Mooney Cup Joins Feis Cup On Furze Sideboard.
Under-21 Success Seals Club Of The Year Award For 1992
Although the opportunity to become County Champions in 1992 was squandered by Seneschalstown thanks to a totally forgettable performance against Skryne, the losers recovered brilliantly to take the Feis Cup, the Division 1 League title and the under-21 Championship. The victories helped in no small way to earn the Club of the Year Award for 1992.
The award was richly deserved, for although the Golden Apple was not plucked, the other major honours were collected and the huge effort required did not go unnoticed/ Since the All-County Leagues were introduced in 1986, Seneschalstown have, inevitably, been close to the top of the table, and eventually broke O’Mahonys three year grip on the title when they defeated the Navanmen in the 1989 decider. Beaten in the 1991 final by Gaeil Colmcille after a replay, the Furzemen were always determined to reclaim the Mooney Cup.
The competition commenced in mid February, but Seneschalstown were not in action on the playing-fields of Meath. Instead they were in Donegal, on a weekend away which eventually lain the foundations for the excellent team spirit which they displayed throughout the year. So on the first Sunday in March, they travelled to Oldcastle, to face the home team in what is always a difficult assignment.
In last year’s yearbook, we described Seneschalstown as the “Great Enigma of Meath football”. Little has happened in the intervening twelve months to disprove the description. The Seneschalstown Senior footballers are a collective riddle, brilliant on one occasion and mediocre the next. And to compound the riddle, the statistics prove beyond all doubt that they are the most consistent team in the county and if ever a team deserved to win a major trophy, then Seneschalstown’s capture at the Feis Cup in November was the occasion.
In the golf they are called the “Majors”. The Big Ones. The U.S Open, the P.G.A., the Masters and the British Open. Win one and you’re made up for life. It takes a great deal of consistency to be involved in the shake up for two of the “Majors”. To be involved in the final stages of three goes close to guaranteeing eternal fame. In Meath club football, there are three “Majors”; the Championship, the League (Division 1) and the Feis Cup. Out around Kentstown and Beauparc they may not hold many happy memories of 1991. A humiliating defeat in the Championship semi-final by Gaeil Colmcille is still a painful memory. And while they forced the same opposition to a replay in the League decider, defeat again was the Furzemens’ lot. They also lost, narrowly, to O’Mahonys in the Feis Cup semi-final. That was 1991, and although they failed to capture any of the “Majors”, they were involved in the shake up of all three.
Seneschalstown’s admirable resilience is again heavily underlined by the statistics for 1992. For the second successive year, they were the only team involved in the shake up for all three Majors, an achievement which easily gives the blue and golds the title as the most consistent club in the county. At the time of writing, mid-November, they have captured the Feis Cup, were runners up in the Senior Championship and will almost certainly contest the League Final. The under 21’s have also qualified for the Championship Final and the Juniors enjoyed lengthy runs in both League and Championship. Club of the Year- a distinct possibility!
Unfortunately, the year will be remembered by Seneschalstown supporters for a more negative reason- the failure to win the Keegan Cup. And although there was nobody who begrudged Skryne their long sought triumph there was little doubt that the Keegan Cup was gift-wrapped and delivered (first class) by a lack-lustre Seneschalstown outfit. Which only serves to accentuate the enigma that is the Seneschalstown football team. Brilliant one day, mediocre the next. Who will forget their indulgence in squandermania in the Final? Who will forget the panache and style of the second half against Dunderry in the semi-final? Will the real Seneschalstown please stand up?
In the aftermath of the defeat by Skryne, the losers were accused of lacking “bottle”. The term is a relatively recent addition to the sporting vocabulary but it has found it’s niche. But what does it mean, and have Seneschalstown lost it /never had it? To this observer, “bottle” means the willingness to “go for it”, the “it” meaning the jugular, the kill, or, in less bloody terms, victory itself. And Seneschalstown didn’t “go for it” in the County Final. The groans from their supporters with each passing wide was a stark contrast to the delight of their Skryne counterparts who were thrilled by their team’s ability to state their collective appetite on crumbs. For crumbs were all that fell Skryne’s way on the day, yet they made a wholesome meal from them. Seneschalstown contrived to convert their rich ingredients into an indigestible concoction of inaccuracy and wastefulness.
And the Summer had promised so much. Drawn in the competitions most difficult group, along with holders Gaeil Colmcille, hardened Championship battlers, Summerhill and Walterstown and newcomers Ballinlough there was nothing “soft” in Seneschalstown’s agenda. A six point lead over Ballinlough was nothing more or less than what was anticipated. Raymond Butler’s goal, four minutes after the interval, was the game’s decisive score while Patrick Darby excelled between the posts. The game against Gaeil Colmcille was billed as the crunch confrontation. Could Seneschalstown recover from their mauling by the Kellsmen in the previous year’s semi final. Sixteen points! The Furze had always claimed that this was a once-off, a never to be repeated outcome. And they proved themselves right at Walterstown.The holders were already under pressure having lost their opener against Summerhill. And with five minutes remaining it looked as if their superiority over Seneschalstown would be extended. But the “Sixties” battled back, scored three points to level the game and but for two superb saves by the Kells goalkeeper would have collected both points.
