Enniscorthy men proved me wrong with brilliant show

IN CONGRATULATING Starlights on Sunday’s marvellous victory, let me state at the outset that I got the outcome of the game spectacularly wrong. I fully expected that six-point margin to be going in the opposite direction, so hats off to the Enniscorthy men for the quality of their performance which was one of the best seen on the county final stage in many years.

They gelled superbly as a unit, and I couldn’t detect even one weak link on a day that nobody would have seen coming twelve months ago.

At the outset of any Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship campaign, as many as three-quarters of the twelve contestants tend to be talked up as potential victors.

However, I don’t recall Starlights being mentioned in that regard last April, and that was perfectly understandable given they had survived relegation to the Intermediate grade by five points when they faced Adamstown at the tail end of 2016.

To bounce back in such marvellous fashion, and to collect the title after a 13-year gap in the process, is a great tribute to the dedication and ability of the players who produced the type of performance that many can only dream about on county final day.

There was a steely determination about them even before throw-in when the St. Martin’s players had already lined up in their positions while the Starlights crew formed one final huddle.

The entire experience was new to the vast majority of their relatively young team, but this didn’t deter them in any way as they were shaping up as likely winners from a very early stage.

It was the perfect day in every respect, and the well-chosen words of experienced captain Tom Wall at the presentation were appreciated by friend and foe alike.

He was lavish in his praise of what opponents St. Martin’s had achieved just seven days earlier, and he made a point of highlighting the work of Starlights mentors at grassroots level as their influence was all over Sunday’s success.

In that regard, neutrals throughout the county will be queueing up to shake the hand of Purt Doyle when they meet him.

Anyone who has watched a Starlights under-age team in the last two decades will be familiar with this most dedicated of mentors, as he was busily beavering away with the club’s youngest players long before this day of all days seemed possible.

He put himself on the injury list after a celebratory leap into the air in the semi-final against Castletown caused some damage, but he was patrolling the sideline again on Sunday with a crutch for support.

His sidekick, Joe Hagan, has worked wonders in his first year at the helm in Bellefield, and it was so refreshing to see a coach playing to the strengths of his panel and ensuring that they got every opportunity to exploit their pace.

St. Martin’s were in trouble every time Starlights broke beyond the midfield sector, and the composure the winners showed in front of the posts was a clear sign that shooting practice was also high on the agenda during preparations in Bellefield.

It’s now all of eleven years since Horeswood were the last club to retain the Senior football championship crown.

Clongeen made the breakthrough in 2007 with a comprehensive win over Starlights, and in the ten seasons it took for the Enniscorthy men to return to the final, no fewer than seven clubs savoured that sweet feeling of outright success.

As we move into November, it’s encouraging to see that we still retain a direct interest in all six of the AIB Leinster Club championships.

Fethard, Crossabeg-Ballymurn and Kilanerin have already forged victories, and the former duo will be aiming to book provincial final places next Saturday while the latter are in action again too.

As for Starlights, they will have home advantage for their clash with the Simonstown Gaels team managed by former Meath great Colm O’Rourke on November 12.

I’m sure Joe Hagan will be keen to keep their feet on the ground and encourage them to give that next challenge their all.

For the moment though, let’s salute the Starlights and wish them well after a title-winning display of the highest quality.