Transition time for Gaels
April 30, 2011After a period of unprecedented success that yielded five senior championships between 1996 and 2002, Lough Lene Gaels have been in rebuilding mode for the past number of years.
The Gaels' failure to reach the knockout stages of last year's championship surprised many, particularly in light of their appearance in the 2009 county final, but according to PRO John O'Farrell, it's a reflection of how times have changed for the once-mighty Collinstown club.
"We're going through a transitional phase at the moment and there's going to be a few tough years ahead," the Gaels stalwart says.
"We had 10 good years when we were at the top of Westmeath hurling, but that team has long since broken up and the golden era is over. We've a new crop of players now and it's going to take time and patience to bring them on. We're building a new team around youngsters like Philip Reilly, Stephen Bardon, Thomas Doyle and Derek Healy. Having said that, it's vital that the likes of Martin Williams, Christo Murtagh and Seamus Carroll play on for another year. Their experience is invaluable."
John, whose younger brother Francis was part of the Gaels' championship winning teams in 1996, '98, '99, 2000 and 2002, believes the team "punched above its weight" by reaching the county final in 2009 and that expectations of an eighth Examiner Cup win for the club last year were unrealistic.
"We surprised ourselves by getting to the final in 2009," he admits.
"It was an unexpected bonus really. Clonkill beat us by four points, but we gave a very good account of ourselves. It was always going to be difficult to replicate that last year and that's exactly how it turned out. We won our first game to qualify for the winners' group, but failed to reach the quarter-finals after losing three matches out of four."
Managed by former player Brendan Williams for a second year, the Gaels opened their championship campaign with a 1-17 to 0-11 victory over newly-promoted St. Brigid's. Rising stars Thomas Doyle and Stephen Bardon had shot the purple and golds into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead before Dermot Faulkner opened St. Brigid's account. By the 19th minute, the Gaels led by 0-6 to 0-2 and they had stretched that out to 0-10 to 0-3 by half-time thanks to further scores from Bardon, Daniel Carty and Doyle.
St. Brigid's improved after the resumption and reduced the deficit to four points before Noel Conaty pounced for the only goal on the three-quarter hour mark, which enabled the Gaels to run out comfortable 1-17 to 0-11 winners.
Lough Lene Gaels made a great start to their winners' group campaign when a strong finish gave them a 3-12 to 0-15 victory over St. Oliver Plunkett's. Full forward Daniel Carty was in brilliant form, helping himself to a personal tally of 2-5, as the Gaels outscored their Mullingar opponents by 1-4 to 0-2 in the final quarter to take the spoils.
A brace of first half goals from the county star helped the Gaels to a 2-5 to 0-9 interval lead before Plunkett's levelled on the resumption through scores from Noel Gavin and Peter Collins. Crucially, though, Brendan Williams' charges were never headed and a third goal from Vincent Clarke enabled them to pull away from Plunkett's again.
That was as good as it got, however, for the Collinstown men who lost their remaining three games. The first setback came against Castletown-Geoghegan who recovered from a 1-6 to 2-7 interval deficit to run out 4-17 to 3-11 winners. The sides were level on 3-8 to 2-11 entering the final quarter, but a brace of late goals from substitute John Brennan broke the Gaels' resistance.
A 2-11 to 3-12 defeat to local rivals Castlepollard left the Gaels needing to win their final game against champions Clonkill to reach the knockout stages. A fourth-minute goal from Ollie Devine settled 'Pollard before the Gaels hit back to go into the break on level terms, 0-9 to 1-6. Barry Kennedy's goal had 'Pollard ahead again in the 36th minute, but when Thomas Doyle replied with a similar score for the Gaels, it was all to play for.
The Collinstown men were rocked again when Darren McCormack flicked home Castlepollard's third goal, and while Mark McNicholas responded with the Gaels' second major with six minutes remaining, it wasn't enough to save them.
