Cooley's 2004 season was all about finals. The Kickhams enjoyed an extraordinary year, qualifying for all three senior County Board deciders (the senior championship, the Paddy Sheelan Cup and the Cardinal O'Donnell Cup), winning two. Pete McGrath also unearthed a real gem in young Brian White, Top Scorer in the 2004 Louth SFC. On the evidence of what we witnessed in '04, it is surely only a matter of time before the Joe Ward Cup makes its long-overdue return to Fr McEvoy Park. Though the SFC ultimately eluded them, it is very easy to put forward a case for Cooley Kickhams as the most impressive side in Louth in 2004. The Green & Golds demonstrated a remarkable level of consistency over the course of the season, challenging for all three major trophies available to senior clubs. They were worthy winners of both the Cardinal O'Donnell and Paddy Sheelan Cups, and were only a point short in the senior championship final. Up until the final, Cooley were very much the form team in the SFC. They came out of a difficult group (at the expense of Newtown Blues) and progressed to the final with clinical victories over St Brides and Mattock Rangers. The final itself was a huge game - an all-peninsula affair against defending champions St Patricks. However, both teams failed to rise to the occasion and it could have gone either way. But it was the Pats who came out on top by a solitary point at the end of a drab affair at Pairc Clan na Gael on Sunday September 19. It was a very disappointing outcome for Pete McGrath's team, who went into the game as clear favourites, having played much better football than their opponents en route to the final. Unfortunately, they failed to do themselves justice on the biggest day of all and, for the second successive year, their championship hopes were dashed by a one-point defeat at the hands of their nearest and keenest rivals. Ironically, Cooley managed to beat the Pats home and away in the league. That statistic sums their season up … they were consistently the best team in the land but failed to produce the goods on the biggest day of all. The county final proved a psychological stumbling block, but Cooley will learn from the experience. Despite the heartache of county final defeat, Cooley continued to go strong in the all-county league and the subsidiary league. For the latter competition, the Paddy Sheelan Cup replaced the old ACC Cup and Cooley became the first winners of the new trophy when they beat Clan na Gael by 0-15 to 1-6 in the final at Dowdallshill on Saturday October 2. As well as first winners of the new trophy, Cooley also had the distinction of being the last winners of the old ACC Cup in 2003. In the top flight of the league, Cooley were the outstanding team all year. With a one-point defeat of the Blues at Fr McEvoy Park in Round Thirteen, the Kickhams confirmed that they would finish the year on top of Division 1A. Cooley then crushed Clan na Gael in Round Fourteen, in the process placing a huge dent in the Dundalk club's hopes of reaching the final. By topping the table, Cooley claimed a place in the Cardinal O'Donnell Cup final against second-placed Glyde Rangers. The final took place on Halloween, October 31. Cooley's learning curve continued on an upward trajectory as they beat the Tallanstown men by 1-10 to 0-7. It was a massive win for the peninsula men, who silenced their doubters and proved that they are capable of winning big games. All in all, it was an extraordinary year for Cooley and the only disappointment was that they failed to capture the senior championship for the first time since 1990. The pressure of the big occasion seemed to get to the players but, having reached a semi-final and a final in the past two years, Cooley will be major contenders in 2005. Make no mistake about it: Cooley are the most progressive club in the county. They are knocking loudly on the door and that door is clearly beginning to open. But it would be wrong to indulge in too much backslapping. Granted, it was a special year, but the Joe Ward Cup remains their Holy Grail and the fact that they failed to claim the biggest prize of all is a source of frustration to all concerned. Especially as Cooley looked untouchable in all other competitions - as well as en route to the SFC final. Cooley were in Group B of the 2004 senior championship and they finished top of the table with five points out of a possible six. They kicked off their campaign with a resounding 3-21 to 1-0 defeat of Naomh Malachi at Pairc Clan na Gael on May 21 and followed up with a draw against Mattock Rangers at Haggardstown a fortnight later. Their third group outing against Newtown Blues was a winner-takes-all affair as the losers would bow out of contention - the first big game of the year. It was Cooley who held their nerve best at Dowdallshill on June 19 to progress to the knockout stages by virtue of a 1-13 to 1-7 win. In their quarter-final, Cooley beat championship specialists St Brides by 3-8 to 2-6 at Castlebellingham on July 17. Cooley led by four points at the interval thanks to an injury-time Sean McDonnell goal. They extended their lead to nine points with five minutes remaining and survived a late Knockbridge fightback to book their place in the last four. McDonnell was the hero for the winners with a hat-trick of goals. The semi-final was a repeat of the drawn group game against Mattock and Cooley won a real thriller by 2-11 to 0-14 at Knockbridge on August 14. Goalkeeper Seamus Quigley pulled off a string of fine saves, while Brian White weighed in with 1-5, the goal coming from a penalty in first-half stoppage time. Sean Thornton got Cooley's second goal towards the end of the third quarter and, again, the peninsula men had to weather a late storm before clinching their place in the final. And what a mouth-watering game the final was: Cooley against St Patricks on county final day for the first time ever! It was a unique occasion, which also carried the promise of an epic encounter. Unfortunately, that promise was never fulfilled and the Pats won a rather dull game by 0-7 to 0-6. The atmosphere at Pairc Clan na Gael was magical but perhaps there was simply too much at stake. Cooley failed to rise to the occasion and didn't justify the favourite's tag that they had earned with some stunning performances all year. After the county final, Cooley quickly regained their composure to finish top of Division 1A, qualifying for the Cardinal O'Donnell Cup final in the process. Therein, they made no mistake. They also won the inaugural Paddy Sheelan Cup, with a six-point victory over Clans on the first Saturday in October. Brian White gave an exhibition of point-taking that day, landing nine points, including an amazing four scores from 45s. With a tally of 1-27 from six games, the young Cooley attacker had also finished the year as Top Scorer in the 2004 SFC. Reflecting on the events of 2004 and referring in particular to Cooley's consistency across the board, the Kickhams sharpshooter notes: "It was a good year. We got to three finals and won two. Winning the Cardinal O'Donnell Cup final was very important because it dispelled the notion that we're not able to win the really big games. I think we proved a point to ourselves and a lot of doubts have been removed. We played some good football during the year and hopefully we can build on that next year. "We are also disappointed, however. It was a huge blow not to win the championship. At the start of the year Pete told us that he was here to win a championship and we felt exactly the same. But we weren't too far away and we will go for it again next year. There has been a lot of doubt in Cooley in the past and I think self-doubt crept into our play in the county final. But we kept going and still had a good year and we now realise we're good enough to win major trophies." Cooley went into the SFC final as favourites. They'd been much more impressive than the Pats en route to the decider and were playing with a singular purpose and conviction. Frankly, Cooley looked all year like a team destined for glory. "We had a tougher run-in to the final alright," Brian agrees. "But it counts for nothing when you don't perform in the final. Our lack of experience showed. It was the first time in 14 years that the club had appeared in a final and we only had one survivor from 1990. I think that showed, but the experience of playing in the 2004 final should stand to us in the future, as should the fact that we won the Cardinal O'Donnell Cup." Despite the heartache of defeat, taking part in the county final was still a positive event. "I enjoyed it," Brian reveals. "I said I was going to enjoy it and I did. I know myself that I didn't play as well as I should have but I think the whole team would admit that. All over the pitch, we just failed to play to our potential on the day. "There was a lot of talk before the game and a lot of stuff was said that shouldn't have been said. I think that got to us. The pressure was enormous. People were going around saying that we couldn't lose a final to the Pats of all teams and that if we lost we could never go back into Cooley again. That kind of talk doesn't help. It was never going to be a good game with that kind of stuff going on and with so much pressure heaped on the players. "Cooley players come under an awful lot of pressure and it's something we have to try to shut out. Even for ordinary league games, the pressure can be