St. Patrick's hopes of reaching their fourth senior football championship quarter-final in five years were ruined by a crippling injury list according to their long-serving defender Niall Russell who, along with former county star Cormac Murphy, announced his retirement in the wake of the play-off defeat to Navan O'Mahony's. Like many villages in Co. Meath, Stamullen has experienced a population boom in recent years. Despite this, the local St. Patrick's club has yet to reap the benefits at senior level and when the injuries began to pile up for them this year, they found their resources stretched to the limit. "We haven't picked up many footballers, despite the population growth," points out Niall Russell, who brought the curtain down on an 18-year playing career with St. Pat's after Navan O'Mahony's beat them in a play-off to deny them a senior football championship quarter-final spot. "We're at a disadvantage to a lot of the other senior clubs in that we don't have the same strength in depth as them. Once we get a few injuries we're struggling and unfortunately that's what you saw this year. To have had any chance of beating O'Mahony's, we needed everybody to be fit and firing on all cylinders, but Daithi Whyte was out with a broken collarbone, Cormac Sullivan carried an injury into the game and Ciaran Duffy was forced off with a leg injury in the first half." St. Patrick's will face into 2008 without Russell, who was their regular full back over many years, and their former county star Cormac Murphy, who has also decided to hang up his boots after nearly two decades of service. Both players will be difficult to be replace, but Russell is confident that the younger members of the team will be able to step up to the mark. "I've no doubt that the younger lads will come good in the next few years. Once they get their heads around the extra responsibility, they'll be fine and they'll be able to carry the thing on. There is enough talent still there for St. Pat's to be competing against and beating the best senior teams. And if they can stay injury-free, they will be a match for anyone." Explaining his decision to retire, Niall says: "Over the years, I've picked up a lot of injuries and this year alone I suffered a broken hand and finger. I had hamstring problems as well, and it was getting harder and harder for me. Also, I'm 35 and with a young family, I've obviously got other priorities in my life now." Niall, who represented Meath at under 21 and minor level, regards the achievements of 2000, when St. Pat's won both the intermediate championship and the Division 1 league titles, as the highlights of his playing career. The intermediate success was a massive breakthrough for the club, who had lost no fewer than four intermediate finals in the 1990s. Since then, St. Pat's have been a highly competitive outfit in the senior championship and had the distinction of losing to the eventual Keegan Cup winners at the quarter-final stage in 2003 (Blackhall Gaels), 2005 (Dunboyne) and Wolfe Tones (2006). Under the guidance of Paddy Clarke, who is one of the most respected managers in the game and has managed numerous teams in Meath, Louth and Dublin over the years, and his assistant Dessie Callaghan, St. Patrick's lost their opening championship game in Group C to Trim by 1-7 to 0-15 in Dunshaughlin in mid-April. Pat's led by three points at half-time, but strong second half performances from Brendan Murphy, Darren Fay and Ronan Fitzsimons saw Trim battle back to claim the spoils. St. Patrick's put that disappointment behind them to defeat a previously unbeaten Seneschalstown by 1-8 to 1-5 in their second outing at Skyrne. Goalkeeper Robert Closkey was in inspired form for Pat's, while in front of him, the Stamullen rearguard stood firm against a Seneschalstown side that came into the fixture on the back of four league victories and a first round championship win over Walterstown. The teams were level three times in the opening quarter, but boosted by a Niall Mooney goal, Paddy Clarke's charges led by 1-6 to 0-3 at the break. For the second game in-a-row, St. Pat's could only manage two points in the second half, but Seneschalstown were unable to capitalize. Instead they failed to register between the 14th and 51st minutes, by which time they were 0-3 to 1-8 in arrears. Damien Sheridan eventually ended their scoring drought with a point and despite a fisted goal from Davy Byrne in injury-time, St. Patrick's were not to be denied their first win. Following the long break caused by Meath's extended championship run, St. Patrick's resumed their championship campaign with a 1-10 each draw against Rathkenny. Last year's intermediate champions made a dream start and had opened up a 1-2 to 0-1 lead before Daithi Whyte brought St. Pat's back into it with a 23rd minute goal. Rathkenny responded with two points to edge back in front, but St. Pat's rallied again to go into the break on level terms, 1-6 apiece. The Stamullen men missed a great chance to take control of the game when they failed to convert a 36th minute penalty, but they had looked the most likely winners until Rathkenny scored an equalizing point in the final minute of normal time. St. Pat's final group match against Walterstown at Duleek also ended in a draw, 1-9 to 0-12, meaning that they advanced to a quarter-final play-off clash with Navan O'Mahony's as runners-up to Seneschalstown and Rathkenny in Group C. Barry Campbell ensured a dream start for the east Meath club when he fisted to the net inside the first minute after Daithi Whyte had carved an opening for the corner forward, and they