CLOGHER’S KIERAN SMITH BREAKS THE WESTERNS HEARTS

CLIFFHANGER AS DREADNOTS COME FROM BEHIND AS KELLEHER, TOM TALLON AND LYNCH STAR

DRAMA with a capital D ! That’s the way that Sunday’s County Division 2 Football Championship final ended at a packed Grove field, Castlebellingham, Dreadnots, in a last ditch stand, capturing the title and the McEvoy Cup after an absence of 12 years with a one point victory (3-3 to 2-5) over luckless Westerns from Reaghstown, writes Ferdia.

It was an extraordinary finish to what in ways was an extraordinary match, Clogher’s legion of followers, not to mention their players were beside themselves with joy when the final whistle went.

Dreadnots had achieved what earlier looked to be almost impossible. Outplayed and outmanouvered for the greater part they hung on grimly even when the tide of battle seemed to be firmly set against them and as the County Board chairman afterwards put it, at the presentation ceremony, they were doubly rewarded in the end for their tenacious approach. There’s a lesson there surely for many other sides.

One, of course, must have sympathy for Westerns; it’s always galling to be beaten with practically the last kick. And even more so when one considers the manner in which they controlled the match for long stretches at a time. But against that, it must also be said that they were in a sense the authors of their own misfortune in that they didn’t cash in on their chances. On a day when there was practically no breeze, the losers chalked up the inordinate tally of 16 wides, more than three times Clogher’s total. And in the end they were made pay very dearly indeed for their spendthrift ways.

Westerns, finishing up losers for the second tjme in a final—they previously missed out to Lannleire at Ardee in 1971—had enough of the play in the opening half to have this match safely wrapped up. In their out the field work they were at that juncture, far livelier than a strangely muted Dreadnots, the seasiders unable to get any worthwhile rhythm into their play.

But/luckily for them, the Westerns forwards fell down badly when it came to the main task of score getting. The losers had some astonishing wides in a formidable tally of 12, fully 15 minutes having elapsed before they broke their duck/ left winger, Martin Fitzpatrick. one of the game’s best players, sending over the bar in reply to a Denis Kelleher goal for Clogher a minute previously this raid initiated by the hardworking Michael Matthews.

In the last ten minutes of the half,

Westerns seemed, however, to be on the winning path, adding 1-2 without reply to deservedly turn over 1-3 to 1-0 in front, full-forward John McGuire, getting their goal with a splendidly timed shot from about twenty yards after fastening on to a cross from B. Matthews.

Dreadnots, realising that the game was slipping from them, made changes for the second moiety. James Levins came from the substitutes bench to take over at fullback, releasing Anthony Dunne for centre-half duties. And up front, John Mulroy moved back to the forty with Kieran Smith (their original choice pivot) taking, up a position on the fringe of the square —a match winning move as it turned out. But more about that later.

Nothing in the third quarter to suggest that Westerns were going to be baulked of victory. If anything in fact, their dominance became even more pronounced, than in the pre-interval play, mainly due to the fact that midfielder, Michael Clarke, was at last producing the sort of football which supporters had expected from him.

Inside four minutes they had opened up a gap of seven points (2-4 to 1-0), their second goal coming from a penalty (Eugene Matthews ).

Seven points behind (2-5 to 1-1), Dreadnots—and more power to their elbow—didn’t accept what appeared to be the inescapeable. Twenty minutes into the second half they had cut the deficit to five points (2-5 to 1-3), and the fat was in the fire for Westerns in the 24th minute when Anthony Dunne converted a penalty (2-5 to 2-3).

Westerns tried to get themselves back to the rails, but they were now having to cope with a different Dreadnots, a team which, with everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Westerns breathed again when D. Kelleher. in the 27th minute, sent wide when there looked to be a fine goal-scoring chance.; Moans from Clogher supporters; sighs of relief from Westerns.

But the match was not over yet. Dreadnots had one last ace up their sleeves, playing it to perfection a minute from time when following a move featuring A. Dunne and Pat McEvoy, Kieran Smith — remember, we mentioned that he started at centre-half—banged the ball to the back of the net to the exultant cheers of Clogher followers. The match, was won and lost, Dreadnots were the champions. And Westerns, despite their dominance for so much of the hour, dejectedly left the field as runnersup.

It was an amazing finish to a match which, though producing exciting moments, scarcely lived up to general expectations, and the main reason undoubtedly for this was the sub-standard shooting, especially on the part of the Westerns- If you like, Dreadnots did pull it off against the run of the play, but don’t fault them for that. Coming back as they did in the second half after having been seven points down, . takes a lot of backbone.

Plaudits therefore to them on their never-say-die spirit with a fair share of kudos too to their back room mentors on the shrewd half-time changes.

The long serving Anthony Dunne came-into his own about proper when he escaped the clutches of the tall reaching McGuire. while players such as John Connolly, Michael Matthews, Pat McEvoy, John Mulroy (when on the forty), and captain, Dermot Campbell, were among others to contribute handsomely to a very sweet success. Credit as well to Thomas Tallon, a vigilant ‘ keeper and the talented Pat Lynch {one of a number of the St. Brigid’s minor squad on duty) on the victory, one which makes up for last season’s disappointment.

Sunday’s result should also be a tonic after an unlucky reverse in the previous Sunday’s minor football semi-final at Knockbridge.

It’ll probably take Westerns quite a while to get over leaving the title behind them as they did. They had everything going for. them on Sunday—that is, until those fateful minutes coming into the finishing straight. And in hindsight, perhaps overconfidence as much as those expensive wides of theirs led to their downfall.

Pity that a player such as the No. 12 shirted M.Fitzpatrick should find himself on a losing side. He worked like a trojan all through, with able backing (though not with the same degree of consistency) from P. Smith, B. Mc- Guinness, John Smith and M. Clarke (second half ), and full-forward, McGuire.

Dreadnots scores: K. Smith, 1-1 ; A. Dunne, 1-1 (goal from penalty) and point from a free), D. Kelleher 1-0, and D.1 Campbell, 0-1. Westerns: Eugene Matthews, 1-2 (goal from a penalty and the points from frees), M. Fitzpatrick-, 0-2, T. McGuire. 1-1.

Dreadnots: T. Tallon, T. Corrigan A. Dunne, D. Levins ; P. Rath, K. Smith, C. Kirwan ; P. Lynch, J. Connolly ; M.. Matthews, M. Lynch, D. Kelleher; P. McEvoy, J. Mulroy and D. Campbell (captain). Sub.: J. Levins (for P. Rath).