unbelievable sometimes. We have a huge following and expectations are so high now. This is the first year I've played senior football and I was surprised by the amount of pressure being exerted on the players." Brian enjoyed a superb first year in the Cooley colours and is hoping that things will get even better, both from a personal point of view and for the team. One of his ambitions is to go on and represent the county at senior level and, on the strength of what we observed in 2004, there is every possibility that such an eventuality will come to pass. There is also every chance that he'll soon realise his dream of winning a senior championship with Cooley Kickhams. It's almost impossible to imagine the present Cooley team not winning at least one SFC. Time is certainly on their side and Pete McGrath has confirmed that he intends to stay on and see the job through: "There are a lot of young players on the team," Brian notes. "There are also plenty of players coming through at the moment and I think it was good that Pete McGrath was there in 2004 because he demonstrated a willingness to take young players through and give them a chance to show what they can do. I owe him a lot myself - he had the courage to give me a chance and I'm very grateful for that." Over all, Cooley have mixed feelings when they look back on 2004. While they can feel well pleased with their form all season, there is more than a hint of regret, a sense of failure, a feeling that they left the big one behind them. "We were very confident all year and we felt we had what it takes to win the championship. But we're very disappointed with the way we played on the big day. We are a good, strong unit, we bond well together and I am very confident that we will be there or thereabouts again next year. We know what we're capable of and I feel very positive about our chances. "I really enjoyed the semi-final win over Mattock. We expressed ourselves in that game and showed our real spirit. That's the sort of game we have to use as a stepping stone. There was plenty in 2004 that we can build on. It was a fairly good year and hopefully things can get even better…" They can. By all accounts, 2004 was a stunning year for Cooley, not just at senior level. While they came within a kick of a ball of a famous clean sweep, the club prospered at all levels, including some notable juvenile successes. In off-the-field activities, the club's ambitious development is also gathering pace. All in all, the future is laden with promise. Cooley claim U16 championship While the seniors caused an entire county to sit up and take notice by storming to all three senior finals, 2004 was also a memorable year for the Cooley Kickhams U16s, who romped to glory in the Louth U16 football championship. Cooley Kickhams captured the 2004 Louth U16 football championship with an impressive 1-9 to 0-6 defeat of Naomh Mairtin in the county final at Haggardstown on Sunday August 8. The Green & Golds were bidding for a magnificent two-in-a-row and were in the fortunate position of still having many of the previous year's all-conquering team available for selection. They brought tremendous support to the final and gave their faithful followers plenty to shout about when racing into a five-point lead inside the opening fifteen minutes. David Kearney had the winners off the mark within seconds of the throw-in and Patrick McGrath followed up with a second Cooley point minutes later. When Jason Long was fouled, the captain obliged from the resultant free himself and the Kickhams youngsters followed up with two more points from full forward Andrew Thornton and centre half back Adrial Long to make it 0-5 to 0-0. The winners were completely dominant at midfield, where James Quinn and David Kearney were having a field day. Mairtins almost scored a goal in their first attack but the shot was excellently repelled by Cooley 'keeper Dean McCloskey. The Monasterboice lads did manage two points on the trot but the peninsula side regained their composure to finish out the first half with further points from Jason Long and Adrial Long. Mairtins threatened a last-minute goal but the danger was averted and Cooley held a 0-7 to 0-2 advantage at the short whistle. Naomh Mairtin had the better of the third quarter and had reduced the gap to two points before James Quinn opened Cooley's second-half account in the 50th minute, 0-8 to 0-5. Jason Long's free extended the lead and Patrick McGrath's splendid late goal finally put the issue beyond doubt. The game remained in the balance until McGrath's last-ditch intervention. Both sides enjoyed periods of superiority but Cooley made better use of the chances that came their way. They also defended heroically over