Kilkerley Emmets made a great start to their 2007 SFC campaign with two wins from as many outings in Group B. Unfortunately, they failed to pick up another point from their remaining three matches and narrowly missed out on a quarter-final spot. Goalkeeper Killian Quigley was left frustrated and disappointed but nonetheless confident that the Blue & Yellows can challenge for major honours in '08. In Group B of the 2007 Louth senior football championship, Kilkerley Emmets came storming out of the blocks. They set themselves up nicely with successive victories over Sean O'Mahonys (1-8 to 0-9) and Glyde Rangers (1-8 to 1-6) in late April. Another victory during the summer would mean certain qualification for the knockout stage. But nothing was ever going to be easy in the new-look championship. The senior field was reduced to twelve, with six strong teams in each section. There was no such thing as easy points and Kilkerley witnessed at first hand the enormity of the challenge as they slipped to three consecutive defeats to bow out of Joe Ward Cup contention. After a lay-off of almost three months, they returned to championship action at Louth village on Friday July 27 and were trounced by Cooley Kickhams, 1-15 to 0-2. While this setback didn't exactly knock the stuffing out of Kilkerley, it probably planted some seeds of doubt and these manifested themselves in a surprise 1-10 to 1-8 defeat to the Malachis at Knockbridge on Sunday August 19. Ultimately, this was the result that cost the club a place in the quarter-finals. Of course, all was not yet lost as the Emmets could still progress if they took something from their final group game against St Patricks at the Clans seven days later. But the Pats, who were already through, produced a powerful performance to take an emphatic 4-12 to 1-5 verdict. While it had been cruel on Kilkerley to be pitted in the same group as the peninsula giants - who went on to contest the final - the disappointing aspect of their campaign was that third place in the group was a very realistic target. By blowing hot and then cold, they allowed themselves to be overtaken by surprise packets Naomh Malachi into the knockout stage. Having hit the ground running, Kilkerley ran into a wall. Killian Quigley, who stood between the Kilkerley posts in 2007, believes it's a question of learning how to hit peak form at the right time: "You really have to deliver your best performances in the championship. It's called the championship for a reason. The likes of Cooley and the Pats know how to step it up on the day and that's something we have to learn how to do. They were dominant in all areas against us in those two games, while we didn't rise to the occasion. The Pats and Cooley are very strong sides and their class showed. We played the Pats in the league, when both teams were at full strength, and they only beat us by two points. But they are a different proposition in the championship and that's something we need to look at." There was nothing wrong with Kilkerley's form in the opening rounds, albeit in two very low-scoring games. "We played very well in the first two rounds, with bright starts against both Sean O'Mahonys and Glyde," Killian reflects. "But we never performed at all against Cooley. Against the Malachis, we put in a performance of sorts, but still didn't perform as well as we had in the first two matches. That was disappointing, because it was a game we could have won. "Suddenly, it was all or nothing against the Pats. We knew it was going to be a tough group, but we got a decent start and always believed we had a chance. We weren't scared of anyone and we went into that final game confident of getting a win. Unfortunately, we just didn't put in a performance. We only needed a point from any of our last three games to stay in contention, but we couldn't achieve that and it was disappointing. When you don't perform, it can be very frustrating." Was it doubly disappointing to see the Malachis sneak into the business end? The Courtbane men had never won a senior championship match prior to 2007 yet they stole Kilkerley's thunder and nicked the all-important third qualification spot. "It was, but they thoroughly deserved it. We still feel that we could have been there and should have been there - but the table doesn't lie and the best three teams in the group went through." At least Kilkerley avoided a relegation battle. Those early wins ensured that they were safe from the off. "It was a lottery with relegation being determined through the championship for the first time and when the Joes went down it showed what can happen," the Kilkerley custodian notes. "But we were safe enough after two games and never thought about it after that. Of course, it might be in the back of your mind at the start of the year but we were totally focused on trying to get out of the group and we never really gave relegation a second thought." Brendan McArdle was in charge of team affairs in '07, with Peadar Cassidy and Arthur Mulholland as selectors. Preparations began in mid-January with six weeks of gym work in Dundalk and the team was in fairly good shape when they took to the field. "Our first league game was in Cooley and both sides were understrength due to county commitments. We played well in the first half but they got a goal just before half time and upped it in the second half. We then beat Mattock at home and the Joes away, so we were reasonably happy with out early-season form. Going into the championship, we thought we were in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals. We were aiming to get out of the group, especially after the lads had got to a quarter-final in 2006 and only lost to the Pats by a point." While Cooley and the Pats looked a class apart in '07, the Kilkerley netminder is convinced that the gap can be closed: "We all know they have very strong teams, but I think we can do it. It's in us to play that well. We can definitely win against those teams but everybody has to play well at the same time if we're to have a chance. We need to match them on the field in every way. We have been underperforming but, when we hit form, I'm sure we are well fit to compete with the top teams in Louth. If the Joes can win a championship, that has to give hope to all of us. The Pats and Cooley can be beaten by any team that plays to their very best." So can Kilkerley challenge for the senior championship next year? "I won't be bold enough to say we'll win it, but we have to believe we have as good a chance as anyone. If we put the effort in and play to the best of our ability, then we can win any game, regardless of how good the opposition is." In 2007, Killian had the rare distinction of lining out against his brother Seamus in the SFC, with the brothers playing in goals for opposing sides as Kilkerley and Cooley locked horns in the aforementioned championship clash. Surely a unique feat for the Quigleys? Seamus actually played in goal for Kilkerley in the 1999 county decider and was on duty for Cooley on county final days in 2004 and 2007. "I usually like to see Cooley winning as long as they're not playing against us," Killian quips. Killian has represented Kilkerley from U10 level through and he is proud to line out for a club that has such a passionate following. He concludes: "We're fortunate to have one of the best footballers in the county at the moment in Shane Lennon and there's also a great interest in gaelic football in the parish. When Shane goes off to play for Louth, there are always a lot of Kilkerley supporters there to cheer him on. Football is a big part of the parish and there's a hardcore of followers who go to every game. They provide us with plenty of encouragement and it would be nice to repay our supporters by winning a senior trophy in the next year or two." Tweet

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