All season long, Westerns looked destined to win the Louth JFC for the first time. They romped through to the final but were pipped by a point by Dowdallshill at Louth village. However, the Reaghstown outfit earned themselves a pretty decent consolation prize by booking promotion to intermediate ranks via the league. Forget Funderland. Reaghstown was the place to be for thrills and spills in '03. Westerns' season was a real rollercoaster ride as the Green & Golds pressed hard for an immediate return to intermediate ranks (they were relegated at the end of the '02 season, having taken the 2001 Division Three crown). Ideally, they wanted to do it via Route I - the championship. It's hard to believe Westerns have never actually managed to win the JFC and their priority in '03 was to set that particular record straight for once and for all. Trained by former Meath legend Tommy Dowd, they emerged from their group in impressive fashion, ruthlessly crushing both Dundalk Young Irelands and Wolfe Tones into submission. When Glen Emmets (who beat Westerns in an epic '97 JFC decider) were similarly disposed of in a no-nonsense manner at the semi-final stage, it looked to all the world as though the Christy Bellew Cup was headed for Reaghstown. Westerns were installed favourites for the final but failed to fire on all cylinders when the big day arrived. While they certainly never got the rub of the green on the day, they didn't do themselves justice either. A below-par performance left the favourites vulnerable and Dowdallshill took full advantage to emerge with a one-point win, 3-5 to 3-4. It was a bitter blow to Westerns, who had been the best team in the competition up until the final. But a number of lapses therein cost Tommy Dowd's charges dearly. By now, the scramble for Division Three league honours was also coming to a climax. All year, it had been a three-horse race between Dowdallshill, Westerns and Glen Emmets. As the 'Hill had already clinched promotion via the junior championship, they could now be disregarded as promotion candidates. Either Westerns or Glen Emmets would be joining the Dundalk club in the middle grade in 2004. Typically, Westerns' last game of the campaign was against the Tullyallen men, who were two points behind them on the table. Victory or a draw would guarantee Westerns a place in the higher grade; defeat would necessitate a promotion play-off against Glen Emmets. As it transpired, Westerns confirmed their championship form with a 2-11 to 1-11 win on Saturday October 4th. As Division Three runners-up (behind treble winners Dowdallshill, they clinched a return to intermediate ranks for '04 ... a fitting reward for a great year's work. It would've been rough justice on Westerns had they failed to make the step-up. In the end it was close, but they achieved their prime objective for the year. And that was definitely the most important thing... Westerns began the season well but soon ran into difficulties and a sequence of poor results set alarm bells ringing. A shake-up saw club chairman Patrick Duignan, treasurer Eugene Duffy and Paul Kennedy take charge of team affairs in a caretaking capacity. The trio quickly recruited Meath's 1996 All-Ireland winning captain Tommy Dowd as coach. This provided unprecedented momentum. A huge effort was invested by everyone associated with the team and no stone was left unturned in the relentless pursuit of landmark JFC glory. Team captain Martin Kane provided inspirational leadership and a turn-out of 24/25 was regularly recorded at training (with a number of sessions taking place on Bettystown Beach). It was clear that Westerns meant business and for most of the season it appeared as though they would capture the elusive junior title. The JFC was played on an initial group basis for the first time. Westerns easily won their two games in Group B, beating Wolfe Tones by 2-14 to 0-6 and Dunleer before seeing off Young Irelands by 4-10 to 1-7 at Knockbridge. The semi-final against Glen Emmets was played at Castlebellingham and Westerns had ten points to spare, 2-18 to 3-5, earning victory with a run of 1-6 without reply in the final quarter. Westerns also conceded 3-5 in the final against Dowdallshill, but only managed a return of 3-4 themselves. It was an agonising end to their campaign. The 2003 Louth JFC decider was played at Louth village on Sunday September 7th. The media hype that heralded the fixture ensured a great sense of occasion at the St Mochtas venue. Westerns, who have failed to win the junior championship since its genesis in 1978, were installed