroon and whites had last inscribed their name on the second most prestigious cup in the county in 1990 when they denied Cuchulainns. Two years before that, they notched their first ever intermediate championship title by defeating Redhills. However, since 1997 when the club's finest came a cropper in the intermediate final, Denn's finest managed to firmly cemented their place in the department labelled 'teams of unfulfilled promise'. Defeat in the final of '97 was compounded by setbacks in the deciders of 1999, 2000, and 2002. But the 2003 season brought it a renewed sense of purpose, optimism and desire. And under the stewardship of team-manager Brendan Nelligan and selectors Martin Cahill and Mattie Kiernan plus team-captain Pascal Galligan, the Denn slowly but surely assumed the shape of a Destroyer, a thoroughly unstoppable battleship set fair to blow all-comers out of the water at intermediate level. The team's league campaign offered some credibility to what many in the county had said from the time the 2003 season kicked-off. Denn would, once again, be one of the favourites to lift the championship title. By the time the championship final came around in early October, Denn's form of just one defeat from eleven league matches spoke volumes for the way the team had remained focussed and consistently forceful during the year. But the team always knew that they would have to be the epitome of consistency to reap the ultimate dividend. Overcoming the determined challenge of co-championship favourites Laragh United in their opening salvo back in early May gave the Denn dyamos the perfect lift-off. Straight away, the Denn players - by dint of their 1-8 to 0-7 victory over the Stradone men at Kingspan/Breffni Park - had put behind them their agonising 2002 county final defeat. From the moment John Smith latched onto a long ball to fire over the opening point of the game in the sixth minute, Denn played with a purpose and a determination which their opponents simply couldn't match. By the end of the first quarter, the writing was on the wall as Denn enjoyed a 0-4 to 0-1 lead. And thanks to points by Paraic McGovern and a John Smith free thereafter, Denn looked very well-positioned at the interval, leading by 0-6 to 0-1, albeit having been wind-assisted. But a resurgent Laragh, aided by the elements, combined by some ill-luck which came Denn's way in the forced withdrawal of Philip Galligan due to a shoulder injury slowly had the would-be champions under some real pressure. By the three-quarter hour mark, Laragh had cut Denn's lead to just the minimum but Denn held firm and thanks to a superbly executed goal by Jerome Kiernan in the 23rd minute turned the tide once again in Denn's favour. And that was that. Laragh just couldn't break down Denn's defence from there to the finish despite some sustained pressure to the close of play. The Denn think-tank couldn't have wished for a better start to their campaign. But titles are seldom won easily and although they went into the game as raging favourites, Denn found it hard work in beating Kill Shamrocks by 1-9 to 1-7 in mid-July at the Ballyhaise venue. Indeed, a draw loomed large on the horizon for a large part of the game. It wasn't a great performance by the Denn players but playing badly and still winning is always a positive thing and, at least, another hurdle had been safely negotiated. It was an altogether different story next time out against Cornafean though. Denn were simply a class apart with the team displaying all the confidence and panache of champions-elect in careering to an emphatic 3-20 to 2-3 victory at the Ballinagh venue. The game got underway with a string of points being scored by Denn's in form attackers Jerome Kiernan, David Kiernan and Colin Kiernan as Cornafean backpeddled furiously. After eight minutes Art McSeain gave the Reds temporary respite with a neat point but Denn's reply was instant. From the subsequent kick-out, Denn centre-back David Kiernan ran through the heart of the Cornafean defence before combining with Martin Cahill for the latter to rifle the ball to the back of the Cornafean net. A further two points by Kenneth Rothwell and Fergal Brady for Denn was followed in quick succession by similar scores from Ronan Kiernan, Martin Cahill and Ollie Brady as the pressure was turned up on the embattled Reds. Although the issue was well and truly done and dusted, Denn continued to mete out the punishment with a point from Kenneth Rothwell and a fine individual goal by substitute Thomas Farrelly compounded Cornafean's troubles inside the opening four minutes of the second half. A procession of points followed from Denn and later a second goal after 13 minutes from the aforementioned Farrelly helped turn the screw on Cornafean. As the game meandered to its all too predictable conclusion, Denn made a raft of changes with four more substitutes being introduced. Denn added to their