Club identity did not flounder but flourished in bright sunshine on Sunday last in Ratoath GAA, when a newly formed independent team from Clonard, Longwood and Ballinabrackey finished the year in style with a superb performance to win the O’Reilly & Co Solicitors Division 4 U15 Championship final against St Vincent’s Curraha.

Coaches from the three clubs looked for buy-in from parents and boys to the new team at the dawn of the year and the players reaped the rewards with a fabulous run through the championship to close out an exceptional year that players will remember for a long time.

There were days of doubt and low numbers at times because of injuries (some of which were serious), long holidays, sickness and the ever increasing Gaeltacht exoduses but the well didn’t run dry. Players kept coming when they could and when they saw others were coming and committing too, something clicked. In the past, teams from the three clubs may not have fielded in critical matches, or would have played up players from lower age groups who may not have been ready to play up, and another year was lost to the numbers game, where good players lose out to demographics just because of where they are from. This year was different. Absences could be sustained, even significant ones in the early rounds of the championship, which meant players kept developing and momentum moved minds.

The result? Twenty-two players felt what it was like to win a championship on a Sunday and the chances of each continuing to play football for their clubs has to have been greatly enhanced.

From the throw in, Fionn Campbell won possession and with hindsight, the die was cast. Playing with a strong wind behind their backs, but blowing diagonally across the pitch so making it exceptionally difficult to score from range, the Boyne Óg players were creating chances but a very good and well organised St Vincents Curraha defence was putting pressure on shooters, and keeping players pushed out.

The deadlock was broken by Cooper Lynch in the fourth minute before St Vincent’s Curraha scored from a well taken free at the other end to level. Boyne Óg’s half backs, midfield and half forwards continued to prise and move the ball into the full forward line in search of openings but the defence held firm on numerous occasions before Eoin Campbell scored a wonderful point under pressure in the thirteenth minute to give Boyne Óg a lead they would not relent.

Fionn Campbell’s direct running was causing all sorts of problems for the opposition and he tagged on a super point after a surging run in the sixteenth minute before Samuele Patrizi timed a run brilliantly past Michael Glennon who himself played off a handpass with the same perfect timing to allow Samuele to use the wind to float a curler over the bar.

When St Vincent’s Curraha did get forward, Donnchadh Quinn and Billy Coyne were not found on their heels and they with Tommy Rispin, Tyler Daly and Laurence Giles all turned over possession. Confidence was growing and a lethal Sean Monahan tucked away a goal chance in the eighteenth minute to the relief of supporters who were seeing a resolute defence stop everything at close quarters up to that point. Cooper Lynch finally got another pocket of space three minutes later to add his second point under pressure.

It wasn’t all going Boyne Óg’s way, and St Vincent’s Curraha had some great players making strong runs, but early substitutes Finian Mooney and Cathal Brangan helped the defence stay on top while Roan Saunders, Ben Callaghan, Mason Anderson and Cian Dixon all took turns contributing to the effort going forward. Throughout it all Luke Orton and Michael Glennon were busy popping up in support and sweeping up possession when attacking alleys were getting closed down.

There was no closing down another blistering run from Fionn Campbell in twenty fifth minute when he again showed class in the conditions to score his second point of the half. His younger brother, Eoin Campbell then curled another wonderful second of his own over the bar from distance to leave the half time score Boyne Óg 1-07 St Vincent’s Curraha 0-1.

The team knew there was still work to be done and further reinforcements were introduced at half time with Jamie Walsh asked to shoulder some defensive work, and Killian Rowley sent on to do his part in the half forward line.

Against the wind for the second half, Fionn Campbell did what he has been doing all year and won the throw in before driving forward. Some great combination play and possession resulted in Luke Orton notching up the first score of the second half to extend the lead before a resultant kick out was won by Boyne Óg. Blitz-speed passing through deft hands ended with Sean Monahan scoring his second point of the day.

St Vincent’s Curraha, to their credit, did not give up and came back strong, with a few breaks causing all sorts of trouble but the spine of Boyne Óg would not be broken – though the crossbar nearly was! If there was to be a sign that it was not to be St Vincent’s Curraha’s day, it came when a fabulous strike crashed off the crossbar and away to the aware Jamie Walsh, before moments later, another fine effort to score a point came off the post and fell into the hands of covering defenders.

St Vincent’s Curraha kept going and scored a point from play and another from a free in quick succession in the forty-third and forty-fourth minutes but they couldn’t get the goal they were seeking. Adam Balwin’s kick outs have been a key asset to the team all year, and none were more important than during this second half period when a strong gale, coupled by low sunshine into his eyes, made his job of finding teammates very difficult, but he did it with great composure and accuracy. 

There were no easy score taking opportunities for either side, and ten minutes passed with huge physical effort being put in by both sides, and when shots were attempted they were often tried under pressure, blocked, or caught by the very strong diagonal wind. The conditions and tough defending were not deterring Eoin Campbell from trying however, and he scored another sublime point, his third and best of the day, against the elements in the 53rd minute to move Boyne Óg ten points clear with seven minutes plus any added time remaining.

A minute later, the deal was sealed when Brendan Nicholson punched the ball to the net when put across the goal. It lifted everyone to another level and Sean Monahan clipped over a sweet score before Eoin Campbell was put through on goal by Brendan Nicholson, and Eoin smashed a right-footer into the roof of the net in emphatic fashion to cap a fine performance by him.

Players were buoyant now as the seconds ticked away and just to cap his own day, Donnchadh Quinn launched a ball into the heavens where it was written on the sporting tablets that this ball would descend from on high onto the roof of the net to the delight of players and supporters.

The referee, Shane Waters, who had his own fine game, blew the final whistle and Boyne Óg had secured Division 4 U15 Championship winning status on a final score of 3-12 to 0-3.

Boyne Óg coaches started the first day of the year hoping for something different than before as they did not want to see their players being held back by low playing numbers at each club, and as it turned out, wild horses would not have held these players back on the last day of their year! And better yet, no one lost their identity in the tripartite cause either – on the contrary, identity was just expanded and players and families had a day to remember… Ní neart go cur le Chéile!

Boyne Óg Players: Adam Baldwin, Tommy Rispin, Donnchadh Quinn (0-1), Tyler Daly, Samuele Patrizi (0-1), Billy Coyne, Laurence Giles, Fionn Campbell (0-2), Michael Glennon, Luke Orton (0-1), Eoin Campbell (1-3), Killian Rowley, Sean Monahan (1-2), Cooper Lynch (0-2), Brendan Nicholson (1-0), Finian Mooney, Jamie Walsh, Cathal Brangan, Cian Dixon, Ben Callaghan, Mason Anderson, Roan Saunders

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