Every team at the start of any given year sets out to be successful. For most the campaign will end fruitless and players will be left to lament on what might have been. However, that was not the case for Loughnavalley in 2010 as they lifted the junior shield title.

Having been defeated in the final of the same competition just 12 months earlier, it was a testament of the determination that this rural club regularly produces that they bounced straight back to lift the title.
It is no more than this group of players deserve as they have to be admired for the level of dedication and desire they show when putting on the club jersey.
Club chairman and star forward Darren Rigney speaks to 'Maroon & White' about the 2010 campaign and he reveals his hopes for the coming year also.
Loughnavalley appointed former All-Ireland minor winner Kenny McKinley as manager for last year's campaign and as always the goal was to progress as far as possible in the junior championship.
In their opening match, they faced Multy and this was the ideal game to get off to a winning start, but the old saying of if you don't put in the effort, you can't reap the rewards was fitting as Multy ran out comfortable winners on a scoreline of 1-13 to 1-5.
"It took us a while to get going and lads weren't training at the start of the year. This was a game we would have looked at the beginning of the year and thought we could have won, but it put us on the back foot right from the start," said Darren.
The second outing was against championship favourites Milltownpass and Darren admitted that this was always going to be a tall order against a side that were relegated from the intermediate ranks the previous year.
"We actually played better against Milltownpass, but we always knew that we would be up against it. For the past number of years the team that has been relegated from intermediate has gone straight back up and so it proved again last year."
A win was needed quickly to get the campaign back on track and it duly arrived in their next outing against old rivals St Josephs. Played in Cusack Park, Loughnavalley finally found their form to run out eight point winners, 3-8 to 2-4.
Three defeats on the trot to St Paul's, Ballycomoyle and Milltown ended Loughnavalley's interest in the championship and although they finished the campaign on a winning note by defeating Delvin, it was a disappointing end to the championship.
"Every year we go out we feel that we can at least get to the knockout stages so last year was very disappointing in that regard. We just never really got going. There was one or two games that we should have done better, like the St Paul's game where we got off to a great start, but couldn't build on it, but we will just regroup for this year and hopefully go on to that next step."
Although the championship ended in disappointment, Loughnavalley's year was not over as they then went into the junior shield where they played Delvin in the semi final.
Once again, the green and golds got the better of their opponents as they ran out convincing winners by 2-14 to 1-4 to set up a meeting in the final against St Fintan's Multyfarnham.
Multy had recorded a comfortable win when the sides met in the championship, and so entered the match as favourites. The bad weather over the Christmas meant that the game was not played until January 3rd, but it was Loughnavalley who adapted to the conditions on the day.
Despite being ahead for virtually the entire match, Loughnavalley endured a very nervy last quarter after St. Fintan's fought their way back into contention through sheer force of will as much as anything else. With less than ten minutes left, it looked as if the team in maroon were going to pull off what for much of the match seemed an unlikely victory when full forward Max Brady beat Loughnavalley 'keeper Ryan O'Heir to a high ball from James Carey and his fisted effort ended up in the back of the net.
However cometh the moment, cometh the man, and following a superb point blank save by the St Fintan's net-minder Ciaran McCabe who deflected a goal bound effort from the fist of Loughnavalley full forward Derek Glennon onto the post, Giblin was on hand to blast the rebound into the empty net from close range.
The eventual winners' passing and movement was much superior to their opponents in the first quarter and it came as no surprise when team captain Darren Rigney reacted quickest to his attempt at goal that rebounded off the bar via the hands of McCabe and duly dispatched the ball to the bottom right corner of the St Fintan's/Multyfarnham goal to put his team four points ahead with less than eight minutes on the clock.
It took a further point from Loughnavalley before St Fintan's/Multyfarnham awoke from their post-Christmas slumber and opened their account with a goal from full forward Max Bradley in the thirteenth minute.
St Fintan's appeared to be gaining the upper hand thanks to points by McDonald and Kelly, but a well taken goal by Loughnavalley full forward Glennon following good interplay by Elliffe and Darren Rigney ensured that the eventual winners went in at the break four points to the good.
Loughnavalley started the second period as they began the first and within three minutes centre half forward Darren Rigney increased their advantage with the score of the game.
With Loughnavalley recording only one score in the second period, it appeared that they were about to relinquish a lead that they had held since the third minute of the first half but with regulation time almost over Giblin's goal gave his team some much needed breathing space.
"It was great to win something and we look at how Ballycomoyle have come on from winning it the previous year to realise what can be achieved and we will be hoping to do the same.
"A few of the lads have emigrated like Bobby Eliffe and Kenneth Rigney and they will be a huge loss, as well as Derek Newman and Johnny Masterson, while Colm Ruane and Noel Dalton have retired through injuries.
"However, we do have a few young lads coming through and hopefully they can fit into the side with ease. I'd be confident that we can push on and reach the knockout stages at least this year."
Another plus for Loughnavalley was the fact that they maintained their division three status for 2011 and Darren believes that this is vitally important to their development.
"Playing at a higher standard helps improve a team and that's where we want to be. We produced some great results in the league and we are delighted to be still in division three."
Off the field the club ran a very successful field day in 2010 and Darren said that this is something that they will be looking at doing again this year.
"We had our first field day last year and it went very well and we would be hoping to do it again this year and make it an annual event. All in all, we are looking forward to 2011 and hopefully go as far as we can in the championship."

For the record the side that defeated St.Fintan's/Multyfarnham in the junior shield final was: Ryan O'Heir; Fergus Kelly, Gerry Clarke, John Hegarty; Alan Giblin, Stevie McManus, Peter Kelly; Bobby Elliffe Kenneth Rigney; Glen Gavigan, Darren Rigney, Bryan Tyrell; Paul O'Donoghue, Derek Glennon, Maurice Gorman. Subs: Brendan Fallon, Derek Newman, Alan Clarke and Richie Gaye. 
 
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