advantage in the final ten minutes with a brace of points from Jerome Kiernan and a point each from Thomas Farrelly and Donal Keogan. Another impressive victory over Drumlane thereafter paved the way for a semi-final tilt with Drumalee at Kingspan/Breffni Park in mid-September. In what turned out to be a dogged affair, Denn dug out a 1-7 to 0-8 win but it was oh so tight for the Crosskeys-based men as they trailed by a point with less than five minutes left in in the game, having trailed by 0-3 to 0-6 at the interval. Drumalee were rocked back on their heels just six minutes into the second half when Thomas Farrelly banged home a great goal to level the scores at 1-3 to 0-6. But Drumalee hit back with interest to go in front and appear well placed to make the final. However a late rally by Denn saw Fergal Brady rifling over the leveller and with time almost up the winning score was executed by Paschal Galligan who got on the end of a Donal Keogan sideline free. And so to the final. Surely the series of championship heartaches had to come to an end at last. As things panned out, Denn were simply in no mood to extend their losing sequence and a 1-8 to 0-9 win over neighbours Ballinagh at headquarters was both well-deserved and not in the least bit flattering. In the end event a 9th minute fisted goal by half-back Philip Galligan proved to be the crucial score as Denn clinched their first Cavan IFC title since 1990 at a wintry Kingspan/Breffni Park. Galligan's effort forced a below-par Ballinagh side to play catch-up for the remainder of the game and despite a gritty effort, the town team never looked like actually getting their noses in front. Points from Declan Beard and Colin Gumley had eased Ballinagh into the lead by the 8th minute but less than one minute later, Denn got the perfect leg-up which, ultimately, set them up for eventual victory. Galligan's goal represented a fine piece of opportunism with the Denn number five careering into the Ballinagh square unchallenged to get his fist to a long delivery to successfully guide the ball past the helpless Ballinagh 'keeper Darragh McCarthy. Despite enjoying a fair percentage of the possession thereafter, Ballinagh struggled to discover the same sort of penetration which would have asked searching questions of the leaders as the game proceeded. Ballinagh seemed to become frustrated by their inability to match Galligan's crucial strike and as the first half came to a conclusion, their opponents finished with a flourish to record a hat-trick of unanswered points. Between the 26th and 31st minutes, Thomas Farrelly (from a difficult angle) and then John Smith with a brace (the first from a free) of points served to propel Denn into a useful four point cushioned lead at the interval, 1-4 to 0-3. Once again, it was Ballinagh who were fastest out of the blocks as the second half got underway with route one football earning Declan Beard and Noel Gumley a point apiece inside the first three minutes. The second half turned out to be almost a mirror-image of the opening moiety, minus the goal. The contest continued to be a predictably closely-fought, nip and tuck encounter on the restart with Denn succeeding in practically matching their opponents, point for point. By the three-quarter hour mark, Denn were still good for their three point lead and the omens were good from their prospective. However within two minutes Ballinagh had rallied to the extent that there just the minimum, 0-8 to 1-6, between the sides. The action was now of the 100 miles per hour variety and the tension began to effect the players as the number of frees escalated and small 'disagreements' began to break out at sporadic intervals. Denn succeeded though in holding onto their lead and nearly added to it in dramatic style in the 27th minute but in falling to the ground, John Smith saw his palmed effort turned away for a fruitless '45 by Ballinagh 'keeper Darragh McCarthy. Ballinagh suffered a setback two minutes later when they had a player dismissed. As the game entered injury time, Ballinagh pushed forward for that elusive goal but a Declan Beard point was their sole reward. At the other end, Denn made sure of victory when Oliver Brady tagged on the final point of the game four minutes into added-on time. It was the least the efforts of the players deserved, and the club itself after its tortuous, frustrating last seven years. The Denn team, subs, and scorers, that figured in the 2003 IFC final victory over Ballinagh was as follows; Denn; Brian Boylan; Anthony McPhillips, Ciaran McGovern, Donnacha Brady; Philip Galligan (1-0), David McKiernan, Martin Cahill (0-1); Pascal Galligan, Pauric McGovern; Jerome Kiernan, Ronan Kiernan (0-1), Fergal Brady; Oliver Brady (0-1), Thomas Farrelly (0-1), John Smith (0-4, all frees). Subs; Hubert Smith for Pauric McGovern; Colin Kiernan for Jerome Kiernan. Tweet

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