St Josephs defied all odds and surpassed all expectations to capture the 2006 Louth senior football championship. Rated as outsiders throughout the competition, Jody McDonnell's irrepressible charges possessed a perfect blend of youth and experience. They were also imbued with an indefatigable, never-say-die spirit that left the likes of Mattock Rangers, Newtown Blues and St Patricks feeling frustrated and bemused. Nobody can argue when you dispose of the three teams that shared the last six SFCs. Make no mistake: the Joes are worthy champions of Louth! Ten years on from their breakthrough Joe Ward Cup heist, St Josephs weren't listed amongst the favourites to land the Wee County's senior football championship in 2006. Only three clubs had managed to get their hands on the treasured silverware since the turn of the decade/century/millennium and the smart money was on the Blues, the Pats or Mattock working the oracle yet again. Perennial challengers Cooley were also fancied and the Marys, the Brides and Glyde were touted as potential surprise packets. But there was little or no talk about the Joes. Thus, despite a unanimous consensus that the winners would come from Division 1A, the Joes were the only team in the top flight not being discussed as possible champion material. Having flattered to deceive on far too many occasions since '96, the men from Darver/Dromiskin were practically written off everywhere except in the resplendent Cluskey Park clubhouse itself. Just when they were at their least fancied, St Josephs - under the astute guidance of Jody McDonnell - produced their best football in ten years. As they sputtered through the group stage, losing heavily to the Pats, there was nothing to suggest that things were about to change. However, once the competition became a knockout affair, the Joes were an entirely different proposition. Suddenly, they became both an irresistible force and an immovable object. Mattock couldn't break them in Castlebellingham; the Blues perished despite two chances in Dunleer; and the Pats were stung in Dundalk on county final day. A remarkable transformation and what a way to mark the tenth anniversary of that maiden success back in 1996! With six survivors from that historic day (including an entire half back line), the Joes produced an outstanding display in the decider. They led from start to finish. Their mix of guile allied to youthful exuberance won the day and not even the most fanatical St Patricks followers amongst the 3,000 attendance could shrug his shoulders as David O'Donoghue became only the second Joes man ever to lift the Joe Ward Cup. They'll talk about the powerful display that culminated in a convincing 2-7 to 0-9 victory at Pairc Clan na Gael on Sunday October 8 for many's the long year. And why not? It was awesome stuff indeed as the Joes belied their 7/4 rating down the bookmaker to re-enter the Promised Land. It was fitting that David Mulligan fired the killer score in the county final. A Louth minor, the Joes corner forward was only 17 when the decider took place but he demonstrated the composure of a veteran as he raced onto Declan O'Sullivan's through-ball before slotting tidily and clinically past Sean Connor in the 40th minute. That score put seven between the teams and left the champions of 2003 and 2004 with no way back. The ever-reliable David Reilly and Ollie McDonnell grabbed 1-3 and 0-2 respectively. The winners began with an incredible intensity and Skid's goal - created by Mulligan - had them ahead by 1-3 to 0-1 after 20 minutes. Joes led by four points at the break, but St Patricks had faced a similar interval deficit against peninsula rivals Cooley on all three occasions during their epic semi-final battle. However, all 17 Joes players who participated in the final were on fire and the Pats simply couldn't handle them. On the 40, the peerless Stephen Melia looked half his age as he finally contested a first county final, while the six veterans of a decade earlier played like men possessed. All over the field, the players in the tricolour jersey were superior and the fact that only Paddy Keenan (their only scorer from play) and Eamonn Carroll got on the scoreboard for the losers tells its own tale. County midfielders Keenan and Martin Farrelly (who chipped in with two points) came face to face but it was the Wee County captain who was about to collect his third major medal of the year… When the draw was made for the 2006 Louth senior football championship, St Josephs were pitted in Group B. The section also contained St Patricks, Dreadnots and Oliver Plunketts. The Lordship men were immediately installed as favourites to progress and the group was billed as a three-horse race for the runners-up spot and a place in the business end of the Wee County's premier