Never say die Castledaly end long wait for Flanagan Cup

If at first you don"t succeed, try and try again. Perseverance certainly paid off for Castledaly last Sunday as they defeated Garrycastle to finally reach the summit of Westmeath club football, having suffered the heartache of three final defeats this decade. It was a richly deserved triumph for Castledaly, whose sheer hunger for victory was the main difference between the teams on the day. Garrycastle were left to reflect on their wastefulness in the first half. They had eight wides in the first half as opposed to none for Castledaly, and they finished with a total of 12 to Castledaly"s six. But when the game was in the melting pot in the last 10 minutes, it was Castledaly who wanted it more. The Castledaly players simply battled for the ball as if their lives depended on it. The support play from Padraig Farrell"s side was excellent throughout and their ability to retain possession under pressure was highly impressive, and there always seemed to be a Castledaly player available to take a pass. The Garrycastle forwards won plenty of possession in the first half and, while their shooting was often wayward, the pressure from the Castledaly defence was a major factor in the green and red side"s profligacy. Paul Dillon certainly didn"t relish the close attention of Ciarán Henson, who gave absolutely everything for the cause until injury ended his involvement shortly before half-time. Henson set a high standard for his replacement, Adrian Kelly, who followed suit in capable fashion. Michael Gavin shadowed the threatening Paddy Mulvihill, rarely letting him getting a clear shot at goal. Niall O"Neill was later switched onto Mulvihill and he capped an excellent campaign with another fine display. Enda Kelly had the game of his life, scoring a point which was practically a replica of his score against Tyrrellspass in the drawn semi-final. Kelly was awarded the official man of the match award and he fittingly claimed a vital ball in a goalmouth scramble in the dying stages. Castledaly goalkeeper James Kinahan and outstanding wing-back Derek Heavin would have been deserving winners of the award also. Kinahan pulled off at least three fine saves and his excellence denied Garrycastle a goal which could have ignited their challenge, with his two saves from Paddy Mulvihill particularly noteworthy. Derek Heavin"s outstanding performance in curbing the threat of Dessie Dolan was vital. Garrycastle moved Dolan from his named position of full-forward to wing-forward, and the aim was for Dolan to supply ball into Paddy Mulvihill and Paul Dillon. Heavin restricted Dolan to one point from play, a majestic first-half score, and it was the Castledaly man who prevailed in this intriguing battle between the two Westmeath team-mates. Heavin and Kelly were joined in the half-back line by Stephen Kavanagh, scorer of a memorable point in the drawn semi-final which really should have been the winner. When Castledaly lost previous finals, midfield was often seen as a problem area, but the Duffy brothers, Gordon and Niall, certainly came up trumps for Castledaly this year, and their work-rate, industry and ball-winning ability were absolutely crucial over the last few matches. With Aidan Browne to the fore, Garrycastle had an edge at midfield for much of the first half, but the Duffys upped their efforts in the second half and Castledaly"s hunger was reflected in the fact that they won the majority of the breaking ball. MJ McLoughlin has been outstanding throughout the championship (indeed, former Westmeath star Larry Giles recently claimed McLoughlin was the best player he had seen play in this year"s senior championship) and Garrycastle clearly set out to limit his influence, with Garrycastle centre-back John Gaffey producing a very good display in the first half. McLoughlin still had a significant impact on the game and he really began to make things happen in the second half. Wing-forward Alan Fitzgerald was a workhorse as always while, as many had suspected, the dry day suited the elusive talents of Brendan and Paul Kelly, who scored four points from play between them. With James Galvin at full-forward and Michael Duffy back to his best, the Castledaly forward line had more physical presence and ball-winning ability than in previous years. Castledaly manager Padraig Farrell and his selectors, Denis Fanning and Joe Nugent, used their subs bench very well in the last few matches. As mentioned, Adrian Kelly stepped into the breach for Ciarán Henson, Russell Casey also bolstered the defence in the second half, while Tommy Warburton added fresh impetus when he was introduced. Every team needs a bit of luck to win a county title and Castledaly certainly deserved their slice of good fortune; it came in a match in which they weren"t playing. That was when Martin Flanagan"s dramatic late goal for Tyrrellspass against Mullingar Shamrocks sent Castledaly into the knockout stages and put Shamrocks out. Indeed, Flanagan gave well known Castledaly supporter Ann Connell a lucky charm last Sunday, and the Tyrrellspass man even got a mention in James Galvin"s acceptance speech! Maybe it was just meant to be Castledaly"s year. But there"s no doubt that Castledaly are worthy champions. They defeated the county champions of the past two years in the semi-final (after a replay) and, in the final, overcame a club who have won three titles this decade. If someone said at the beginning of the year that Castledaly would win the county title without players such as Ken Larkin, Damien Doyle and John Paul Casey, very few would have believed them. A key figure for Castledaly over the past decade, Casey was ruled out with injury this year. Towards the end of the game, JP was down on the sideline urging his side on. No doubt, he wished he was playing but, without his efforts over the years, there"s no way Castledaly would be where they are today. Last Sunday"s long-awaited success was also a reward for all the underage work in Castledaly over the years. A seed was planted by George Casey in the late 1980s and nurtured by several others since. It certainly bore fruit last Sunday. Last Sunday was an unforgettable day for everyone with Castledaly connections, from 90-year-old club president Tom Young, to the youngsters decked out in the club"s gold and green colours. As the team bus turned at Farnagh and the Flanagan Cup entered Castledaly territory for the first time, a banner proclaiming "A New Castle For The Flanagan Cup" was there to welcome it. This banner had made an appearance before, but this time the words rang true. For Garrycastle, this was a very disappointing defeat; they have now lost in their last two final appearances. From their point of view, the main positive from the final was how some of their young players performed. Midfielder Aidan Browne underlined his considerable potential, as did the youngest player on the team, James Dolan. Rory McGowan has made a notable impact in Garrycastle"s championship campaign and was unlucky to be taken off, having scored two points from play. The Late Ollie McLoughlin It was fitting that Castledaly captain James Galvin mentioned the late Ollie McLoughlin in his acceptance speech. Ollie sadly passed away just two months ago. A legendary figure whose passion for Castledaly football never dimmed, Ollie was in the thoughts of every Castledaly person last Sunday. It was a very emotional day for Ollie"s son MJ, who played such a key role for Castledaly this year.