The Gaels made their exit from the championship when succumbing to Clonkill by 2-14 to 1-21 in their final game of the winners' group. Clonkill looked to be cruising to victory when they took a 1-8 to 0-4 lead into the interval, but fighting for their championship lives, the purple and golds showed tremendous heart to level with nine minutes remaining thanks to goals from Thomas Doyle and Philip Reilly.
But Clonkill refused to panic and reeled off late points from Mark Keegan, Andrew Mitchell, Sean Loughlin, Brendan Murtagh and Niall Dowdall to put the result beyond doubt.
"It was disappointing to go out of the championship so early. It might have turned out differently if Derek McNicholas had been available to us (he won a Boston SHC medal with Tipperary last summer), but I wouldn't use that as an excuse," John says.
"Raharney and Clonkill have opened up a gap in the senior championship and it's up to ourselves, 'Pollard, Plunkett's and Castletown to get up to that level. If we could make the knockout stages this year, it would be a good achievement."
Lough Lene Gaels had the unwanted distinction of losing four championship finals in 2010. But as John points out: "It would be worse if we weren't reaching them."
The first final the Gaels lost was the junior championship to Raharney. Played in Robinstown on July 23, the game was evenly contested up until half-time, But the Deelsiders found an extra gear in the second half to run out 1-16 to 0-12 winners and relieve the Gaels of their crown.
On Saturday, October 30, the Gaels lost the minor Division 2 (13-a-side) and under 14 Division 2 finals to St. Oliver Plunkett's and Cullion respectively. Plunkett's proved much too strong in the minor decider, running out emphatic 5-15 to 0-5 winners, while Cullion withstood a second half comeback by the Gaels in the under 14 final to win 4-9 to 2-10.
And in the under 16 Division 3 (13-a-side) final, the Gaels were pipped by Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's on a 1-10 to 3-6 scoreline. After trailing by 0-5 to 2-4 at the break, the north county outfit cut the deficit to two points when Brendan Doyle netted in the closing stages, but the combination side held on for the win.
"Even though we lost a number of finals last year, it's encouraging that we contested them. No final is easily reached and to appear in four in one year reflects well on the work that's being done at underage level," O'Farrell concludes.
The Lough Lene Gaels junior side which lost their championship crown to Raharney was: John Molloy; Cathal Murtagh, Keith Fitzpatrick, Ross Craig; Francis Kennedy, Paddy Fleming, Jonathan Clarke; Alan Fitzsimons, Michael Walsh; Joey Williams, Darragh McCormack, Niall Conaty; Philip Reilly, Damien Conaty, Alan Murray.
The under 16 team that faced Southern Gaels/Fr Dalton's in the Division 3 (13-a-side) final was: Padraig Grace; Niall McCormack, John Egan; Jack Coyle, Kevin Shiel, Niall Fitzpatrick; Brendan Doyle, Killian Daly; Michael Daly, Colin Kennedy, John Morris; Matthew Gilsenan, Warren Williams. Subs used: Fergal Tiernan and Nathan Clarke.
The minor side which contested the Division 2 (13-a-side) decider against St. Oliver Plunkett's was: Peter McGuigan; John Egan, Ross Craig; Brendan Doyle, Alan Fitzsimons, Emmet Shiel; Daniel Devine, Fergal Tiernan; Kevin Shiel, Colin Kennedy, Thomas Doyle; Darren Lynch, Philip Reilly. Subs used: Brian Connolly and John Morris.
The under 14 team which faced Cullion in the Division 2 final was: Marcus Kennedy; Darragh Quamar, Padraic Grace, Daniel Reilly; Conor Lynch, Alan Jennings, Niall Fitzpatrick; Jack Coyle, Ben Oelke; Mark McCormack, Darragh Daly, Conor McCrossen; Warren Williams, Nathan Clarke, Michael Daly. Subs used: Daniel Higgins, Tony Smith and Jordan Williams. Tweet
