Ever since he plied his skills at underage level James Ward has been used to that winning feeling at Magheracloone. In the last couple of years it's been a different story though. In 2005 and '06, looking over the fence at the pantheon of winners was James Ward's lot and he wasn't exactly a happy camper. The vista didn't make for happy viewing. Ward is a winner and the feeling he was left with in the pit of his stomach in the high season over the course of the last two years isn't one he wants to re-visit again. It's no co-incidence that when the Farneysiders came of age in senior ranks by plundering the Owen Ward Cup in 1999, the young Ward was one of the stars of the Magheraloone side that scooped the Clancy Cup. It's obviously a case of Ward and his home club winning together and losing together. A lack of togetherness wasn't the problem for Magheracloone in the past year or in 2005, James testifies. So what were the missing pieces? "I can't put my finger on what went wrong or what was missing as far as the championship goes. "We started well with a good win over Truagh but maybe we got it too handy against them," James muses. There were floods of water to come under the bridges thereafter though before the dust was settled. On September 9th, a deadly date saw the would-be champions, Clontibret, go head to head with the former kingpins in Castleblayney. Magheracloone looked, for a long time, as if they would carry the day. However Clontibret rolled up their sleeves and carved out a 0-14 to 1-11 draw after a goal for Magheracloone eight minutes from time put them two points clear and in pole position as the finishing post beckoned. In a game which fairly demonstrated the intent and ability of both sides, Clontibret showcased their fighting qualities in a big way by reeling in their opponents' three points lead to chisel out the draw. Two weeks later, Magheracloone were out-gunned, by one point (1-14 to 2-10) in a dramatic replay in 'Blayney. It was another close, dramatic affair as 14 man Mitchells cut into an eight point interval deficit (1-2 to 1-10) to make for a tense, titanic finale. A late goal by the Mitchells had Clontibret hanging on for dear life but Magheracloone ran out of time and luck. "We let it slip the first day against Clontibret and paid the penalty in the replay," opines the 2004 Ireland under 17 International Rules cap. Then against 'Blayney in the next round, we took a long time to get into our stride. "We were losing out a bit around the middle, weren't getting enough possession and the scores didn't come as easily as we would have hoped. "It was a similar story against Latton where we had some fellas on top of their game but not everyone was clicking at the same time. "In 2004 when we won the championship, we had everyone clicking at the same time but this year only five or six played to form in the same game." No complaints in the final then? "No. Clontibret were the better team. "We fought hard but only really got near to getting on top of them when they took their feet off the pedal. "You'd have to say that they (Clontibret) proved to be the best team in Monaghan in 2006 and, personally, I wasn't surprised they came good because they're one of the teams I fancied to go the distance at the start of the year. "They've a lot of lads who've Ulster minor medals at club level and medals at under 21 level over the last couple of years and they've got three or four involved with the county seniors. "They've always been hard to beat and there's no way you could say they were surprise packets last summer. "You could see they were building up a team over the last couple of years even though they didn't make the county final." Did the fact that the O'Neills subsequently acquited themselves so well in Ulster club competition offer any consolation to the Mitchells? "We knew were beaten by a good team in the county final but the way they played in Ulster just shows that the standard at club level in Monaghan is fairly high. "Crossmaglen have proven themselves tops in Ulster for a lot of years but Clontibret gave them their fill of it and went close to beating them," says the ace defender 'cum attacker. James says the senior club scene in Monaghan is very competitive and he reckons its of a higher standard now than when he first kicked a ball in anger for his native club some five years ago. Seamus McEnaney should be pleased then? "Well he should be able to get at least two or three top players from the top teams across the divisions. "Right across the board there's good competition. There's very seldom an easy game. "When I started playing senior club football about five years ago, the average age of the players on the Monaghan senior team was about 27 or 28 but now that average age is a lot younger. "I think there's a lot more quality players on the county scene now. "There's a greater strength in depth about the Monaghan team now at both club and county levels. "The bench is stronger on every front with team-managers having more options to fall back on if fellas who start matches aren't doing their stuff. "But that's the way it has to be if you want to win championships. It's all about squads now, not just fifteen or seventeen players." James is convinced that there is a deep enough well of talent in Monaghan right now to give Seamus McEnaney the resources to make a real impact in the forthcoming national league and championships. The competition at club championship has never been as intense and the volume of young, talented players on the county scene has never been greater in his estimation. With regard to the club fare, James says that where once upon a time in the not-so distant past, Castleblayney and Clontibret vied for the tag of the untouchables of Monaghan football, now almost anyone of a half-dozen teams has the capacity to scoop the Mick Duffy Cup in any given year. James maintains the likes of Truagh and Inniskeen "aren't that far away". "If a team can get a good run in the league, has a few scoring forwards and can avoid injuries, then they're in with a big shout. "The league has to be taken seriously though because it's where the team takes on a bit of shape and where a bit of consistency kicks in and you get a settled team ready for the championship. "By the time of the championship, a manager should know from the league what his best team is and should know what every player in the squad is capable of." Reflecting on his own innings in 2006, James simply says he had better years. "I didn't play up to scratch in most games. Maybe in one or two games, I played up to the sort of standard that I think I should be playing but those days were rare." Of course, there are mitigating circumstances for James' own perceived sub-standard displays over the course of the past twelve months. In the first round of the 2005 senior championship, James broke two bones in his foot while playing against Sean McDermotts. The injury put him out of action for a full three months. It was a long, sometimes painful road back to a position where he could be considered for selection on the Mitchells XV. Surely the lay-off because of his injury and the after-care required had a debilitating effect on his ability to give of his best in '06? "I wouldn't blame the injury nor was I rusty or stale. "I thought I was back to full fitness but it just didn't happen for me. I didn't get going early on in the championship but I hope to play a lot better for the club in 2007 and play something near to my potential." Beaten by Latton in the blue riband decider of 2005 and again in the corresponding tie of 2006, Magheracloone might be considered by some to be hovering on the cusp of a watershed. Will it be a hat-trick of county final defeats in 2007? Will they even make the decider or will the south county side turn back the clock and become lords of all they survey again? "Last summer's defeat to Clontibret was harder to take than the one against Latton and I don't think the lads will want to fall short again next summer. "Once next spring comes around, I'd say the old enthusiasm will kick in again and we'll be back gunning for honours." Ominous words indeed. So who'll be the team(s) to beat by the time the silverware comes into focus? "I'd say you could take your pick," James responds. "Clontibret will be aiming to do the same again; Latton will be there or thereabouts; Scotstown have a young and physically strong side and who knows what 'Blayney will come up with." James will be keen to see what the clubs' respective form is like when the league gets up and running. He'll also be keen to discover the type of form which will get him noticed by the county selectors. "If I play well enough, I'd like to think that I would get a run but we'll see." Tweet

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