Seconds very much in for Dunboyne
December 31, 2004
Over the past few seasons, Dunboyne folk have suffered their fair amount of hurling heartbreak, particularly at Pairc Tailteann, but for a time on September 11th, the number one venue in the county was the scene of a glorious triumph. Brendan Boylan reports.
A line in a song that was in the charts during 2004 contains the lines 'Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens' and that's just the way it was for Dunboyne's hurlers in 2004.
Ever since they captured the IHC in 1999, the burning ambition has been to bring the Jubilee Cup back to the parish, which last rested there in 1914.
After defeat to Kilmessan in the SHC Final was their lot in both 2002 and 2003, the general feeling was that this had to be the year when the job finally had to be done.
For long spells in the year, everything appeared to be on course as John Gorry's side cruised through the group stages with only one defeat, almost inevitably to Kilmessan, with both teams already safely through to the knock out stages.
They even had what should have been an added bonus when they got one over on the old adversaries in the delayed 2003 O'Growney Cup decider.
As we all know, things don't always work out the way they seem and just when it appeared everything was in readiness for Dunboyne to make their big step, along came CJ Murtagh's Trim and dumped them out at the penultimate stage.
As with all gloomy situations, a silver lining wasn't too far away though. Now, being the second team in a club that also has a senior side can sometimes be a frustrating situation.
You start off with two strong squads but as the premier competition progresses more and more players get taken.
Though such has been the extraordinary transformation that has occurred in hurling in Dunboyne in recent years that both of the club's sides have made the last four in their competitions every year since 1998.
This year, the second strings of senior clubs actually had something of an advantage over their smaller counterparts as there were two rounds of the JHC played before the senior started.
This allowed Dunboyne to field with Vinny Maguire, Gary Watters, Cormac Hutton and Kevin Fagan in their opening two fixtures against Killyon and Rathmolyon.
All four played starring roles too; Maguire was their top performer in a 1-13 to 0-04 win in the first game while Fagan was the star of the show as a goal after thirty seconds from John Gorry set them on their way to a win over his former side in Round 2.
Hutton and Watters were still with the second string when Dunboyne travelled to Kilmessan to take on local rivals Ratoath in their third fixture.
After the comparatively plain sailing of the third round, Paul Kirwan, Barry Crowley and Donal Kirwan had Ratoath well on top and a goal from the latter had them 1-05 to 0-04 clear as the break approached.
However, in a two minute spell the senior experience of midfielders Watters and Hutton proved crucial as the former ran through and netted to leave his side just a point in arrears at half time and the latter fired over the equalizer immediately after the resumption.
Though the night belonged to Clifford Barron, as it was his brace of goals against the side trained by his uncle Mick that set Dunboyne on their way before Damien Buggle also netted to give them a 4-09 to 1-09 win.
As is so often the case, after the champagne hurling they played in the previous round, it was back to the bread and butter stuff of digging out a result against a typically committed Moylagh side in Athboy the morning after Fermanagh beat Meath.
A John Delaney goal had Dunboyne three clear, 1-03 to 0-03, at the interval, but with Damien Smith, Eamon Boyle and Joe Melia much more prominent for Moylagh in the second period, the side in black and amber were more than happy to get away with a 1-07 to 0-09 win.
With Trim having withdrawn, Dunboyne's last game in the group stages was against Kilmessan and as with the clash between the sides in the SHC, both sides were already through before the game started.
Michael Reilly was exceptional on the night, hitting four magnificent points and with good support from Johnny O'Connor and Brian Watters they appeared to have done enough to win until an uncharacteristic slip from 'keeper Neil Hackett allowed Kilmessan in to steal an unlikely win.
Though captain Hackett would more than prove his worth over the remainder of the ultimately glorious campaign.
He emerged from his goal to open the scoring in their penultimate tie, a rematch against Ratoath as a goal from Michael Reilly and points from Johnny O'Connor and Damien Buggle built up a 1-06 to 0-01 half time cushion, with the aid of the near gale force wind, it must be said.
The conditions certainly told in the second half and Hackett had to be at his shot stopping best as his goal was treated like a battering ram by more than just the elements.
A free from O'Connor was the only time they troubled the scoreboard operator during the entire second half as, like in the Moylagh game; they were left clinging onto a 1-07 to 1-06 advantage.
Finals are strange occasions. They are invariably close and the tension is always high, when it emerged that it would be old foes Dunboyne and Kilmessan slugging it out, there would be all those factors in abundance.
Some players freeze, others have the game of their lives on the big day.
Johnny O'Connor had his best day ever in a Dunboyne shirt on September 11th. Despite the fact that Shane Clarke netted twice for the side who were chasing a double on the day, O'Connor's accuracy kept Dunboyne well in touch and, right on half time, Stephen Mulvey sent an O'Connor free that dropped short straight to the net it give Dunboyne an unlikely 1-08 to 2-04 interval advantage.
The work was only beginning though, because, as in the semi final, Dunboyne would face into the elements after the restart.
It seemed like a near impossible task to try and contain a side like Kilmessan for a whole half.
Though sometimes you just get the feeling it's going to be your day.
Mulvey and O'Connor drove over mighty scores immediately after the resumption and a Peter Reynolds point after about five minutes amazingly turned out to be Kilmessan's last scores.
The entire Dunboyne rearguard defended like demons and Hackett was seen at has double-jobbing best.
He produced a plethora of fine saves before emerging from his goal to drive over a mighty free, put his side three clear and virtually put one of his hands on the cup.
Michael Reilly then embellished Dunboyne's position with a superb solo effort before Brian Watters drilling low to the net with the last puck of the game to leave player/coach John Gorry and his men clear by 2-12 to 2-05 at the end.
There can be no doubting that it takes a team effort to win anything and Dunboyne had exceptional displays on the big day from Matt Dwyer, Ian O'Connor, David Watters, Declan Brady, brothers Paul and Michael Reilly and the exceptional Johnny O'Connor.
Though I doubt if any team ever had a more popular captain than Neil Hackett. He, along with team mates Paul Reilly, Ian O'Connor, Damien Buggle and senior player John Watters, all well under thirty years of age, took charge of the U-14, U-16 and Minor hurling sides in the club.
At the time of writing, they have already won the U-14 B HC, were beaten in an U-16 B HC semi final by eventual champions Na Fianna and have qualified for the MHC B Final.
With the commitment that's being given to hurling by players of all ages in Dunboyne its long term future seems very bright and the Jubilee dream may not be that far away at all.
The team that was on duty in the final was - N. Hackett (0-1); T. Smith, M. Dwyer, I. O'Connor; D. Brady, D. Watters, P. Reilly; J. O'Connor (0-7), B. Watters (1-0); D. Buggle (0-1), J. Delaney, A. Dowdall; M. Reilly (0-1), J. Gorry (0-1), S. Mulvey (1-1).
Dunboyne Claim U-10 Crown
Dunboyne claimed the U-10 South County League title with a one point win over Ratoath, 3-03 to 2-05, in Summerhill on October 2nd.
Along the way to the final they defeated Summerhill, Na Fianna, St Martin's, Dunsany, Moynalvey and Blackhall Gaels before pipping Ratoath in an exciting decider.
Incidentally, many of this Dunboyne side have very well known fathers, none more so than Ciaran Boylan, son of a certain county team manager, while Shane McEntee and Niall Carolan are sons of Andy McEntee and Kieran Carolan, both of whom won SFC medals with the club in 1998.
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