were never headed thereafter. Niall Mooney was in outstanding form for St. Pat's and he pointed on three occasions from play, with two of those efforts coming in the opening period, to help his side to a 1-4 to 0-5 interval lead. The second half was nip and tuck throughout, and the sides were level on three separate occasions. However, it looked as though St. Pat's had done enough when Campbell pointed twice from frees in the 52nd and 55th minutes to hand his team a 1-9 to 0-10 lead. But Walterstown earned a share of the spoils thanks to late points from substitute Ronan Barry and Christy Reynolds. Bidding to reach their fourth quarter-final in five years, an under strength St. Pat's travelled to Pairc Tailteann for their play-off clash with championship favourites Navan O'Mahony's on Wednesday, September 19. Despite the fact that there was never any more than three points between the sides until Henry Finnegan scored the final point in the last action of the game, St. Patís never looked like winning and their tally of just two wides compared to O'Mahony's 17 tells its own story. With star attacker Daithi Whyte ruled out after being injured against Walterstown, St. Pat's lacked the necessary firepower to trouble the O'Mahony's defence, and Barry Campbell was their only forward to score a point from open play. They had midfielder Ciaran Duffy stretchered off towards the end of the first quarter and then, in the 30th minute, Keith Whearty had a penalty kick - awarded for a foul on Niall Mooney - saved by O'Mahony's goalkeeper Keith Lane. However, Ray Russell nipped in for a goal in first half stoppage-time after JP Ryan's initial effort was saved by Lane, and that left the scores tied at 1-2 to 0-5 at half-time. Points from Stephen Bray and Paddy Smyth had O'Mahony's 0-7 to 1-2 in front within 10 minutes of the restart. Campbell replied for St. Pat's, only for Henry Finnegan to slot over two frees for the town side. Paddy Clarke's charges had brought the deficit back to two points before a late O'Mahony's surge yielded a brace of pointed frees from Finnegan to give them a 0-11 to 1-4 victory. "I thought we did alright in the circumstances, Russell says. 'O'Mahony's are a top side, yet they struggled against us for long periods. If we had everyone available to us, I think we could have beaten them. St. Pat's won't be happy with their league campaign, having finished in the bottom half of Division 1, but Niall is nevertheless hopeful for 2008. "When Paddy (Clarke) and Dessie (Callaghan) took over at the start of the year, they made it clear that this was a two-year thing. They see next year as being a big year for St. Pat's and hopefully this will be reflected in the team's results," he concludes. another hurling title Despite being only nine years in existence, the St Patrick's hurling club has won its fair share of adult titles, culminating in this year's JHC success. Following last year's relegation from the intermediate ranks, St Pat's were tipped as one of the favourites to win the junior title and so they did in emphatic style. Having defeated Trim (walkover), Ratoath, Moylough, Kiltale and eventual finalists Kilmessan, St Pat's signalled their intent from early on as they cruised through to the final. Kilmessan provided the opposition in the decider and everyone knows only too well that the blue and whites are not easily defeated in any decider. The final itself was played on a crisp afternoon in early October at Ratoath's splendid facilities and a large crowd turned out to see the sides do battle. The match itself saw Kilmessan get off to the better start and the St Pat's supporters began to worry when their side went 0-3 to 0-0 following the early exchanges. However, St Pat's skipper Ciaran Calvey played a captain's role by hauling his team mates back into contention with a well taken goal after good work by veteran Paul Tobin to level the match. The Stamullen outfit seemed to settle after this and early match nerves disappeared as corner forward Phil Harney scored two points and although Kilmessan cancelled out these scores, they could not find a way through to the back of the net as goalkeeper Fergus Minogue made a succession of top class saves. Mark Scanlon pointed two long range frees to put St Pat's in front, while former Dublin hurler, Tobin expertly cut a sideline ball over the bar, while Kilmessan had only one minor in rely to leave the half time scoreline 1-5 to 0-6. However, the blue and whites began the second half as they had done the first and were soon level once again, while Minogue kept the scoreline that way with another couple of fine saves. A second St Pat's goal put them firmly in the driving seat as Shane Kirwan's drive was deflected into the net. Minutes later and they had their third goal on the board, albeit by similar luck as the second. Colin O'Brien's speculative effort also received a deflection and ended up in the net to leave Kilmessan with a mountain to climb as the minutes ticked by. Richie Donoghue put the game beyond doubt in the 56th minute when he got on the end of a long Tobin line ball and buried the sliothar in the back of the net. Kilmessan hit a late consolation goal, but St Pat's ran out worthy winners by 4-7 to 1-13. St Patrick's team that annexed the 2007 JHC: F. Minogue; D. Kirwan, B. Kelly, A. Stafford; J. Keena, M. Scanlon (0-3), C. O'Brien (1-0); P. Coady, C. Calvey (1-0); R. Donoghue (1-1), S. Kirwan (1-0), E. Murphy; B. Calvey, P. Tobin (0-1), P. Harney (0-2). Subs - N. Stafford for B. Calvey, P. Calvey for Harney, J. Muldowney for Donoghue, J. Loughlin for Kirwan. Tweet

Most Read Stories