favourites due to their inexorable march to the final. They had also played at a higher level than Dowdallshill in 2002 (almost reaching the knock-out stage of the IFC), while the Dundalk side were trying to bounce back from losing the '02 junior decider. With Mr Dowd in their corner and former senior footballers Martin Kane and Lee Smith providing plenty of strength up the middle, the Reaghstown unit were fully deserving of the favourite's tag. Furthermore, these two sides had already met three times in 2003 and Westerns came out tops on all three occasions. Everything pointed so clearly to a Westerns win that you could almost sense defeat coming! Terence Sweeney failed a late fitness test and his place was taken by Trevor Baylon. Westerns got off to a flying start with an Alan Dooley point and a goal from Dermot McArdle inside the opening eight minutes. Another Dooley point had the favourites 1-2 to 0-1 to the good at the end of the first quarter but amazingly the No.15 - who went into the final as the competition's top scorer - failed to register again. Dowdallshill goaled from the penalty spot in the 18th minute but when early substitute Gary Smith's centre bounced over the bar Westerns were two points to the good again. But the Dowdallers had the last say of the first half and the sides went in level at the interval, 1-3 apiece. When Baylon found the net within a minute of the resumption, Westerns looked to be on their way. They dominated the next five minutes but failed to capitalise on their superiority, hitting three wides, which would prove very costly. The game was turned on its head when Dowdallshill corner forward Donal Sheridan blasted two goals in the 38th and 39th minutes. The second major put the Dundalk side ahead for the first time. However, Stephen Sweeney replied with a goal for Westerns in the 42nd minutes and the sides were level again, 3-3 apiece. The 'Hill went back in front but Padraig Brennan's point at the start of the final quarter again drew the teams level. When Dooley was denied by a great save from Dowdallshill 'keeper John Kerr and his resultant '45' came back off the woodwork, one could sense that it wasn't going to be Westerns' day. Enda Hughes landed the winning point for the 'Hill two minutes from the end and there was still time for Westerns to hit the post once more, David Martin's goalbound flick deflected onto the woodwork by Kerr's desperate lunge. When the final whistle sounded, Westerns' players were almost inconsolable. So much effort had been invested and there was nothing to show for it... Westerns began their campaign with a 2-14 to 0-6 drubbing of Wolfe Tones at Dunleer on Friday evening, July 11th. The Tones had prevailed when the sides met in a league game earlier in the season but there would be no repeat of that result. The mid-Louth men were in the ascendancy early on and carried a 0-8 to 0-5 advantage into the break. As Westerns got more on top, Tones' resistance eventually crumbled and the winners dominated the closing stages, capping a solid all-round display with goals from Alan Dooley and substitute David Martin. The win meant that if Westerns beat Young Irelands in their second group game at Knockbridge on July 26th they'd progress to the knock-out stage and they duly obliged with a 4-10 to 1-7 victory. Glen Emmets provided the semi-final opposition at The Grove on Sunday August 24th. Westerns were only a point to the good at the end of the third quarter but outscored their opponents by 1-6 to no score for the game's remainder. The Tullyallen men had managed to stay in touch with goals at key moments but had no answer when the winners made their decisive surge. With the scoreboard reading 1-12 to 3-5 after 45 minutes an exciting finale looked on the cards but Westerns tore away with a series of unreciprocated points and a late goal from Terence Sweeney. Ironically, when the same two sides met again in a low-key league match in early October, there was even more at stake. Westerns prevailed and their objective for the season - promotion - had therefore been attained. So, while there were many twists in the plot, this story has a distinctly happy ending. Here is the Westerns team that took part in the 2003 Louth JFC final: Anthony Durnin; Richard Sweeney, Brendan McMahon, John Murray; John Lynch, Lee Smith, Francis McArdle; Martin Kane, Dermot McArdle (1-0); Trevor Baylon (0-1), Clint Sweeney, Andrew Kerr; Stephen Sweeney (1-0), Padraig Brennan (0-1), Alan Dooley (0-2). Subs: Gary Smith (0-1), David Martin Tweet

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