Dreadnots GFC went into the 2007 season with the aim of making up for the disappointment of relegation to the Intermediate ranks at the end of the previous campaign. Losing their senior status was a hard pill to swallow for all associated with the Dreadnots club, but the manner of the defeat made it all the more difficult to take. Not only did the side lose a relegation play-off to Kilkerley Emmets, but defeat came in the most cruel fashion possible as a goal deep into injury time saw them lose by a point when it appeared they had done enough to retain their place in the Senior grade. The heartbreak suffered on that occasion meant the black-and-reds faced a real test of character as to how they would react to such a setback. However, when the choice came between dropping their heads or making a determined effort to bounce back, club chairman, Padraig Califf, was in no doubt that all concerned would adopt a positive approach. "This year we began with the intention of bouncing back because it was a real blow last year. The loss to Kilkerley was tough to take especially as we were leading by two points and they got a goal with the last kick of the game in injury time. "As a result the character of the club was tested so we were determined to get back to senior football as quickly as possible. "Our first priority was find a manager to pursue that goal and fortunately we didn't have to look to far. Colin Kelly was one of our own players and had management experience with Ardee so we were glad to bring him in." The advantage for the new manager was that they not only had an experienced squad but there were quite a number of young players coming through to push for a place in the adult side. As a result, the chairman was confident that there was a sound base to build for the future, with many players who had reached the Minor Championship final as well as those who had been involved with the Louth Development Squads. "At the start of the year our emphasis was not necessarily on winning the championship this year but on bringing the young lads through and giving them the experience at this level." It worked out quite well as the Dreadnots, with many of those young players, went on a good run in the league and were top for a long time, while also reaching the Intermediate Championship final. However, while that might have satisfied some of their targets for the season, the fact that they went so close to promotion meant that there were many regrets at the end of the year. "In the end we were disappointed not to win the league or the championship having gone so close. In truth the league was more disappointing as we had put ourselves in a very good position by beating the top teams such as Gaels and Na Piarsaigh, but then dropped points with draws against Geraldines, Sean McDermotts and Hunterstown. "Our hope was to win promotion through the league because that would give us 10 or 12 games in senior football which would go a long way to bring the young lads through. I suppose one of the main factors is that we lacked consistency and that can happen because with so many young players you don't have the leaders on the pitch, but that will come with experience." Despite the heartbreak of missing out in the Intermediate Championship final and letting the league slip from their grasp, Padraig believes that the future is bright for the Dreadnots and they have plenty to look forward to over the coming years. "The big plus we have is the talent coming through but our challenge is now to step things up another level next season. We have to be positive and realise that we have turned the corner and although we didn't win anything this year there is great hope for the future. "It was great that the young players were involved in a championship final and that will give them hope for the future. A lot of them have been involved in Louth Development Squads which means that they have set themselves very high standards and want to win. "Their emergence has also resulted in a wake up call for a number of the senior players and that competition for places is very healthy so we are confident that we will be there or thereabouts over the coming seasons," continued Padraig. The chairman also points out that there are reasons to be positive about the long term future of the club as the juvenile section is in a very healthy state. "The under-age section, which is combined with St Fechins, is going very well and this year we reached the semi-final of the Minor Championship, while we lost out in the final of the league." The chairman also pointed out that St Brigids combination also reached the final of the U-16 Championship and another reason to be optimistic is the amount of young players currently with the club. "The area has a much bigger population and while it used to be a case of having 20 or 30 juveniles, we now have 60 or 70 training which can only be good for the club. A lot of work has gone into this area of the club and we believe that there is some fine talent there right from U-9 to Minor. With this in mind the club has implemented a 10-year development plan and recently purchased 4 acres beside their pitch which they have planned to be ready for the new season. "The next major project will be the installation of floodlights and it is facilities such as these that Padraig believes are vital for the Dreadnots. "The GAA is the only sport in the village so we are conscious of the fact that we need to have the facilities. Our long term aim is the construction of new clubrooms but we have prioritised the floodlights which will allow us to be more flexible with fixtures. "We are all the time trying to improve so it is a busy time for the club with a lot of fundraising going on. Thankfully we get a lot of support from the local community but a lot of credit goes to the dedicated six or seven to work so hard to raise money," added Padraig. The big game of the year was undoubtedly the Intermediate Championship where the Clogherhead men faced Dundalk Gaels in the decider at Ardee. The Clogherhead men had beaten their Dundalk opponents twice before in the season but on this occasion ended up losing by 1-9 to 0-8. The team that lined out that day was: John Cunningham; Brian Gargan, Derek Shevlin, Dean Branigan; Fergal McGuigan, Padraig Rath, David OÕBrien; Paddy McGuigan, Darren Malone; Paudie Connolly, Pat Lynch, Paraic Smith; Ronan Connolly, Chris Mulroy, Gary Shevlin. Subs: James Califf for D Branigan, Nigel Shevlin for P McGuigan, Colin Kelly for P Connolly, Danny Sutherland for B Gargan, Kenneth Shevlin for R Connolly. Scorers: Dreadnots _ Colin Kelly (0-3, 2f), Gary Shevlin (0-2), Ronan Connolly (0-2, 2f), David O'Brien (0-1). Tweet

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