The cream of the football crop at Moyne Community School made history last April when they won the All-Ireland 'B' senior colleges' title for the very first time. Gowna's Mark McKeever was one of eight Cavan-born players to play their part in the school's unprecedented success. Mark McKeever isn't exactly a mine of information when it comes to teasing out the finer points of his extraordinary football ability. But that's the breed of him. Modest, unassuming and totally focussed on being a team player, the burgeoning senior county star isn't allergic to hacks, just reserved in the extreme when asked to talk about himself. "The team were great all year and it was another great team performance in the final. Every player put in a great effort throughout the whole competition and we got the results because of that. We trained very hard from the beginning of January right through to the final at the end of April and winning the title made all the effort worthwhile," Mark reflects. Curiously, talk of the Gowna star's man-of-the match role in the All-Ireland B Colleges title win by Moyne Community School still, amazingly, remains vibrant and alive among those who witnessed his five-star performance in the Longford school's hammering of Ballyhaunis Community School in the national decider. Maybe that's because it's not every national final that witnesses a 3-4 personal tally being recorded with such aplomb! The prodigious talent delighted in helping steer his school to an unprecedented title win. The success was all the more enjoyable for him, he admits, because he was joined on the Moyne squad by a whole host of club and county colleagues. All told, the all-conquering Moyne panel included eight players from Cavan, all of whom boasted county experience at either under 16, minor, under 21 and senior levels. Those with Breffni connections included a healthy Gowna contingent, notably, captain of the team, Patrick Brady (Corfree); Ciaran Fitzpatrick (Drumcarey); Willie Stephens (Gurteen); James Murray (Portanure) and, of course, the aforementioned Drumhilla-born McKeever. Meanwhile also bolstering the Cavan representation on the panel were Dermot McGlade and Alan Barry (Arva) plus Shane Sheridan (Lacken Celtic). "Winning the All-Ireland was all the more enjoyable because of the fact that there were so many fellas from Cavan on the team. Knowing the fellas who you're playing with very well is a big help," Mark explains. As things transpired the fusion of the electric Cavan lads and their colleagues from Longford and Leitrim proved much too powerful for their opponents in Leinster and beyond. Under the guidance of team-manager Larry Morrissey, a native of Inchicore, Dublin, Moyne Community School (based on the Cavan/Longford border) blasted their way through to previously unchartered territory in devastating style. With at least seven of the team from 2001 still in tow, the long-serving Morrissey and his assistants Gary Brady, Oliver Keegan and physio Monica McKeon were confident of at least matching the team's achievement in 2001 in reaching the All-Ireland semi-final. In double-quick time that goal was easily realised and a much more vaunted target found in brilliant style. If losing out to Dingle CBS by just one point was a devastating blow, the school's success last year certainly erased the pain of that defeat. "The Dingle game was very tough but tougher to lose. We were without Paddy (Brady) and Ollie Doyle from Colmcille and they were badly missed. But I think losing out to Dingle made us even more determined to make amends in the 2002 competition." The retention of their provincial title proved almost too easy to be true with the north Longford school brushing aside the challenge of Portmarnock Community School by 2-16 to 0-1 at Mullingar. The game was simply a case of no-contest with the result never in doubt once the sparring in the early minutes had elapsed. In the event, it was David Pettit's expertly taken goal in the 33rd minute which paved the way for Moyne's all-too easy victory. The one-sided nature of the contest was later copper-fastened once Moyne substitute Adrian Maguire banged home his side's second goal. Moyne proceeded to produce another power-packed display thereafter in the All-Ireland semi-final against Ulster champions St. Columb's, Derry. Played at St. Tighernach's Park, Clones in mid-April, the would-be national champions careered to a non-too flattering 2-14 to 0-7 win in what was largely a lop-sided encounter. Moyne were in the driving seat from the opening whistle with the midfield pairing of Patrick Brady and Dermot McGlade dominating their sector in impressive style. Ahead of them top-notch duo of McKeever and Ciaran Fitzpatrick