JFC rankings: Knockbride the team to beat
PAUL FITZPATRICK profiles the 13 teams who will do battle for the Sean Leddy Cup in the Cully's Craft Bakery Junior Championship.
1 KNOCKBRIDE
Leaving Kingspan Breffni on Friday night, August 30, last year, it would have been hard to find anyone, from either Knockbride or Killinkere, who did not feel that Larry Reilly’s side deserved at worst a draw from their Junior Championship quarter-final.
They had bossed the match against the champions-in-waiting for long spells but came undone when a 30-metre free from Emmett Fitzsimons, with the very last kick of the game, somehow found its way to the net; 3-10 to 3-9 and that was it for another year. It was cruel luck for a young Knockbride side who had risen to the occasion in fine fashion.
They had good wins against Denn, Munterconnaught and Drumalee in the group while losing to Killinkere but they had learned their lessons from that one by the time the quarter-final came around. This time, for our money, Knockbride are the team to beat.
They are full of pace and have good ball-players all love the field. Michael Clarke is the experienced lynchpin of a speedy defence, while midfielders Roy Donohoe and Jordan McCabe love to get forward and are very good strikers of the ball. In attack, Ciaran Smith, Patrick Rogers and Niall McCabe are all scoring threats as is playmaker Matthew Traynor with Philip Rogers, a player who could well come on to Mickey Graham’s radar, the pick of the bunch.
The team will be strengthened by the return of half-forward Brendan Carolan from Dubai while their new pitch will be open for business when action resumes, which is another boost. All in all, if they can improve a bit – and their age profile suggests the scope is there – Knockbride should be the team to beat.
Manager: Larry Reilly
Key man: Philip Rogers
Last season: JFC quarter-finalists
2 SHANNON GAELS
Under Tom O’Reilly and Anthony Forde, the most westerly club in Cavan were arguably the most improved side in the county last season. In 2017, they had just missed out on the knock-out stages before losing the quarter-final in 2018 but last year they went all the way to the final and could have won it. In the end, they were unlucky to come up against a powerful Killinkere side who had already secured promotion to Division 1 of the league.
The eventual winners were strongly fancied having lost in a replay in 2018 but the Gaels gave them a huge scare in the final. The underdogs were a point up at half-time and stretched this to four entering the final quarter but leaked two goals and eventually came up just short.
It was an unfortunate way to send the season but Shannon Gaels could take great encouragement from the way they went about their business all through the championship. It seemed like every week, they came up with late scores to eke out victories which spoke to the character and resolve in the squad.
Amazingly, they won three matches by a point and two more by two points and drew a game in a dramatic run of games. Among the stars were captain Nevin O’Donnell and county man Jason McLoughlin (who turned in a colossal performance, while injured, in the final) while Stephen McManus was a rock at full-back and Liam O’Reilly super in goals.
Enda McHugh at full-forward was another who impressed and with Caoimhan McGovern emerging to bolster their options up front this time around, they should go very close once again to winning the Cully's Craft Bakery Junior Championship.
Manager: Tom O’Reilly
Key man: Jason McLoughlin
Last season: JFC finalists
3 TEMPLEPORT
After some time in the doldrums and lots of hard work, Templeport won the Junior Championship with a young and talented side in 2015 but losing a lot of those players afterwards meant they were unable to build on it and they soon found themselves back in junior ranks. However, several have returned to the fold after spending time away or on the sidelines injured and they have been augmented by another injection of quality youngsters.
Last season, they showed they were very close to the best teams in the competition when losing by a point to both finalists, Killinkere and Shannon Gaels, in the group stages.
They will feel they probably should have won both, blowing an 11-point lead against the champions-elect and only going under to a 59th minute Enda McHugh goal against their west Cavan rivals.
That tough draw meant they lay only seventh in the table but they were impressive in the quarter-final when beating Redhills by seven points before again going under by a single point to the Gaels in the semi-final. The good news is they should be stronger this time round.
With Benjamin Kelly making his debut for Cavan in the National League and many attacking options in the likes of Eoin Doonan, Liam Galligan and Eoin McCaffrey, they will certainly be in the shake-up.
