cOUNTY  Minor division 1 football Championship Final,1998,at the Gaelic grounds.

Newcastle West.....................................................................................3-10

Ahane..........................................................................................................1-12

The 1998 magpie Under 18 Minor footballers covered themselves on glory (and mud!) at the Gaelic grounds on Saturday last when they came from behind to gain a memorable win over Ahane in a brilliant County A final.

It was a win that looked unlikely at the end of the first quarter when the Champions of the East led 1-6 to 0-2.  For fifteen minutes the rampant Easterners, playing skilful and controlled football rampaged past us, scoring almost at will and putting dismal thoughts of embarrassing annihilation into the minds of our supporters.

However resilience is the trademark of this particular Magpie team.  A few positional changes shored up a few places where the rot had set in.  The backs came to grips with their fast moving opponents.  The forwards began to win possession and create a few chances.  Suddenly a goal came.  It was created by Tony Roche, newly located at corner forward.  He won possession, was fouled and kicked quickly to John Paul Fitzgerald.  Before you could say ‘the spuds are boiling’ John Paul had turned his man, soloed ten yards or so and planted a beauty in the Ahane net, 1-3 to 1-6 and the comeback was under way.  At half time we were 0-2 behind, 1-6 to 1-8.

We owned the first ten minutes of the second half.  Mike Culhane was on hand to capitalise on a goalkeeping mistake after two minutes and take a goal , giving us the lead 2-6 to 1-8 for the first time.  Two futher points, beauties from John Paul and Brian Quirke gave us a two point cushion 2-8 to 1-9.  At that stage with the game going our way, we seemed to be getting the jitters and proceeded to kick some very bad wides.  Ahane came back into it and entering the final quarter had drawn level 2-8 to 1-11.

There was fantastic football in the final fifteen minutes as victory was pursued with intensity.  A number of factors changed the game for us.  Keith Power came in at corner forward and caused huge problems for the Ahane full back line.  Brian Quirke embarked on a solo from midfield (a la Michael Donnellan!) and scored the goal of the year.  Almost immediately goalkeeper John Joe Sheehy made a series of brillant saves.  John Paul Aherne from a free widened the gap th0-4.  This was the sixtieth minute and it left Ahane with an impossible task.  When the final whistle sounded (referee Richard Moloney (Bruff) had an excellent game) the same margin separated the teams and we were deserving champions 3-10 to 1-12. Joy was unconfined!

This victory was a triumph for guts, hard work, team spirit, commitment, skill and discipline.  No one shirked, everyone got stuck in.  There were no sulks nor petulance nor ‘ah Refs’, nor retaliations, nor dissents.  Hard tackles were given and taken, the cool was kept.  The lessons of some tempestuous summer encounters were assimilated and a wonderful team performance was the outcome.  Well done to all players and to their excellent mentors Mike O ‘Connell, John Fitzgerald, Peter Culhane and Liam Aherne, true football lovers.

TEAM:John Joe Sheehy;Gary Kelly,Mike O'Brien,Eoin Daly;James Nash,Seán Barrett,Tony Roche;Alan O'Connor,Trevor Neville;John Paul Ahern,Brian Quirke,Stephan Kelly;Eamon Dunne,Mike Culhane,John Paul Fitzgerald.SUBS: