After experiencing the highs of 2004, Butlersbridge had to suffer a season of turmoil as they watched a ravaged and depleted side slip back from their recently promoted position in Division 2 down to Division 3 of the Cavan ACFL. Once again Butlersbridge flattered to deceive in 2005 when a lot was expected of this talented side but they failed to deliver. Following their success in the Junior Championship in 2004 there was high hopes of the club doing well in the league and championship. Club PRO Mick Cryan refused to make any excuses for their form when he said: "Their league form was totally abject and in the end they could only manage to win three games out of thirteen as well as a draw to prop up Division Two. Unfortunately this is not the first occasion that this scenario has been played out. When we captured the Junior title in 2002 for the first time in thirty years with a relatively young team, having been knocking on the door for some time, we were quietly fancied to do well in Division Two. However, that was the era when no teams were relegated and it all depended on the team's championship performance. In 2003 the Bridge finished mid table but unfortunately lost their Intermediate status with an indifferent championship display and thus were relegated back to Division Three for 2004. I think if we had been able to hold our position in the Intermediate grade we could possibly have been able to sustain some form and development over the following twelve months. The drop back just after coming up was a setback felt by all at the club. A concerted effort was put in for the new season and we gained promotion the following year as well as winning the Junior title for the second time in three years." Poor Start While refusing to make any excuses for their poor performance in the league, Mick points out that a number of factors certainly militated against them and were possibly crucial factors in tight games that they might have won. The loss of talented midfielder, David McEntee who was injured early on in the season, and of regular goalkeeper, Keith Gumley, who was sidelined with a virus all seemed to unsettle the squad. "We got off to a terrible started in Division Two last year when we lost our first four games and never recovered from that. It was all downhill from then on in the league. Despite struggling we were still in with a chance of securing Division Two status in the final game of the campaign. It was so tight at the bottom of the division that six teams were striving for survival in the final game. "While we had only won a handful of games in the early part of the league we found ourselves locked into a titanic struggle with six other teams at the bottom of Division 2. We played the Junior Champions Redhills in our final game and victory would have guaranteed us a way out via the play-offs but despite a good first half performance the wheels came off in the second period and Redhills ran out comfortable winners 1-11 to 0-7. This defeat consigned the Bridge to Division Three" stated club PRO Mick. The affable 'Bridge PRO further stated that: "There was little doubt that Redhills thoroughly deserved their victory as they were the more determined side and they too faced the prospects of a play-off if they didn't win. Fired up from the off it was obvious from the outset that Redhills were well prepared for battle. A goal from star forward Paddy Gumley midway through the first half proved a vital breakthrough for the home side and they never looked back. They that applied pressure until the end and were deserving winners." Relegated This defeat at the hands of 'old rivals' Redhills ensured that the Bridge, who were kingpins of Division 3 the previous year, now found themselves relegated from Division Two back to Division Three. It was ironic that it was Redhills who forced the Bridge back into the lower division as they themselves had been on the losing end of a Junior championship final replay by the 'Bridge the previous year. The 'Bridge produced a good opening half which gave some hope to their loyal supporters and were only two points adrift at the interval, but a second half 'collapse' in which they only managed to register a single point sealed their fate. While the drop back into Division Three is a bitter pill for the club, they have some excellent players in Lorcan Mulvey, Mickey Fitzpatrick, Noel McPhillips, Pauric McGerty, Brian Greenan and Stephen O'Hara. As has been seen in the past, the 'Bridge will regroup and will once more be the 'team' to beat when it comes to the promotion race in Division 3 in 2006. Intermediate Championship However, it was a different story in the Intermediate Championship. In previous years the Bridge seem to struggle in this competition but last year they maintained their position. They got off to a great start when they defeated Cootehill in their opening game of the pool section by four points 1-14 to 0-13. Ballinagh proved tougher opposition in their next encounter and they went under 2-10 to 1-10. With Cootehill loosing both games Ballinagh and the Bridge progressed to the quarter finals. The Bridge were up against Killinkere in Cootehill but came a cropper on a 2-9 to 0-12 scoreline. Butlersbridge will rue the missed opportunity in this game as they had two great goal chances but failed to take either. In between Killinkere engineered two similar gilt edge chances and took both of them in a clinical fashion. Throughout the year there were good performances from Lorcan Mulvey, Matt Boylan, Darragh Keogh, Micheal Fitzpatrick, Stephen O'Hara, Pauric McGerty, Noel McPhillips, Brian Greenan, Andrew McConnell, Niall McCorry and John Shannon. Manager After having spent a two year stint with the club, former Cavan senior inter-county player and current Cavan Gaels senior panellist, Mickey Graham called time on his tenure. The club wish him all the best in his new position with fellow parish team, Drumalee for the coming season. Successful Underage However, it was not all doom and gloom on the footballing front for the Bridge as their under 16s and 14s came up trumps in their respective championships. A goal from Kelvin Shannon midway