After being eliminated at the last eight stage in the previous three Junior Football Championship campaigns Drumbaragh had an obvious desire to break the quarter-final jinx in 2008, but instead they failed to advance from the group stages after losing two of their matches but still held their nerve to claim a famous Division 4 FL title win. Drumbaragh, who included three members of Meath's Leinster MFC- winning panel in their ranks, William Carry, Enda Nulty and Darragh McNamara, went into their last divisional assignment against Wolfe Tones' second string knowing that they were still in the hunt for a qualification place, but an impressive tally of 1-16 wasn't sufficient to see them through as they went under by two points. Last year's Junior Championship campaign ended in a particularly disappointing and frustrating manner for Drumbaragh when St Brigid's edged them out after extra time in their quarter-final meeting, but there was some consolation for the club when they won the Under-21 'B' Championship later in the year with a final win over St Michael's. There had also been quarter-final misery in the JFC after extra time back in 2005 when Kilmainham eliminated them from the title race and it didn't get any better a year later when St Ultan's defeated them comfortably at the same stage on the way to winning the title. Add in last year's reversal against the Ballinacree men and it was beginning to develop into a habit. So this year Drumbaragh would at least have hoped to negotiate the last eight hurdle and who knows what might have happened after that. When the championship draws were made earlier in the year their group looked tricky enough as it contained 2006 runners-up Kilmainham, the Wolfe Tones' team that had worked its way up through the grades in the previous couple of years, other second string sides in Dunboyne and Simonstown Gaels, as well as Bective and St Mary's. And it was against Dunboyne that Drumbaragh opened their championship campaign at Dunshaughlin where an impressive first half performance was the feature in a 1-13 to 1-10 victory. They scored points with consistency in that period but also conceded a goal which limited their interval advantage to 0-9 to 1-3. The St Peter's men recovered well to draw level in the second half, before top marksman John Smith found the net from a penalty to give Drumbaragh the edge again. Dunboyne continued to pressurise, but solid defending meant they were unable to get sufficient scores to catch their opponents again. Smith made a very useful personal contribution of 1-4 to the victory. The first of two damaging group defeats followed in the second round at Carnaross where Kilmainham gave their qualification prospects a significant boost with a 2-8 to 0-11 win. It was all to play for at the change of ends when Drumbaragh led by 0-8 to 1-4, but Kilmainham started the second half best and it took the accuracy of Smith to keep Jody Devine's team in the hunt. However, the concession of a second goal proved costly and they were three points adrift at the final whistle. It was important for Drumbaragh to bounce back after that loss and they did so when they got the better of Simonstown by 1-16 to 2-8 at Kilberry. Team captain James Connolly demonstrated his loyalty to the cause when he cut short his holidays in Crete and after a roundabout journey home made it in time for the match. He made sure it was a very worthwhile move by turning in a highly impressive performance which included two valuable points. Drumbaragh started in very productive fashion as they raced into a six point advantage, thanks largely to a goal from Seanie Bennett. However, the Navan men also found the net in the first period and that helped them to cut the deficit to three points at the break, 1-5 to 1-8. Former Meath forward Evan Kelly was a member of the Simonstown team and an injury sustained by him upset them in a big way and Drumbaragh added eight points in the second half to be comfortably in front at the end. Bective just managed to avoid falling into a relegation dogfight in the Junior Championship, but they really put it up to Drumbaragh in their fourth round meeting at Cortown where a late point from Smith secured a dramatic 0-14 to 1-10 victory. There was never more than three points between the teams in a close contest and they were on level terms (0-8 to 1-5) at the interval. A contribution of eight points from Smith over the hour was vitally important for Drumbaragh and they were particularly thankful to him for that late winner which earned them a third group victory from four outings. St Mary's endured a very difficult campaign and ended up in a battle for survival and they provided the fifth round opposition to Drumbaragh at Syddan. Bennett was on hand to fist home an early goal which gave his side the initiative, but they also gave away a major score in the first half and were only four points to the good at the change of ends, 1-8 to 1-4. However, Drumbaragh really got on top in the second period when they held St Mary's scoreless and added 2-9 themselves, with Colm Carry notching the two goals. It finished 3-17 to 1-4. Wolfe Tones had enjoyed a very productive group campaign ahead of their sixth round meeting with Drumbaragh, winning all five matches, and they made it six when the sides met at Rathkenny. Understrength Drumbaragh must have been hopeful of achieving a vital win when they scored very well in the first half and opened up a 1-11 to 1-8 lead at the break. However, Tones got another goal in the second period and that proved very important in a high scoring game which they won narrowly by 2-15 to 1-16. Such a good tally would win most matches, but it just wasn't good enough for Drumbaragh as they exited the title race without getting the opportunity to experience knockout football again. When all the teams had played their six games in group A, Wolfe Tones were sitting at the head of the field with a maximum haul of 12 points and accompanying them into the last eight were Kilmainham on 10. Drumbaragh's two defeats had inflicted serious damage on their qualification hopes and they missed out when finishing third on eight points. "It was the same last year in the quarter-final," said Drumbaragh player Seanie Bennett as he reflected on the defeat suffered against Wolfe Tones. "We scored 1-16 against St Brigid's. That was after extra-time, but we had 1-12 up at the end of normal time. "We were three points up at half-time in extra-time, but John Smith going off injured really killed us and we didn't score after that. "We started very well against Wolfe Tones in the last group game this year. I remember we went three points ahead and we were flying. Giving away the two goals was very costly. For the second one the ball came back off the post and they scored. It was a bad score to give away. "We didn't have Darragh McNamara for that game and Willie Carry only came on as a substitute in the second half. Losing that game was an unbelievable feeling. I missed a sitter of a goal chance myself when we were three points behind. I should have scored" Of course, Drumbaragh had also suffered an earlier damaging group loss to Kilmainham. "It was the same in the earlier game we lost to Kilmainham," Bennett added. "We started very well, but didn't show up for the start of the second half. That seems to be a problem for us. We tend to start well and die then." It has been significant that Drumbaragh have moved up through the under-21 grades in recent years, winning two championships in the space of three years in 2005 and 2007 with teams captained by Bennett. That suggests they are producing the sort of young players who will help to sustain their challenge for that elusive JFC title over the coming years. This year's championship brought considerable disappointment, but it's now a case of looking ahead. Dwelling on the past will achieve nothing. "Hopefully, Jody Devine will stay on with us," Bennett said. "He is a very good coach. The junior panel is definitely getting stronger. We lost to Walterstown by only three points in the Under-21 A competition this year. "Having the three lads on the Meath minor panel this year was a great thing for the club. They will be very important players for us in the future." While there was disappointment at the championship exit, Drumbaragh kept their shape and finished top of the table level with Kilbride and St. Vincent's. Points difference was used to separate the sides and the Drumbaragh men faced up to Kilbride in the final at Seneschalstown. The men from south Meath led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the break and held a three point lead at the end of the third quarter. But Drumbaragh never threw in the towel as Seanie Bennett's penalty six minutes from time threw them a life line. As the game went into injury time Kilbride still held a one point lead but David Harkins equalised before Noel Corcoran lofted the winning score from a free. The Drumbaragh side that claimed the Division 4FL was: W Arkins; T Lynch, B Forde, M Kavanagh; E Nulty, C Lynch, W Carry; J Smith 0-2, M Smith; P Carry 0-1, N Corcoran 0-2, G McCormack 0-1; C Carry 0-2, S Bennett 1-0, J Connolly. Tweet

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