As one of two teams relegated from the intermediate ranks in 2006, St. Joseph's would have been expected to be leading contenders for junior championship honours last year. But whereas their neighbours Rosemount bounced straight back, St. Joseph's endured a disappointing season as chairman Eugene Nannery explains. St. Joseph's hopes of making an instant return to the intermediate football ranks were ended last September when they were knocked out of the junior championship at the quarter-final stage by Mullingar Shamrocks. Having relinquished their intermediate status along with Rosemount at the end of 2006, St. Joseph's were anxious to bounce back last season and were widely expected to make a strong bid for junior championship success. However, their title challenge never really got off the ground and they could only watch from the sidelines as Rosemount swept all before them. "Our target at the start of the year was to bounce straight back and that meant winning the junior championship," recalls St. Joseph's chairman Eugene Nannery. "But we never got any momentum going and it was very disappointing to go out of the championship at such an early stage. We were beaten by a fitter and more determined Mullingar team and we couldn't have any complaints about losing to them." Eugene, who is in his fifth year as chairman, attributes St. Joseph's poor season to the loss of key players through injury and summer emigration, and an overall lack of interest. "We were weakened a good bit by injuries and the fact that three of our best players (Declan Nannery, Damien Lynam and Sean Lynam) spent most of the summer in America. And while we had the three lads back for the game against Mullingar, they weren't at their best owing to the fact that they had only returned home a few days earlier. "We're a small club with limited resources and to have any chance of winning things, we need every player available to us. We can't absorb losses like some of the bigger clubs can," he adds. Under the management of former Kilbeggan and Westmeath stalwart Richie Keoghan and his selectors Pat Keegan and Jason Rabbitte, St. Joseph's opened their junior championship campaign with a 1-11 to 2-4 victory over Loughnavalley. The win was achieved despite a number of poor wides by the Horseleap/Streamstown side. St. Joseph's were quickly into their stride and led by 0-5 to 0-0 after 20 minutes thanks to scores from Ronan McDonnell, Andrew McCormack and Enda Seery. But Loughnavalley finished the half with an unanswered 1-1 to trail by the minimum at half-time. St. Joseph's made a great start to the second half when a Wayne McCormack goal was followed immediately by a Declan Nannery point. Loughnavalley scored the next three points to leave just two between the sides, but St. Joseph's pulled away once again with five points on the trot and there was no back for Loughnavalley after that, although they did have the consolation of scoring a second goal in the final minute. The green and golds then suffered the first of two major setbacks when they suffered a 1-10 to 1-13 defeat to St. Loman's second team at Springfield. St. Loman's led by 0-4 to 0-1 after nine minutes, but after Aidan Lennon pointed from a sideline kick in the 11th minute, St. Joseph's took the lead for the first time when David McKnight and Andrew McCormack combined to set up Enda Seery for a well-taken goal. St. Loman's regained the lead after 18 minutes, but points from Aidan Lennon and Andrew McCormack saw Richie Keoghan's charges ahead by 1-5 to 0-7 at the interval. The lead changed hands again early in the second half, but despite enjoying the lion's share of possession, St. Joseph's were just a point to the good with 10 minutes remaining. And they were made to pay for failing to capitalise on their possession when St. Loman's finished the stronger to run out three-point winners. The same margin separated St. Joseph's and Milltown when the sides met at Ballinagore on June 23. Milltown made the better start and St. Joseph's had it all to do when they found themselves trailing by 0-1 to 1-3 after 11 minutes. But they made a fine recovery in the second quarter to leave just the minimum in it, 0-8 to 1-6, at half-time. On the resumption, Milltown applied strong pressure but the St. Joseph's defence held firm and when former county goalkeeper Lennon fired to the net in the eighth minute, they led by 1-8 to 1-6 and looked set for victory. However, the Streamstown-based club weren't to score again as Milltown fought back to restore parity before sealing a 1-11 to 1-8 win with three unanswered points in the last 10 minutes. St. Joseph's needed to beat St. Paul's in their final group match to advance to the knockout stages. And they duly obliged with a convincing 3-5 to 1-5 victory at The Downs. After Andrew McCormack had an early shot on goal saved, St. Paul's opened the scoring with a point and followed up with a goal from the penalty spot in the eighth minute. St. Joseph's registered five wides before Paraic Moran eventually opened their account in the 21st minute. Moments later, McCormack brought St. Joseph's level with a goal and the same player added a point to give them a 1-2 to 1-1 lead at the break. The green and golds resumed with a point from Paraic Moran before Padraig Seery blasted home from close range to leave St. Joseph's 2-3 to 1-1 in front. St. Paul's pulled back a point but fell further in arrears when Richie Meares pounced for St. Joseph's third goal. Thereafter, the result was never in doubt with two pointed frees from Aidan Lennon making certain of the victory for St. Joseph's. St. Joseph's were widely fancied to account for Mullingar Shamrocks' second team in their quarter-final clash at Moate, but boosted by an early goal, the town side ran out comfortable 2-13 to 0-8 winners. Once again, St. Joseph's were slow out of the starting blocks and they had already conceded 1-3 before Declan Nannery got them off the mark with a 30-metre free. Further scores from David McKnight and Michael Larrigy closed the gap before a second Shamrocks goal from Stephen Corroon on the stroke of half-time left St. Joseph's trailing by 0-3 to 2-6 at the interval. The second half bore witness to an improved performance by the Streamstown side, but the goal they so badly desperately sought never materialised and points from Aidan Lennon, Declan Nannery (two), Ronan McDonnell and David McKnight were not enough to save them. Despite last year's poor showing, former Kilbeggan full back Nannery, whose sons Declan and Brendan are two of St. Joseph's leading players, is upbeat about the coming season. "If we have a full panel and everyone is fit and in the right frame of mind, I've no doubt in my mind that we can win the junior championship," he says. "I've great belief in the ability of the team and I think they have the potential to be a good intermediate side. Having come down from senior and intermediate in the past two years, St. Mary's will be the favourites to win this year's junior championship, but St. Joseph's wouldn't fear playing them or any other team in the championship for that matter. "It's up to the players themselves at the end of the day. They won a junior championship before in 2004 and they know, with the right attitude and commitment, they can do it again." In recent years, St. Joseph's have joined forces with Kilbeggan Shamrocks at underage level and while championship silverware eluded them in 2007, Eugene insists the combination is working well. "We've a very good relationship with Kilbeggan which is important because neither of us would be in a position to field at underage level on our own. Of last year's underage teams, I would say the under 10s fared best. They won 10 of the 13 games they played and also won a tournament hosted by The Downs," he concludes. The St. Joseph's team that lined out against Mullingar Shamrocks in the JFC quarter-final was: Ciaran Seery; Michael Larrigy, Fergus McCormack, Pat McCormack; Neil Keegan, Aidan Elliffe, Kenneth Keegan; Brendan Nannery, Declan Nannery; Wayne McCormack, Aidan Lennon, Cathal Johnson; David McKnight, Ronan McDonnell, Paraic Moran. Subs used: Richie Meares, Daire Lynam, Andrew Meares, Mark McCormack and Jerry Gleeson. Tweet

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