On the march again
March 01, 2010Last year, the red and greens were asked to punch their weight for a change and they duly hit the jackpot with victory in the Roinn D decider.
With practically the same squad that was tasked with competing with the best of the rest at Roinn B level in the previous year, Gowna toed the line.
With a 17-strong panel willing and able for the 13-aside competition, team-manager Laurence Brady was upbeat at the outset of the past season.
"I wasn't too sure we'd go the distance but they're a skilful group of players, have a good attitude and were in the right division," Laurence explained.
From the outset, Gowna had the look of winners. Impressive victories against Cootehill and Belturbet saw the team hit the ground running.
Thereafter the momentum was maintained with wins over Cuchullains and Denn. The team would go through the season in unbeaten fashion.
"The lads did well in all the games but especially well in the win over Denn," says Brady who was assisted by Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Audrey O'Reilly.
"We ended up winning by a handful of points on a pitch that was in a very poor state. We weren't great in the first half but got a lot better after that.
"The Belturbet game was a close one too but I think the draw was probably a fair result. We ended up joint-top of the table with them."
The weather interrupted campaign meant not all the matches in the campaign were completed, including the Gowna v Lavey tie but it mattered not.
However when the competition resumed, Gowna went onto secure a semi-final victory over Lavey, albeit after a tentative, nervous start to the match.
The county final in late June last against Belturbet stuck rigidly to the script with the two well-matched teams slogging it out 'till the final whistle.
It was a frenetic, nail-biting decider at Kingspan/Breffni Park and it wasn't until the long whistle sounded that the destination of the spoils was known.
In fact, extra-time was needed to separate the combatants in a game that was a brillant advertisement for juvenile football in the county.
Gowna began the game in bright fashion and points from Oisin Pearson, Aaron Brady and Robbie Fitzpatrick had Belturbet rocking on their heels.
However Belturbet came roaring back and a goal and two points in quick-fire fashion eased the Rory O'Moores into the lead for the first time.
Little separated the teams as the first half continued but then Gowna almost sneaked in for a goal but Robbie Fitzpatrick fired a penalty just wide.
Just seconds later though, Gowna had better luck when Shannon Pearson set up namesake Oisin for a brillant goal to tie the scores at 1-3 apiece.
The second half was no less fiercely contested with Belturbet again stealing a march by burying a penalty home just 20 seconds after the restart.
Robbie Fitzpatrick converted two frees for Gowna as they responded in gutsy style and then Aaron Brady fired over three further points.
Young Brady's hat-trick meant that by the three-quarter hour mark, the sides were on level terms and the fat remained very much in the melting pot.
The action continued to swing from one end to the other and in one last effort, Gowna looked to have won it but the Belturbet 'keeper saved the day.
With the game level at 2-4 to 1-7 at the final whistle, extra-time kicked in and good play by Shannon Pearson set up Robbie Fitzpatrick for a point.
Belturbet then banged home a penalty to leave them two points in front and that lead became three points before Gowna again rallied in superb form.
Good work by Conor Brady and Aaron Brady saw Gowna come to within a point, 1-10 to 3-5, at half-time.
Thereafter two huge points from Robbie Fitzpatrick eased Gowna back in front before Oisin Pearson added further to the Gowna momentum.
It was all Gowna at this juncture and a converted free by Robbie Fitzpatrick and another point from Oisin Pearson helped seal the issue, 1-15 to 3-6.
"The lads just weren't going to give up in the final," the Gowna boss reflected. "They kept plugging away in extra-time and got what they deserved."
Gowna (2009 U12 Roinn D League final v Belturbet);
John James McGahern; Ruadhan McDonnell, Dylan Butler, Cian O'Reilly, Conor Brady, Paul Brady, Aaron Brady, Robbie Fitzpatrick, Jessica Holdsworth, Paul Langtry, Conor Halton, Cian Madden, Oisin Pearson.
Sub used; Shannon Pearson.
Doubtless all belonging to Gowna would say that the club's under 16s also got what they deserved in 2009, winning the Division Two final in July.
Guided by joint-managers Gerry Cadden and Sean McGahern, the team impressed in beating Denn and so make it back-to-back U16 title wins.
Gowna were consistent throughout the year, losing just once to Crosserlough when a bout of flu greatly weakened the team line-out.
The lads from the Loch went onto top the league table all the same and so booked a place in the semi-finals against fourth placed team Shercock.
"They (Shercock) took us to extra-time," says team-mentor Cadden,"but we didn't let them through for any scores in that period.
"I felt we had really dominated large parts of the game in normal time but our shooting was poor and that let them off the hook a few times."
With a strong spine to the team and a raft of versatile players who were interchangeable, the Gowna think-tank had some quality material to work with.
It was material that had fairly demolished the challenge of co-finalists Denn earlier in the league. Was there the possibility of complacency setting in?
"No, we made sure in the run up to the final that the lads didn't become too cocky and sure of themselves. They were a level-headed bunch anyway.
"We expected a tough game in the final 'cause they had beaten Shercock but as things turned out, the final ended up being a bit of an anti-climax.
"The lads got the early scores that we wanted from them and there was never really any doubt we'd win once we banged in a couple of goals."
Those goals by Andrew Dewart and Conor Madden inside 21 minutes helped propel the would-be winners into a 2-4 to 0-2 vaunted lead.
Denn could have been closer to their rivals at that juncture had Stephen Leddy in the Gowna goal not made a great double save.
With Pauric Bannon and Karl Kiernan anchoring the defence superbly, Gowna had a solid foundation at the rear to help them push forward.
As things panned out, another well-taken goal by Jason Langtry helped Gowna pull 11 points clear and on the cusp of easy street.
Another point apiece from Conor Madden and Cian Bannon made it a 13 point game on the stroke of half-time as Denn retired reeling.
The game was all but over shortly after half-time when a long ball from Cian Bannon deceived the Denn defence and the ball ended up in the net.
Even a Denn goal in the 37th minute failed to unsettle Gowna who replied shortly afterwards with a fifth goal, this time from Conor Madden.
Young Madden then added 1-1 in quick succession, leaving Denn well and truly ensconced in the loser's camp on the back of a 1-7 to 6-9 defeat.
"I think these fellas will continue to improve," team-mentor Cadden opined. They are very keen. They've shown that over the last four years.
"The structures at the club are good and the players will be given every help so it's really all up to them and how much they want it.
"They've proven themselves to be a fair squad of players over the past few years and I'll be surprised if they don't continue to do well."
Gowna (2009 U16 Division Two final v Denn); Stephen Leddy; Damien Bannon, Pauric Bannon, John McLoughlin, Niall O'Reilly, Karl Kiernan, Ryan McGahern, Andrew Dewart, Gerry Cadden, Jason Langtry, Conor Madden, Cian Bannon, Aaron Bannon, Paraic Briody, John Hyland. Tweet