The squad has been boosted by the return from long term injuries of Eoghan Martin, Jason Doonan and Aaron Donohoe not to mention the success of St Mogue’s College in the Pete Ward Cup with six young players, namely Conor Galligan, Liam Bannon, Luke Donohoe, Colin Edwards, Nikodim McKiernan and Cormac Mimna, impressing and joining the panel this year.
Under manager Martin Smith, selectors Declan Farrell and Johnny Edwards and trainer Aidan Rudden, they will be well prepared and will be on every shortlist.
Manager: Martin Smith
Key man: Benjamin Kelly
Last season: JFC semi-finalists
4 DENN
It’s not long ago that Denn were holding their own in senior ranks and in fact a few survivors remain from the teams which reached Senior Championship finals in 2008 and 2009. They suffered successive relegations and ended up in the Junior Championship where they have found the going relatively tough.
In each of the last two years, they have started the championship among the favourites; in 2018, they lost out at the semi-final stage and last year, a series of freak results on the final day saw them crash out, unexpectedly, before the quarter-finals.
That certainly represented under-achievement considering the talent in the panel which would cause us to question whether the commitment was there to compare with that of the sides who made it to the latter stages.
Most of the leading lights are in their early 20s, including Sigerson Cup winner Thomas Edward Donohoe, the prolific Cavell Keogan and the athletic duo of Oisin Kiernan and Conor O’Reilly, who have represented the county at underage level. Young defender James Brady also caught the eye last season as did midfielder Sean Donohoe, younger brother of ‘Ted’ and another real talent.
Goalkeeper Mark Fegan is another impressive young player with the ability to play at a much higher level. Experienced duo Martin Cahill and Colin ‘Mousey’ Kiernan have been carrying the flag for many years and may not return to the fold this year although indications are that former Cavan stalwart Mossy Corr will again man the midfield slot.
If Stephen Baxter, who guided his native Ballymachugh to this title in the past, can wring the maximum out of this bunch, there is no doubt they are potential winners, as their league form (sixth in Division 2) last year proved.
Manager: Stephen Baxter
Key man: Thomas Edward Donohoe
Last season: JFC group stage
5 MUNTERCONNAUGHT
The Munchies only finished ninth in the league last year but put it together in the championship and went all the way to the semi-final. They had a big win over Killinkere in the group stages and while they were well beaten at the penultimate stage, preparations had been disrupted and it probably was not a true reflection on their ability.
The experienced pair Stephen Sheridan and Danny Nolan are still leading the line but the team’s great strength is their strong cohort of quality young players. Sean and Kevin Hendricks are two of the best players in the grade while Tiernan Reilly at full-back is outstanding.
Others who impressed last year were the Fadoju brothers, defender Sean Erickson and attacker Conor Hetherton, with corner-back Eoin O’Shea’s sensational performances earning him a Breffni All-Star award.
John McCabe, top scorer for many years, is reported to be back training having stepped away last year and the ace in the pack could be the towering teenager Shane Hanley. His primary sporting focus is athletics but he is an exceptional footballer and has the potential to play at a very high level. In a knock-out championship, nobody will want to draw Munterconnaught; a first championship success in this grade since 1994 is certainly not beyond them.
Manager: Seamus Kiernan
Star man: Kevin Hendricks
Last year: JFC semi-finalists
6 MOUNTNUGENT
The men from the shores of Lough Sheelin have been making quiet progress under the radar in recent seasons. They last made the junior final a decade ago and the standard is undoubtedly higher now than it was back then but they are not far away again after a few seasons in transition.
Their side is littered with talented young players. Josh O’Reilly, who picked up an All-Ireland medal with Cavan Institute recently, is arguably the main man at the back, with centre-half Eoghan Smyth also a pivotal figure. The Rehill brothers, Mark and Adam, are really beginning to come of age while the experienced Ciaran Caffrey and Liam Hennessy are two of the best attackers in this grade, with Caffrey in particular highly-skilled and a prolific scorer.
Ben Brunton, who has a strong athletics background, is another up and comer to watch out for and while midfielder Daniel Harte has emigrated to Australia, Brunton’s younger brother Ned – Man of the Match in last year’s Minor League Division 3 final – and Owen Gibson will be expected to break through.
