There were definite signs during the 2006 Junior Football Championship that Meath Hill might well be on the verge of bridging a gap that now extends over a quarter of a century. This proud club from way up in the north of the county has to look back to 1980 for its last success in the grade, but they shaped well enough in the campaign gone by to suggest that they are building up a head of steam that might just bring the desired breakthrough in the very near future. Longwood have made tremendous progress with the football end of their club in recent times, highlighted by their memorable Junior B Championship win in 2004, and they advanced to the last four of the Junior Championship for the second successive year when they edged out Meath Hill at the quarter-final stage in Kilmessan on the second Sunday of September. It was a match the Hill looked capable of winning for long stages, but in the end there was disappointment as Longwood finished strongest to advance to the semi-finals after extra-time on a day when the losers were ravaged by injuries. There was incredible joy up Meath Hill way back in 1980 when they got the better of Moynalty in the junior final a year after suffering the savage disappointment of losing to east Meath side St. Mary's in a replayed decider. They played their football in the intermediate ranks for many years after that junior triumph (eventually going back to the junior grade in 1995) and reached the IFC final in 1986 when Gaeil Colmcille beat them five years before the Kells club lifted the Keegan Cup. A decade after that intermediate final loss, Meath Hill were back contesting a JFC decider again, but this time they were beaten by parish rivals Drumconrath in a match that generated tremendous interest, particularly among north Meath Gaels. Meath Hill have suffered disappointment in the JFC knockout stages on many occasions since, including semi-final defeats to Skryne in 1997, St. Paul's in 1999 and an emerging Wolfe Tones side in 2001. In 2002 they were beaten by Simonstown Gaels in a play-off, while in 2003 they were hit with a dreadful list of injuries to key players and struggled to survive in the junior grade, as well as suffering demotion to Div. 5 of the All-County A League. However, there was also the great sight of one of their finest players, Barry Kieran, helping Meath to their All-Ireland JFC success and scoring a point from left half-back in the final against Galway. Meath Hill lost a JFC quarter-final to Dunsany in 2004 when the concession of four goals proved very costly and there was further disappointment when St. Brigid's from Ballinacree got the better of them in the Div. 5 League decider. However, there was the consolation of gaining promotion back to Div. 4. Last year they failed to make it through to the business end of the race to lift the Matthew Ginnity Cup, but 2006 was much more encouraging and certainly augured well for the future when they enjoyed a very productive Group C campaign which saw them finish on top of the section and earn their place in the last eight. Meath Hill, who were managed by Andy Hayes for the third successive year, with Thomas Owens, David Crosby and Jay Shekleton acting as selectors, won six of their seven matches in the marathon group stages, with their only defeat being suffered against Bective who beat them by 0-9 to 0-6 in a fifth round outing at Rathkenny after the Hill had gone into the game on maximum points from their previous four matches. There were early victories over Ballinabrackey and Kilbride, who were overcome by the minimum margin (0-10 to 1-6) at Seneschalstown and making that sort of an opening to the divisional stages is exactly what all teams want as they attempt to settle into the championship with a winning habit. Drumree, winners of the Junior Championship title in 1998, had lost their intermediate status when going under to Slane in a relegation play-off last year and when Meath Hill met them at Bective they surely expected a tough test of their credentials against a side that had played its football in the higher grade so recently. The Hill held a 1-4 to 0-4 lead at the break and limited Drumree to just four points again in the second period as they triumphed by five points on a 1-10 to 0-8 score line. Simonstown Gaels were under-strength when the sides clashed at Rathkenny and the north county side edged through in a tight encounter, winning by 1-10 to 1-8. It was all to play for at the interval when they held a 1-5 to 0-5 lead and despite giving away a goal in the second period they were two points to the good at the final whistle. Meath Hill's first priority of making it through to the knockout stages was looking very attainable, but then came that only reversal of the Junior Championship's group stages when Bective