competition. Appropriately, the Dromiskin/Darver men had the distinction of contesting the very first match of the '06 SFC when they squared up to Oliver Plunketts at Dunleer on Friday June 2. It was a tricky assignment as the Slane Road men proved themselves to be no mugs in the previous year's knockout, but Jody McDonnell's charges produced an impressive first-half display to lay the foundation for a satisfactory 1-10 to 0-7 success. County minor Derek Mulligan and veteran Ollie McDonnell terrorised the Plunketts rearguard, with the former placing the latter for the game's only goal on 14 minutes. Ollie was twice denied further majors by Plunketts custodian Thomas Smith and Man of the Match Mulligan was unfortunate to see his shot rebound off the crossbar. The young corner forward also set up Paul Drumgoole for a goal chance that struck a post and was instrumental in the Joes taking a 1-7 to 0-3 interval advantage. St Josephs stayed pitchside at half time and easily kept the Plunketts at bay thereafter to seal a comfortable win and open their account in some style. There were few hints of the glory that was to come and neutrals weren't sitting up to take notice just yet, but two vital points were in the bag. The Joes had lost the corresponding fixture - against the same opposition - twelve months earlier and that result has cost them a place in the knockout stage. This time, they would progress with four points from a possible six. Next up - a full for weeks later - was the Pats at the Ramparts on the night of Friday June 30. Few could have guessed at the time that this game was a dress rehearsal for the county final itself. Furthermore, on the evidence of their 1-13 to 0-6 defeat, not many would have given the Joes a snowball's chance in hell of reversing the result therein. Without the services of Ollie McDonnell, the champions-elect played poorly and were well beaten on the day by a Pats side that operated within themselves for much of the hour. Derek Mulligan found the range after two minutes but that would be the losers' last score from play until Stephen Melia split the posts some 56 minutes later. The Pats led by 0-9 to 0-2 at the break. Despite a comprehensive defeat, all was far from lost as the men from Dromiskin/Darver knew they would still reach the last eight if they beat Dreadnots in their third group game a fortnight later. They duly obliged with a thrilling 1-12 to 0-13 win at Ardee on Saturday July 8. Dreadnots produced by far and away their best performance of the competition at Pairc Mhuire, but Joes were determined to make up for years of disappointment by reaching the knockout stage. The inspirational Derek Mulligan grabbed the decisive score two minutes after the re-start, pulling the trigger to hit the net and give his side a 1-6 to 0-7 lead. Just after seeing his attempted point rebound back into play via the crossbar, the diminutive county U18 skilfully regained possession to deftly slide the ball low to the corner of the net. Dreadnots, who were themselves battling for a play-off place, refused to lie down and - even with wind advantage - the Joes had to be at their best to ensure a vital victory. Colin Kelly actually sent the Clogherhead men a point ahead seven minutes from time but the Joes claimed victory and direct passage to the quarter-finals with the last three points courtesy of Ollie McDonnell, county captain Martin Farrelly and Brendan O'Donoghue. The winners had trailed by 0-6 to 0-1 after 22 minutes but gained a foothold in the game when Chris Maguire, David Reilly, Thomas Yore and McDonnell found the range before the short whistle. Though they were almost dragged into a three-way play-off, the Joes just about managed to reach the last eight without need for any such messing. Prior to 2006, the six senior football championships played thus far in the 21st century had been shared by three clubs, with Newtown Blues (2000, 2001), St Patricks (2003, 2004) and Mattock Rangers (2002, 2005) landing Joe Ward twice each in that time. Amazingly, St Josephs would defeat all three of those clubs in the knockout phase of the 2006 SFC. The Joes were outsiders in all three matches but produced a series of stunning displays, leaving Wee County football followers in no doubt that they were worthy winners of the biggest prize in Louth football. The four quarter-finals went down for decision over the last weekend of July: the Mairtins against the Blues on the Friday; Cooley against the Marys on Saturday; the Pats V Kilkerley on Sunday night; and the Joes against holders Mattock at Castlebellingham on Sunday afternoon (3.30). Though they still had a sextet of survivors from the 1996 championship-winning team - Declan O'Sullivan, Mark Gorham, Enda McKeown, David Reilly, Ollie McDonnell, Brian Campbell - and