Barry Crowe, Martin Dunne and Doc Mulhall, who got a good tune out of this group of players in the past, return to the helm and hopes are high that a breakthrough can be made. Last year, they topped the group with wins over Kildallan, Redhills and Kill and a draw with eventual finalists Shannon Gaels but they came a cropper against neighbours Munterconnaught in the quarter-final, surprisingly only racking up 1-5 on the day.
Key man: Ciaran Caffrey
Last season: JFC quarter-finalists
Manager: Barry Crowe
7 SWANLINBAR
Swad had a season to forget at intermediate level last year, losing by 16, 15, 13 and eight points respectively in their four group matches. They had two cracks at it in the relegation play-offs but lost on both occasions, to Bailieborough (2-13 to 0-15) and Ramor United (2-17 to 1-8).
Coming off the back of a league campaign in which they finished bottom of Division 2 with 13 losses from 14 games, it was the poorest season for the Swad seniors, who are usually very competitive, in many years. Thus, they now find themselves dropping down to junior level, a grade in which the club have been very successful, winning the Junior Championship four times in the last 35 years.
The loss of Gearoid McKiernan robs them of their best-known player but they will be stronger personnel-wise this year due to the arrival of a strong cohort of players from neighbours Corlough. The latter are deviating from rule this year; in effect, they will continue as a club but will not field any teams and their players will line out with Swad. It is understood the ultimate aim is a more permanent merger between the clubs and as such, it will be informative for everyone to see how they perform this time around.
Many of the players would have lined out together at underage and school levels so there is very reason to believe that this will prove successful. However, that remains to be seen. Swad themselves have been on a downward spiral, albeit it at a higher grade, so it is very difficult to evaluate exactly where they are at this point in time.
They could well be championship contenders or maybe the return to junior ranks and the arrival of the Corlough men will require a period of adjustment. Either way, interest should be high.
Manager: Dessie Reilly
Key man: Ruairi Curran
Last season: IFC group stages
8 DRUNG
Last season, Drung finished fifth in Division 3 of the league, with the four games they lost coming against the sides above them, and they franked that form with a good run in the championship. They beat Maghera and Kildallan in their opening matches in the group before losing (1-12 to 0-11) against Denn and securing their place in the last eight with an excellent round four win over Shannon Gaels.
The west Cavanmen reversed that result in the quarter-final, winning by 2-11 to 2-8. Freetaker Declan McEntee was their top scorer while Cavan U20 attacker Tiernan Reilly remains the star man up top, assisted by the skilful Paddy McEntee. The likes of Michael McEntee, Stephen Fay, Andrew Rossiter and full-back Niall Fitzpatrick are also important players on a side which has been in transition in recent years but packs enough of a punch to be trouble the top teams on their best days.
They will need to come on quite a lot to make a final or win the championship outright but an extended run to the last four is not beyond them.
Manager: Declan Beard
Key man: Tiernan Reilly
Last season: JFC quarter-finalists
9 REDHILLS
Ten years have passed since a memorable away win over Cavan Gaels propelled Redhills to top spot in Division 1 of the All-County Football League. Back then, they were ranked as a side who had what it took to gatecrash the party at the very top of senior ranks but most of that team has moved on and they now find themselves looking up, not down.
In 2019, Redhills ultimately bowed out at the last eight stage in their first year back in junior ranks. They started the championship well with big wins over Corlough and Kildallan before losing narrowly to Mountnugent and then turning in their best performance of the campaign with a 2-11 to 1-13 win over a fancied Denn. Former Cavan minor Sean Martin (0-7, 6f) and former Cavan senior player Packie Leddy (1-2) did most of the damage on the scoreboard that day and they will again provide the main threats up front.
The return from injury of the outstanding Turloc Mooney will be massive boost while Rory Dunne remains a totemic figure. Elsewhere, the experienced Alan Brady at full-back and Cormac Brides at midfield will be important figures as well. The spine of the team is strong but consistency remains an issue – even when the border side were competing at intermediate level in recent years, they regularly pushed the strongest teams all the way but often slipped up in games they were expected to win.
