Ronan Fagan
“IT WAS VERY disappointing to see Trevor being sent off,” sighed his elder brother, Jason McLoughlin, whose thoughts otherwise on the intermediate football final were very pleasant ones.
Indeed, Jason kicked five wonderful points, while his cousin Malcolm at full-forward accounted for 1-1 of Taghmon’s victory clinching 1-11 total.
He chalked-up two of his scores in the opening quarter as the New Ross district outfit made the sort of strong start they maintained was necessary if success was to be theirs.
But the top shooter, who emerged as the championship’s leading scorer with 1-25 from six games, was high in his praise of the players further outfield for enabling Taghmon to get such a head start on Shelmaliers.
“The midfielders were flying, and the half-backs were on top. That all contributed to the ball coming in to us very early, and,” he admitted, “a lot of the breaks were also favouring us.
“But this win wasn’t about just 15 players. We have a very strong panel, and people could see that when Dermot Breen came on for Michael (O’Sullivan), while Lloyd Colfer also did very well after he was introduced.”
The 24-year-old revealed he held some fears after Shelmaliers made a promising start to the second-half.
“They got some quick points, and our heads were starting to drop,” Jason confessed. “Then we made a quick break and the ball was suddenly in the back of the net.”
Over to goal scorer Malcolm: “There was a bit of a scuffle in midfield from which the ball broke. Next thing Derek Breen popped it out to me, and I was clear in on goal, so I put my head down and kicked it to the right corner.”
He immediately took a glance at the scoreboard, which then read 1-6 to 0-4. “I knew we had been up only two points at that stage, but I felt if we managed to score a goal we would win.
“We scored a goal in each of our previous three games, and on each occasion they proved very crucial.
“Whenever we scored a goal it tended to lift the team and bolster the confidence, and,” Malcolm observed, “that was again the case today.”
Jason, meanwhile, is optimistic for Taghmon’s chances as they return to senior action next term following a two year break.
“Our under-21s are in the county semi-final, while the junior Bs should have made it to their semi-final too. We have a lot of very good talent in the club at the moment, and considering the fabulous facilities we now have, Taghmon needs to be senior. We are determined to stay there now, and go forward from here”
Taghmon’s restoration to the top grade means the New Ross district now boasts six senior football clubs.
“There are five of those clubs neighbouring us,” notes Bernard O’Gorman, who again excelled at centre-back on the way to becoming the only member of the club to hold two intermediate medals.
“We didn’t want to be the odd one out any longer. Today we had a chance to go back up, and,” he stated, “we were not going to let that chance slip.
“We have a good blend of youth and experience - the young lads are there to do all the running while myself and the other experienced lads just use our heads,” Bernard said somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
“I was very pleased with our performance. We knew if we stood back off the Shels they would probably run through us, so we had to get stuck in from the very start.
“The boys upfront did very well in getting the scores, and the fact they were using the ball so well took a lot of the pressure off us.”
The 38-year-old, who doubles up as a team selector, wasn’t divulging his plans for 2002. “We’re up there now, and I’m happy enough with that,” were his parting words.
Ronan Fagan
A YEAR AGO he had suffered defeat in the Offaly intermediate final, so David Foley’s delight at helping Taghmon-Camross to victory last weekend was all the greater.
“Ballyfore (his native club) actually made amends this year, so I was doubly determined to ensure Taghmon won this championship,” he explained.
The former Offaly senior player, who has Leinster championship and National League medals to his credit, transferred to Taghmon this year, and has enjoyed his time there.
“I have made great friends around the parish. GAA is a great way to get to know people, and the people around the parish have really made me feel welcome.
“The club is a very progressive one, and we have a group of players who love their football, and whose skill levels are very high.”
Walsh was overjoyed with Saturday’s performance. “We had not played like that all year, but throughout the championship we were working up towards this sort of display.”
Now, having overcome the final hurdle, he is very much looking forward to lining-out in the Wexford senior championship for the first-time.
“Football in this county is very strong. As far as the county team is concerned, they only need the full support of the County Board, with a bit more money being pumped in, to help them make the big breakthrough.
“We in Offaly always found it hard to beat Wexford. But whenever we played them, Wexford looked a bit disorganised. However, there is no disputing the fact they have always had the talent, and particularly upfront.”