were in superb form. "We didn't expect to have it so easy against the Derry lads but all the lads played really well. We got on top of them early on and never really let them get back into the game," Mark remembers. Mark recalls how the opening quarter of that game saw the Derry lads produce their best period of the match. However when Moyne produced a spurt midway through the half to rifle over four points in a terrific five minute spell, the writing on the wall came sharply into focus for the northerners. And Moyne's pole position was further cemented when David Pettit drilled in a fine shot into the St. Columb's net in the 21st minute to help propel his side into a commanding 1-7 to 0-3 interval lead. The second half started with the Ulster champions hinting at a comeback as they scored the opening two points on the restart but they flattered to deceive and, instead, it was Moyne who went on to produce the winning formula. In effect it was Moyne's second goal which killed off the game as a contest. A bout of good combined play by Patrick Brady and Dermot McGlade finished with McGlade giving the St. Columb's 'keeper no chance in sliding the ball under his body as he advanced off his line. Moyne were on easy street after McGlade's major, picking off points almost at will from there to the climax of the game. The north Longford institution could now prepare for their first-ever All-Ireland final. Ahead of them lying in waiting were the boys from Ballyhaunis Community School, the Connacht champions who also succeeded in making history by reaching the final having defeated Cashel C.S. by 2-9 to 2-8 in their semi-final tie. The final at Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon was played in wet and windy conditions but even the elements couldn't put a dampener on the brilliance of Moyne's performance. And with all the hunger and cutting edge of proven champions, the Longford side roared out of the blocks to career into a 2-1 to 0-0 lead after just nine minutes, thanks in part to a goal apiece by Gowna duo Patrick Brady and Ciaran Fitzpatrick. Despite the fact that they enjoyed wind advantage in the first moiety, Ballyhaunis simply couldn't get to grips with Moyne's powerful tackling, running and precision in front of goal. And while the westerners did manage to fire over four points on the trot midway through the first half, a killer third goal, scored by Patrick Brady, just before the interval proved just the leg-up Moyne needed to quell any hopes Ballyhaunis had of making their own piece of history. In front by a commanding 3-2 to 0-5, Moyne proceeded to stretch their advantage by adding a further four points to their tally by the 41st minute as Ballyhaunis battled to hang onto a glimmer of hope. In that respect, four points between the 42nd and 49th minutes did raise the westerners' hopes but, like true champions, Moyne upped a gear when most needed and when our man McKeever notched his side's fourth goal with a well-struck penalty in the 52nd minute, the issue was done and dusted. Now in front by 4-7 to 0-9, the Moyne maestros proceeded to run riot for the remainder of the match. A further 3-3 without reply was added to their already impressive tally with man-of-the match McKeever grabbing two of the goals to complete his hat-trick of majors. His clubmate Ciaran Fitzpatrick also found the net - this time in quite spectacular style as he flicked a Patrick Brady centre past the stranded Ballyhaunis 'keeper. Moyne simply waltzed their way thereafter past the finishing post, 7-10 to 0-9 winners. "Although it wasn't our toughest game of the year, we played some of our best football of the year. All the lads just seemed to click on the day." And how does the winning of the title rank alongside his other achievements in the game? "At the time that was the highlight of my career but a few months after that we won the county championship against Cavan Gaels which was even better than that. The college win was special all the same." Moyne's title-winning team and subs who appeared in the final were as follows; Shane Sheridan (Lacken Celtic); Cian Brady (Fr. Manning Gaels), Noel Farrell (Colmcille), Kevin Donohoe (Dromard); Willie Stephens (Gowna), Jude McEntire (Dromard), Declan Reilly (Colmcille); Dermot McGlade (Arva 0-1), Patrick Brady (Gowna, 2-0); Peter Masterson (Dromard), Mark McKeever (Gowna, 3-4), Declan Kelleher (Aughavas); David Pettit (Dromard), Declan Farrell (Colmcille 0-1), Ciaran Fitzpatrick (Gowna, 2-4). Subs; Sean Diffley (Fr. Manning Gaels) for D. Kelleher); James Murray (Gowna) for D. Pettit; Francis Kavanagh (Colmcille) for C. Brady; Alan Barry (Arva) for D. Farrell. Tweet

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