surprised many people by earning that three-point success. Scores were few and far between in the opening half, which Bective shaded by 0-3 to 0-2, and the Hill restored parity after the change of ends. Bective hit back with four points to take a grip on proceedings and although Meath Hill brought the deficit back to just two points in was always a match they were chasing once the Bective men had moved into a decent advantage. That represented a disappointing defeat for Meath Hill, but the sign of a good team is the positive manner in which they respond to such setbacks. Moylagh had been shaping very well in the group and topped the section as they prepared to take on the Hill in the sixth round at Moynalty. Moylagh went into that encounter with a 100 per cent winning record, but they were stopped in their tracks as Meath Hill recorded a 1-6 to 1-4 victory in a low-scoring game. It was a win that pushed the Hill up to joint top of the table with Moylagh on 10 points, though Moylagh had a superior points difference of plus 22, compared to plus eight. Meath Hill started very encouragingly with points from Donncha Boyle, Keith Ginnity and Tadgh Boyle and Moylagh didn't open their account until they pointed from play after 18 minutes. The Hill had Lee Breslin sent off after he received a second yellow card, but numerical parity was restored when Moylagh's Karl Clinton was dismissed for a foul on Paul Kieran. A penalty resulted from that indiscretion and Paddy Owens blasted to the net to boost Meath Hill to a 1-3 to 0-3 half-time lead. Ginnity, Donncha Boyle and Tadgh Boyle added to the advantage with well-taken points and Kieran Boyle also saved a penalty. However, the Hill didn't clear the danger and Moylagh got back into contention when Joe Melia flicked the ball to the net. It was backs to the wall stuff for Meath Hill after that, but they restricted Moylagh to only a point from a free subsequently and were two clear at the final whistle. Rathkenny provided the setting for Meath Hill's last group assignment against Skryne's second string and it resulted in by far their easiest victory of the championship as they came out on top by all of 20 points (3-16 to 0-5). With Moylagh drawing with Ballinabrackey, it meant that the Hill leapfrogged the side from the north-west of the county and finished on top of the section with 12 points from a possible 14. A lengthy trip to Kilmessan followed for the quarter-final against Longwood in what was always going to represent a tricky assignment. Injury plagued Meath Hill made a very bright start when they scored the first four points, but Longwood found their feet and were only a point adrift at the interval (0-3 to 0-4). Longwood looked more likely to secure their semi-final ticket in the second half of normal time, but the Hill rallied well to ensure that it was level (0-8 each) after an hour. The teams were still locked together on 10 points apiece midway through extra-time, but the Hill appeared capable of winning and had an opportunity to take a decisive lead when awarded a penalty. However, Paddy Owens' kick was saved and that let off gave Longwood the spur to go on and win the game as Rory Maguire, Karl Ennis and David Flynn pointed to push them towards the winning post. It finished 0-14 to 0-10 and, after a progressive campaign that brought six victories and just one defeat in the group stages, Meath Hill were out. "It represented great progress to get to the quarter-finals," said club secretary Celine Nulty. "It was just a pity that we had so many injuries for that game against Longwood. Pauric Smith and Keith Ginnity, who is probably our best player, missed that game due to injury and Barry Kieran played even though he was injured. "Cyril Maher was away and also missed the quarter-final. Being without three or four players like those represented a big blow to us for much an important game. After topping the group it was a pity that we suffered so badly with injuries. "Unfortunately, we missed a penalty in the second period of extra-time in the quarter-final that proved costly. Then they came down the field and got a few scores that won the game for them. They were the sort of scores they weren't getting earlier. "It was a big disappointment to lose, but we won six matches in our group. That has to be progress and a good sign for the future. Overall, we would have to be pleased with what we achieved." Meath Hill also experienced disappointment at the quarter-final stage of the Junior D Championship when they lost by 2-6 to 1-11 to Moylagh at Moynalty after they had left themselves with a mountain to climb when trailing by 0-1 to 0-9 at the interval. Still, getting the second string to that stage represented a good achievement. Tweet

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