Despite losing the championship final, finishing second in the junior league table was enough for Rockcorry to make a return to intermediate level. Team captain Ciaran O Hart spoke to Cian Ó Raghallaigh. Although they were relegated to junior level at the end of the 2005 season, Rockcorry were hopeful of a swift return to intermediate ranks this season. There may have been talk that it would be straight forward for them but all at the club realised that it would not be such an easy task. Rockcorry have a small pick of players to choose from and would need all hands to the pump in an effort to ensure that the season would be a success. During the year the championship was the team's main priority and Rockcorry were agonisingly close to beating Drumhowan in the final. However a late free gave Drumhowan the chance of a replay and they made no mistake in the second match. As it was, finishing second in the junior league promoted Rockcorry. As Ciaran O Hart explained, it may not have been the ideal way of making their way back. "It wasn't really the way we wanted to go up but now that we have done it, we can build from here. I suppose the championship was our main goal from the start of the season but it's good to get straight back up even though I think a few of the players are thinking of retiring at this stage," he says. In reviewing the year, team captain and corner-back Ciaran O Hart spoke about how Rockcorry grew in confidence as the year progressed. "We won our first game against Killeevan by three points. We expected a tough game but players like Anthony Tate, Keith Daly and Mark Daly - who is a great prospect - along with Barry Patterson played very well that day. It was a very tight game and we weren't really looking forward to it as we knew it wouldn't be easy. "But that performance settled us down for the rest of the championship as there had been a bit of pressure on us to get over that one," says Ciaran. Oram were their next opponents. Rockcorry took a seven-point lead but did not score for the next 35 minutes or so. Still, Damien Matthews was having a superb game at full-back, thwarting the Oram dangerman John Mone. Oram closed the gap to a point at one stage but Rockcorry managed to sail through. Currin were Rockcorry's next opponents. In this game Mark Daly's performance at midfield was again eye-catching. Although he was marking county player Dick Clerkin, Daly turned in a superb performance and also scored a few "sublime frees". Martin Carr's goal gave Rockcorry a lead of three or four points at half-time and they never looked back. By this stage only Aughnamullen stood between Rockcorry and a place in the championship final. Aughnamullen had already beaten Rockcorry in a league game and it was never going to be easy. As Ciaran explains, though, Rockcorry showed their capabilities in the early part of the semi-final. "In the first half we played with the wind and we scored five or six unanswered points. Barry Patterson played very well again as did Cormac McFadden, Anthony Tate, Paul McKeown and Stephen McGurk. With our midfield on top for the entire 60 minutes, we managed to win the game," he says. Drumhowan had overcome Killeevan in the semi-final and played Rockcorry in the final. Rockcorry had several wides in the first ten minutes. However there were still some splendid performances from Rockcorry and the team were in a winning position with only minutes remaining. "Mark Daly was outstanding again and was man-of-the-match while Kieran McCormill also did very well at full-back. Barry Patterson scored a spectacular point to put us in front. With three minutes of injury-time played, we were trying to run down the clock. "Then James McElroy was fouled. Another foul on Dermot McDermott gave Drumhowan the chance to level it which they did." There was, he says, a sense of deja-vu after this match. Rockcorry had drawn the 1996 Dr Ward Cup final against Tyholland. However Rockcorry had won that league final on the second occasion. This time, there was to be no fairytale ending. Rockcorry were unlucky not to have converted a few goal chances. At half-time in the replay they were five points down. Martin Carroll hit the post at the start of the second half and when Mark Daly eventually found the net, they were well in the game. Drumhowan managed to finish the game strongly and went on to record a six-point victory, 1-10 to 1-4. "It was very hard for us to get motivated for the replay as we felt we had left it behind us the first day. In the second match we were just unable to take all the chances we had. When you don't take those chances I suppose it filters down through the team a little bit," he says. In assessing the overall picture, Ciaran says that it is difficult for clubs such as Rockcorry as they are the smallest parish in the diocese. They were "fortunate" this year to have a panel of 20 players from which to pick. He realises that there are challenges to every club. Rockcorry are no different and intermediate football will pose many challenges to the team. "There was a lot of emphasis placed on going straight back up. We knew that it was going to be difficult and that there would be no handy games. That's the way it proved. People say that it's easier at junior level but it's not that easy when it comes to trying to get some silverware. "Two weeks before the championship we had the double in our sights. It didn't quite happen that way but we're delighted to have gone up nonetheless" he says. Ciaran, who won an All-Ireland Freshers medal with UCG in 1999, alongside players such as Des Dolan and Darren Rooney, was on the last Rockcorry team to win a trophy, the Dr Ward Cup in 1996. Under the management team of John Joe Lennon and Mark McCormack, he is optimistic that they can come good again in 2007. This year Rockcorry were unfortunate not to win a trophy at junior level but finishing second in the junior league means that an interesting season lies ahead. Tweet

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