On their day, Redhills could beat anyone in this division and a knock-out championship should suit them given the lack of depth in the panel compared to others but it’s hard to see them getting their hands on the cup, named after Packie’s uncle Sean, this season.
Manager: Bryan Bates
Key man: Turloc Mooney
Last season: JFC quarter-finalists
10 DRUMALEE
The first dozen or so years of the century were great times for Drumalee, including two Intermediate Championship triumphs, the most recent of which came in 2010, but a decline set in and they suffered successive relegations and found themselves in junior ranks. The rot was stopped with a championship final appearance in 2016 but the Cavan Town club have not really threatened since.
Last year, they failed to get out of the group, picking up wins over Maghera and Kill and losing to Templeport and Knockbride. However, there is a feeling of optimism around St Felim’s Park at present.
The experienced Enda McCormick is back from his travels and will be the anchor of the defence. Andy Fallon is another key player who can make a big impact while former county minor, dual player Callum Lynch, will be a big asset up front where Cian Byrne has been the go-to man in recent years.
Reinforcements from underage ranks are not plentiful at present but 18-year-old Aidan Lee is one to watch out for. The experience is there and there’s a feelgood factor around, with brand new facilities and a recent fundraiser for Pieta House pulling everyone together. Manager Sean Pierson and trainer Vinny Martin have got a good response from the squad and the feeling is they will improve this year. It would take a lot of that, though, for them to threaten the winner’s enclosure if we are honest.
Manager: Sean Pierson
Key man: Enda McCormick
Last season: JFC group stage
11 KILDALLAN
Last season, Kildallan finished eighth in Division 3 of the All-County Football League, beating just one of the seven teams above them. In 2017, they looked like a coming team with plenty of young talent and they came agonisingly close to a breakthrough around that time.
The loss of a few players hurt them though and they subsequently went back, finishing 10th in the group in 2018 and 11th last year, their only win coming in a dead rubber round four win against Maghera. This time around, they have lost midfielder Cathal Sheridan – transferred to a club in Louth – although Shane McPartland has returned from injury and should be a commanding presence at midfield.
Up front, MacRory Cup winner Ryan O’Neill is the main man and definitely among the very best score-getters in the division.
Unfortunately, Daragh McGovern is now in Australia which robs the excellent O’Neill of support. There are some young players of note such as Conor Lee and Eoghan Brady but in general the graduates from the minor team will probably need another year or two before they will be ready for the cut and thrust of Junior Championship football.
Manager: Emmet Curry
Key man: Ryan O’Neill
Last season: JFC quarter-finalists
12 KILL SHAMROCKS
The Rathluden Park men have a fine record in this competition, having won it in good style in 1986, 1997 and 2013. The club have always produced excellent players but numbers are a problem at present and the team is in transition.
Last season under Laragh man Thomas Rudden, they finished in 12th place in the table in the Junior Football Championship. They opened with a heavy defeat at the hands of champs-in-waiting Kill-inkere before easily disposing of Corlough.
There followed a narrow one-point loss against Drumalee before Mountnugent won with a bit to spare in the final round of the group stage, meaning the Shamrocks went no further, although they were unlucky in that Gary Tiernan and Sean Gaffney were injured and young player Bernard Brady was in America during the championship.
In Division 3 of the All-County Football League, they ended up 11th with four wins from their 13 matches against Kildallan, Mountnugent, Maghera and Corlough. It is notable that they lost all of their matches against the top seven sides in the division, although they gave a very good account of themselves in a few.
There are a handful of talented youngsters coming out of minor ranks who will be expected to provide a much-needed injection of youth and energy into the senior panel but it will likely be a few more years before the Shamrocks return to the winner’s enclosure.
Key man: Sean Gaffney
Last season: JFC group stage
13 MAGHERA MacFINNS
The MacFinns have been struggling for a number of years but keep fighting the good fight and are working hard at underage level. There is great pride in the black and blue stripes and a determination to improve on recent years, with a good crop of youngsters now breaking into the senior squad, led by Cavan U20 player Micheál Muldoon.
Maghera are in a tough position, struggling to win any matches, but where there are young players who are committed, there is always hope. A championship scalp of any variety this year would mark progress for one of the oldest clubs in the county.
Key man: Micheál Muldoon
Last season: JFC group stage