At the end of June, Seneschalstown turned in a fine performance in the second half against Summerhill on their way to a two point victory,0-9 to 1-4, and although their first performance was abysmal they were happy to emerge with the spoils considering that both Mattie McCabe and Mal Hickey were missing because of injury. The pair were missing again on the following weekend when Walterstown provided the opposition, again at Pairc Tailteann.. The dismissal of Walterstown’s Alan Browne after only eighteen minutes certainly helped Seneschalstown’s cause and with Conor Macken in fine form at centre half forward and Padraig Coyle unerring from placed balls, the Furze went on to record a deserved four point win. Colm Coyle was the outstanding player on view.The victory assured Seneschalstown of a place in the semi-final, their only hiccup being the draw with Gaeil Colmcille.
A first semi-final victory since 1986 and only a fourth in their history was achieved in impressive fashion against Dunderry on the fist Sunday evening in September. Only three points adrift at the interval, despite having played against the strong breeze, Seneschalstown turned in their best display for many years in the second half and with Mattie McCabe giving a fine exhibition, they went on to win by a comfortable five points,0-16 to 1-8. It was this display along with the fact that they had emerged from the strongest group that made Seneschalstown the warm favourites to take the Keegan Cup.
Unfortunately, Seneschalstown left their form behind them when they travelled to the County Final. Fourteen wides, many from relatively easy positions, proved to be their downfall and despite the best efforts of Kevin Macken, Raymond Butler, Phonsie Gilsenan, Jim Farrell and Colm Coyle they never looked like recovering from Skryne’s 35th minute goal. True, they had numerous chances but their attempts lacked conviction. It was all so terribly disappointing. Ironically, Seneschalstown’s last Feis Cup victory was in1972, the year of their sole Keegan Cup success. And it was the ancient but freshly revived competition that provided the “Shirties” with a degree of compensation for their defeat by Skryne. The introduction of combination teams, Intermediate and Junior, provided the competition with a badly needed but very successful shot in the arm and it was the Nobber- Kilmainhamwood combination that provided Seneschalstown with their first taste of the new style competition. The North Meath combination had impressed in emerging from their group to cross swords with the big guns and looked dangerous when leading by 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval. But an Alan Finnegan goal and four fine points from Colm Coyle saw the Senior representatives in to the semi final on a 1-11 to 0-11 scoreline. In the semi- final Seneschalstown confirmed their Championship superiority over Dunderry with another five point victory. In September the final score was 0-16 to 1-8, in October it was similar, 2-10 to 0-11. Alan Finnegan emerged as the winners hero scoring three first half points to help his team to level pegging at the break, 0-6 each, and then 2-1 in the second half to cinch a place in the final. Along with Colm Coyle, young Finnegan did most to eliminate the Dunderrymen and the duo received good support by Kevin Macken, Raymond Butler and Phonsie Gilsenan.
Seneschalstown’s Feis Cup opponents were the surprise packets of the competition. St Mary’s.. a combination of the St Mary’s, Duleek and Bellewstown clubs. Incredibly, between them, the three clubs had won only 3 of their 13 Championship games at Intermediate and Junior level in the summer but had claimed the formidable scalps of Walterstown and Gaeil Colmcille to reach the final. Serious questions again surfaced in relation to Seneschalstown’s lack of “bottle” when the combination forced a late draw at Pairc Tailteann. Despite scoring on sixteen occasions, the favourites’ defence lapses allowed St Mary’s, who scored on only ten occasions, 0-16 to 3-7, to force a replay.The sides were also level at the break and although Seneschalstown dominated for lengthy spells, the concession of three goals almost proved to be their undoing.
Pat Carey’s men made no mistake in the replay. The foundations were firmly laid in the opening thirty minutes when, thanks to thoroughly commited and determined performance, the blue and golds established a commanding seven point interval lead, 1-10 to 0-6. It was Connor Macken who applied the finishing touch for the goal at the end of a sweeping move out of defence. Seneschalstown continued to give the impression that they had been embarrassed by their failure to win at the first attempt and were determined that there would be no slip ups on this occasion. The winner’s second goal was scored with only seven minutes remaining when Mattie McCabe took a return pass from Padraig Coyle to score one of the best goals of 1992. Although St. Mary’s scored two late goals, there was never any doubt about the outcome and with Colm Coyle and Graham Geraghty providing the inspiration, Raymond Butler, Jim Farrell and Kevin Macken quickly followed the same example and in the end, Seneschalstown had nine points to spare, 2-15 to 2-6.
The winning team and scorers were:
Patrick Darby, Paul Donohoe, Kevin Macken, Raymond Butler, Phonsie Gilsenan, Graham Geraghty (0-2), Jim Farrell,,David Dillon, Colm Coyle(0-2), Alan Finnegan(0-1), Mattie McCabe(1-4), Frank Brannigan(0-1), Brendan Carey (0-2), Padraig Coyle(0-2), Conor Macken (1-1).