the welcome addition of big names like Martin Farrelly and Stephen Melia, the Joes were not expected to make an impression against Paddy Clarke's charges, who had won two of the previous four SFCs. All the preview-writers got it completely wrong as the Joes powered to a magnificent 0-12 to 0-11 victory at The Grove. The hero of the hour was Ollie McDonnell, who floated over a lovely injury-time winner from a 30-metre free on the right wing. The manager's younger brother started with the No.14 shirt on his back and contributed all but five of the winning tally during the course of an astonishing display of industry and selfless endeavour. When Christy Grimes sent a similar free narrowly wide moments later, the Joes were through to the last four. The match was played in wet, wintry conditions and the winners had to come from behind, despite leading by 0-2 to 0-1 after four minutes courtesy of a couple of McDonnell frees. They never led again until the injury-time winner dissected the posts. Mattock led by 0-7 to 0-5 at the break and stretched this advantage to four points with frees from Grimes and David Reid. Amazingly, the Joes outscored the Collon men by 0-7 to 0-2 in the remainder of the game. Martin Farrelly, Brendan O'Donoghue and Jason McCourt found the range before McDonnell's straightforward free made it 0-9 apiece. Reid put the Rangers back ahead but O'Donoghue struck an instant leveller. 0-10 each going into the final quarter... The only scores from here to the end of normal time were points from play by Adrian Reid and McDonnell before the Joes talisman hit the dramatic winner 150 seconds into overtime. Through to the penultimate stage, St Josephs were still regarded as the outsiders from the four teams left standing. Everyone fancied the Pats, Cooley or the Blues - but the Joes had other ideas! After a six-week lay-off, they finally met Newtown Blues at Dunleer on Saturday September 9. The Blues had required a replay to see off Naomh Mairtin and the semi-final produced another draw: St Josephs 1-6, Newtown Blues 0-9. The Joes led by 1-6 to 0-8 from the end of the third quarter until the game went into injury time. Then, substitute Cian Smith missed a great opportunity to seal the issue. It looked like the Dromiskin/Darver side's chance may have passed when Colm Judge kicked over a late equaliser but, ultimately, there was no harm done as Jody McDonnell's men would finish the job at the second attempt. The Drogheda club knew they were fortunate to be still in the equation and they would have the likes of Stephen Gerrard and Hugh McGinn back for the replay. Brendan O'Donoghue grabbed the only goal of the drawn semi-final and might well have added a second major had not the referee called him back at one stage rather than allowing a clear advantage to materialise. Joes needn't have worried, however, as they sank the competition favourites by 2-15 to 3-9 in a thrilling replay at the same venue seven days later. Having done exceptionally well to survive an early Blues blitz, Joes effectively took the spoils when Ollie McDonnell landed 1-2 in the last six minutes. The battling Joes trailed by seven points at one stage in a bizarre opening period and, despite the concession of three first-half goals, they were still very much in touch at the short whistle - 3-5 to 0-9. They just refused to lie down and replied to all three Blues majors with a flurry of points from David Reilly, Derek Mulligan, Conor Murtagh (2), Martin Farrelly, Cian Smith, Mark Gorham and Ollie McDonnell. Reilly had clipped over his team's opening score early on. The champions-elect rang the changes at the break and the third quarter was a stalemate as the sides struck 0-3 apiece. But there was a growing belief that the Joes were going to come back… Gorham had closed the gap to four before Farrelly cleverly fisted a goal from nothing to make it 3-8 to 1-13. The comeback was on! Within 30 seconds of the goal, the Blues had Anthony Donaghy sent off for a second yellow card offence. McDonnell's free six minutes from the end had the Joes level and the former Louth player followed up with a goal and a point to send his club through to their first county final appearance in ten years. The team from Dromiskin/Darver 'won' the second period by 2-6 to 0-4. Unbelievable stuff! As they had done the last time they graced the decider a decade earlier, St Josephs would once more lay claim to the Joe Ward Cup. St Josephs, 2006 Louth senior football champions. On duty against Pats in the final: P McEnteggart; T Yore; E McKeown, D O'Donoghue; B Campbell, M Gorham, D O'Sullivan; M Farrelly (0-2), C Murtagh; C Smith, S Melia, D Reilly (1-3); B O'Donoghue, O McDonnell (0-2), D Mulligan (1-0). Subs: C Maguire, T Smith Tweet

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