the course of the hour, thwarting at least three goalscoring chances that fell to the opposition. Full back Brian Donnelly received the Man of the Match award for an outstanding contribution and team captain Jason Long accepted the Dermot O'Brien Cup on behalf of his colleagues from minor board chairman Tomas O hEochaidh. The Cooley contingent celebrated fittingly on the way home and the players paraded the silverware at the Cooley/Pats junior championship match in Lordship. It was a great end to a wonderful campaign. Andy Quinn was part of the winning management triumvirate, alongside James McGrath and Michael Donnelly. Reflecting on the U16 success, he stresses that it was a very significant one for the peninsula club: "We have a very good underage structure in place in the club and we place a big emphasis on our juvenile teams. At our AGM at the start of the year, we decided to appoint a manager to each team and to allow the manager to choose his own selectors. I believe that approach has worked out very well for us." Indeed, it did. At the time of writing, Cooley had made a big mark on juvenile football in the county in 2004, with the promise of more success to come. As well as the U16 championship win, the U15s had reached a league semi-final, while the U13s were also looking good. The U14s did okay and the U12s won the all-county Blitz as well as the Dundalk Gaels tournament. As well as all that, next year's minor team has wiped the boards, winning championships at every level from U13 to U16 … Cooley will be genuine challengers in the 2005 Louth minor football championship. Cooley had to win the 2004 U16 championship the hard way. Common perception had it that, Cooley aside, there were three strong teams in the under 16 grade - St Brigids, Na Piarsaigh and Sean Treacys. Unbelievably, Cooley had to play all three to get to the county final. They were also on the same side of the draw as another fancied team, Clan na Gael. If they were going to win it, they were going to earn it. The champions-elect kicked off their campaign against Sean Treacys, who had been their bogey team for the past few years. Treacys had beaten Cooley by one point in an U14 semi-final and had also prevailed at U13 level against this crop of players, so it was a real make or break game - and a searching examination of Cooley's credentials. In the end, Cooley passed the test with a convincing seven-point win. St Brigids (Dreadnots/Fechins) provided opposition in the next round. The amalgamation team were strong favourites to win the U16 championship as they'd claimed the previous year's U15 title, but Cooley toppled them by two points at Termonfeckin in July. Cooley actually conceded home advantage for that game, in order to have it put back a week until two of their players returned from holidays. The gamble paid off! The semi-final was against Na Piarsaigh, who had beaten Cooley easily in the league. But Kickhams won by 0-9 to 0-4 at Clan na Gael Park. All in all, it was a solid campaign. Andy notes: "We had some poor results at the start of the league but, due to injuries, didn't get our full side together until championship time. We played some attractive football in every game in the league, but our problem was getting consistency in our play. As the year went on, the lads came to believe in themselves and expressed themselves more. Discipline improved 100% between the start of the year and the end … the lads deserve great credit for that. "On the line, the three of us emphasised that they kept playing football and forgot about the intimidation side of it. They showed a very high rate of discipline in the games against Na Piarsaigh and the Brigids, and that was a telling factor." As Andy was also involved with the county U16 team, he was familiar with the key players on opposing teams and this was a definite advantage, enabling Cooley to pick horses for courses to a certain extent. The key to success? "We were very strong up the middle and the team worked very hard all over the pitch." There could be a lot more to come from this bunch of footballers… Cooley Kickhams - 2004 Louth U16 football champions: Dean McCloskey; Gearoid Clarke, Brian Donnelly, Eoghain Murphy; Antoin Watters, Adrial Long (0-2), Cormac Watters; James Quinn (0-1), David Kearney (0-1); Jason Long (captain, 0-3), Patrick McGrath (1-1), Patrick Sheelan; Owen McDonald, Andrew Thornton (0-1), Paddy Hanlon. Subs used: David McShane, Padraig Larkin. Rest of squad: Jamie Farrell, Finn Rice, Lee McCloskey, Martin Murnaghan, Conor McCormack, Adrian Carr, Damon McShane, Padraig Murphy. Mentors: Andy Quinn (manager), James McGrath and Michael Donnelly (selectors). Tweet

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