Milltown's hopes of making a quick return to the intermediate grade were dashed at the semi-final stage of last year's junior football championship. Veteran forward Eamon 'Ned' Doolin believes that with a more settled side, the green and whites could make the ascent this season. Relegated from the intermediate grade in 2000, Milltown failed to achieve their objective of making an immediate return last season. The Rathconrath-based outfit reached the junior championship semi-final but there they were stopped in their tracks by a Caulry side who had also just dropped back from intermediate status. After a sluggish start, Milltown fought back to take the lead early in the second half. However, Caulry finished strongly and so ended Milltown's hopes for another year. "Having just come down from intermediate, we would have at least expected to reach the junior final," says long-serving forward Eamon 'Ned' Doolin. "Even though we have lost a few key players over the past couple of years, we expected to be there or thereabouts in the junior championship. But, in fairness, it was a very competitive championship last year. Ourselves, Caulry and St. Paul's all came down and then you had the likes of Bunbrosna and St. Joseph's who have been building for the past number of years." While accepting that Milltown are going through a transitional phase at present, Doolin believes that they might have garnered championship honours last season had the team been more settled. "Between injuries, fellas working away and exams, we never really had a settled team last year. It was a different team which took the field for every game. The year might have had a different ending had we been at full strength." Under the guidance of well-known St. Loman's referee Mick McAdden, Milltown were the form team in the early stages of the championship, chalking up five consecutive wins. They defeated Delvin by 1-13 to 2-1 in their opening game at Springfield on April 14 and seven days later, inflicted a 1-14 to 0-1 defeat on St. Fintan's/Multyfarnham. The winning run continued in May when Milltown took the scalps of Ballycomoyle, St. Joseph's and Bunbrosna. A 1-9 to 2-5 victory over Ballycomoyle was followed by an impressive 2-10 to 1-6 defeat of St. Joseph's. Eventual champions Bunbrosna were next to fall, with Milltown overcoming them on a 2-7 to 1-6 scoreline. But then came the first of three consecutive defeats when the green and whites lost to St. Paul's by 1-4 to 0-8 at St. Loman's. On August 17, they succumbed to Caulry by 1-4 to 2-7. A semi-final spot still beckoned but a shock 0-5 to 2-7 defeat to Loughnavalley in their final game of the league section meant that the sides would have to meet again in a play-off. Some Milltown supporters feared that the team mightn't be able to recover from such a comprehensive defeat but they needn't have worried. Milltown were a different proposition in the play-off, winning by 1-9 to 0-5 on September 15 at Kilbeggan. "That was our best performance all year," notes Doolin. "I don't know if we took Loughnavalley for granted the first time we met them but whatever the reason was, we weren't able to contain them. We were much better prepared for them the second day, though, and I think it showed in our display." And so to the semi-final. Milltown were not only determined to reach the final but also to avenge their earlier defeat to the Mount Temple men. However, Caulry had already four points up on the board before Fergal Reilly opened Milltown's account in the 10th minute. Mick Dillon halved the deficit in the 16th minute but then Milltown were rocked back on their heels when Ross Allen scored a Caulry goal. The Rathconrath side finished the half strongly, however, with points from Paul Mulvaney (two) and John Duncan (two) leaving just the minimum between the sides at half-time (0-6 to 1-4). Within two minutes of the restart, Stephen Somers brought Milltown onto level terms with a point. Gary Flanagan put Caulry back in front before a fisted goal by Somers in the ninth minute gave Milltown the lead for the first time. That was as good as it got for Milltown, though, as Caulry roared back with a string of scores. Points from Anslem Fitzgerald and Alan Carroll had restored parity before Carroll scored their second goal. The same player added another goal moments later and all of sudden, Milltown were six points in arrears. The green and whites battled to the death but not even a brace of points from Willie Keegan could save them from a 1-9 to 3-7 defeat. While acknowledging that Caulry were the better team, Doolin feels that a dubious refereeing decision at a crucial stage in the second half contributed to Milltown's downfall. "Just before Caulry got their second goal, I thought we should have had a free. But we didn't get it and the whole pattern of the game changed after that. "Overall, though, I felt it was one of those days when nothing goes right for you. Although he played, Damien Gunning went into the game with a shoulder injury. We also came up against a goalkeeper who was in inspired form. He was virtually unbeatable." There was also disappointment for Milltown in the league and Junior Cup. After a lengthy stay in Division 2, the green and whites were relegated, recording just one win at the expense of Tang. In the Junior Cup, Loughnavalley knocked them out at the penultimate round stage on a 1-9 to 0-11 scoreline. "It was disappointing to be relegated in the league but, in saying that, we were the only junior club to play in Division 2 last year. We were a Division 2 team for five or six years and that was a great achievement for the likes of ourselves who wouldn't have that much of a pick in terms of playing numbers." A grandson of the late Ned Doolin who was a member of the first Milltown team to win a junior championship in 1926, Eamon made his debut as a 14-year-old in 1982. Twenty years on, he is still producing the goods in the full forward line. Only goalkeeper Tom McHugh has been playing for Milltown longer, although Gerry Somers and Ollie Rogers would be regarded as the team's elder statesmen. Doolin is encouraged by the amount of young talent currently available to Milltown and is hoping that some of these young guns can bolster the club's bid for junior championship success this year. "We are fortunate to have so many good young players at our disposal at the moment. The likes of Fergal Reilly (who is on this year's county minor panel), Ciaran Byrne, Paul Mahon, Stephen Somers and Michael Connell are excellent prospects. "The junior championship will be keenly contested again this year but if we can get some of these younger fellas through and get a settled team, we'll be difficult to beat." The Milltown team which lost to Caulry in the junior championship semi-final was: Tom McHugh; Brendan Kiernan, David Molloy, John Dillon; Eamon Hynes, Gerry Somers, Paddy Reilly; Tom Dillon, Damien Gunning; Paul Mulvaney, Fergal Reilly, Willie Keegan; Mick Dillon, Eamon Doolin, Ollie Rogers. Subs used: John Duncan and Stephen Somers. Tweet

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