through the second half proved to be the turning point in the under-16 Division Four decider at Bawnboy when Butlersbridge just edged out Shannon Gaels by two points, 1-10 to 0-11. There was very little between the sides throughout who were level on five occasions. In the closing stages the Bridge moved five points clear at one point but to their credit the Gaels never gave up and managed to cut the deficit to just two. Both teams ran themselves ragged and the big pitch began to take its toll in the closing stages with some of the players developing cramp. Expecting players of this age to play 11- a-side on a full-sized pitch is a bit much. Nevertheless the teams served up an entertaining game and the outcome hung in the balance for a long time. It was the Bridge who grabbed the early initiative but the Gaels responded and by half time the teams were deadlocked on at 0-6 each. It always looked as if the first team who grabbed the all-important opening goal would go on and win and so it proved. Kiernan Greenan won possession and went on a great solo run which took him deep into the Gaels defence. He played the ball to Shannon who fisted to the net to put them 1-7 to 0-7 ahead. However, they could not rest on their laurels as Shannon Gaels came roaring back and made the Bridge fight to the very end for victory. The Bridge can be thankful to 'keeper Gavin Canning as he made a brilliant stop in the opening half when it appeared the Gaels were going to grab a goal. The Bridge had outstanding, players in Oisin Henry, Dermot Mulvey, and Aoghan Reilly in defence. Kieran Greenan and Philip McArdle did extremely well in the middle, and up front Martin Fitzpatrick, Declan Callaghan and Fergal Flanagan were the pick. The winning Butlersbridge side was Gavin Canning; Cian Reilly, Oisin Henry, Aoghan Reilly, Dermot Mulvey (0-1); Kieran Greenan (0-3), Philip McArdle; Martin Fitzpatrick (0-6), Fergal Flanagan, Declan Callaghan, Kelvin Shannon (1-0). Butlersbridge captured a "double" in Kingspan Breffni Park when they added the under-14 Roinn D football Championship to the under-16 title, which they won the previous week, at the expense of a gallant Killygarry side by five points 2-15 to 3-7. This was a highly entertaining game with both sides displaying some quality football and although the Bridge held the upper hand for most of the game, Killygarry certainly put up a courageous battle. It was Butlersbridge' greater use of the ball when in possession that ultimately swung the game in their favour. Had Killygarry not squandered a number of chances in the opening half things might have been different. Unfortunately they had eight wides from good positions. Two goals just before half time put the Bridge in control as they led 2-7 to 0-3 at the break. To their credit Killygarry never gave up and when they moved Christopher McKenna from midfield to the attack it paid dividends. They rallied somewhat and grabbed three goals in nine minutes. Unfortunately it was all in vain as time ran out on them. Killygarry certainly gave it their all and everyone of their players can be proud of their performances. It was a fine team performance from Butlersbridge with every one of them putting in a solid contribution. Stephen Murphy was a tower of strength in goal and made a number of vital saves throughout. Cian O'Reilly provided great support and covered a tremendous amount of ground, along with Sinead Brady who never put a foot wrong, Patrick Flynn and Pauric O'Reilly. Gavin Canning and Declan Callaghan put in sterling work in the midfield and were the launch pad of many of the Bridge attacks. In the forward-line, Martin Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Leddy, Fergal Flanagan and Cahir O'Reilly all shone. The Bridge were in the enviable position of being able to call on a number of the successful under-16 team the previous week. Players like Canning, Callaghan, Flanagan and Cian O'Reilly along with subs Patrick Flynn and Gavin McGovern. These players formed the nucleus of many of the Bridge attacks. The successful Butlersbridge side was Stephen Murphy; Patrick Flynn Pauric Donnelly, Sinead Brady, Cian O'Reilly, Pauric O'Reilly; Declan Callaghan (0-8), Gavin Canning (0-1); Cahir O'Reilly, Peter Conaty (0-1), Martin Fitzpatrick; Jonathan Leddy (0-1), Fergal Flanagan (2-4). Subs Gavin McGovern for M Fitzpatrick and Gareth Henry for C. O'Reilly. The team mentors Father John Gilhooly, Jim McCorry and Seamus Brady. These successes augurs well for the club in the future and with players like Kieran Greenan, Oisin Henry, Declan Callaghan, Martin Fitzpatrick, Fergal Flanagan, Gavin Canning, and Cian O'Reilly, all emerging the coming years look bright for the club. Over the years the club has developed a strong underage policy and has reaped the benefits in recent years having tasted success at various age levels. The hard working committee and teams mentors have to take a lot of credit for these achievements such as Paul McCorry, Ollie Henry, Father John Gilhooley, Seamus Brady, John Shannon, Killian Shannon, Paddy Greenan, Terry Leddy, Dr. Gerry McDermott and Jim McCorry. Development Although a relatively small club in terms of members Butlersbridge can be proud of what they have achieved in recent years. This year they are undertaking a major development plan and will be launching a significant fund raising effort in early March. It is envisaged that the new development will include some much needed pitch redevelopment to help alleviate some drainage problems that has been a concern for the past few seasons. Other work on the ground will also be carried out and if possible improvement to the lighting system around the ground. Successes On summing up the entire year PRO Mick stated: "Overall it was not a bad year for the club with the only disappointment being the seniors relegated back to Division Three but with success at under age level it proved to be a quite successful one in the end. With some excellent displays at underage level the outlook for the club indeed looks bright and with the ever expanding population growth in the area, things are looking good for the future". Tweet

Most Read Stories