Year on year it feels like the standard across the board in the LMFM Minor Football Championship is improving and the 2019 edition was no exception with marvellous games across all five divisions and very little to separate the teams, a point illustrated by only eleven points being the difference between the winners and losers of the five finals, meaning the average winning margin was marginally over two points. 

The year saw fantastic achievements with perhaps none catching the eye more than the wins in Division 4 and 5 for Ballinlough and Rathkenny. Ballinlough went out on their own for the Summer League and Championship, completing a famous double in the process after previously being joined with neighbouring clubs while Rathkenny who didn’t field in 2018 at Minor or in the Spring League this year, rallied the troops for the Summer League and Championship before having marvellous success with two competition wins. 

On an individual front there were a large number of players who’s performances across the Championship caught the eye with the likes of Charlie Cullen and Padraig McKeever catching the eye for Rathkenny while Moynalvey/Boardsmill who lost out to the North Meath side in the final were well served by the likes of Michael Brady and Niall Bagnall. None of these players would have looked out of place in the Division 1 decider. 

In Division 4 the winners Ballinlough had eye catching performers in Jack Connell and Jamie Casserly while St. Colmcilles who must still be wondering how the trophy isn’t housed in Piltown for the winter were well served by the hard-working Brian Butler and Danny Ehichoya. Wolfe Tones overcame Ballinabrackey in the Division 3 decider after a thrilling hour of football in which both teams served up a brilliant contest despite the chilling wind which blew as it almost always does in Dunganny. The winners were indebted to the likes of Kyle Moran and Eoin Donegan with the minor pairing of Dean Pluck and Barry Thompson being shining lights for the ‘Bracks across the competition. 

Moving onto Division 2 and what a thrilling final we were served up in Skryne on the October Bank Holiday Monday as Dunshaughlin and St. Peter’s Dunboyne went head to head for the Liam Tolan Cup. In front of a huge crowd there was nothing to separate the teams and as the clock edged past the hour mark and into injury time, it looked as though the Dunboyne side might be able to land a late point to force an additional twenty minutes but the resistance among the Dunshaughlin rear-guard was brilliant to witness and they just about held out to claim a famous win and make it a second year in succession that county secretary Mairéad Delaney would present the trophy to one of her fellow clubmates. Ruairí Kinsella’s’ 1-01 proved vital in such a tight encounter for the winners who were also well served throughout the competition by midfielder Ciaran McCarrick.  For Dunboyne they can look forward to the likes of Martin Campbell and Simon Cunningham coming through to bolster their adult teams in the coming seasons. Campbell is an excellent defender who anchored their half back line to great effect while Cunningham is a tricky corner forward who has a great knack of scoring when under severe pressure. 

The preceding day had seen an almost similarly dramatic game when Summerhill met St Colmcilles in the Division 1 Final, only days after both sides had overcome Skryne and Simonstown respectively in a semi-final double header played in front of a huge crowd in the Meath Centre of Excellence.  Four fantastic teams went head to head as they served up what was potentially the best night of football seen anywhere in the county over the course of 2019.

The ability of Summerhill and St. Colmcilles to serve up such a thrilling final five days later was testament to the players involved along with their coaches.  Those who arrived to Páirc Tailteann in advance of the Ratoath v Summerhill decider in the Senior Championship certainly got value for money as the match was in the melting pot until the very last moment as Summerhill went in search of the goal which would have secured a famous victory.  St. Colmcilles held out and there could be no doubt that goalkeeper Jakob Kula was key to their victory as he made a number of stunning stops in the second half. 

Once more, David Bell was a standout player in their attack with the county minor being a constant threat throughout the competition. Simonstown held him for much of the semi-final but there was only so long they could keep Bell shackled before he cut loose to lead the ‘Cilles to the final. Come the big day he then fired 1-08 of his sides 2-10 in a superlative performance. Others to shine over the season for the winners were joint captain Cian Flynn, Ben Wilde and Matthew Weir. 

Summerhill, having won the Division 3 MFC in 2018, were exceptional in reaching the 2019 Division 1 decider and while they will have regrets from the day and not coming away with the Delaney Cup, they showed enough to suggest that many of the team will go onto play for the senior side which they gave a guard of honour onto the pitch ahead of the senior final.  

Eoghan Frayne has the happy knack of regularly picking off match winning tally’s, Ben Moran is a tight marking corner back, Gavin McVann has the look of an old school midfielder who does the basics right and turns in a 7/10 performance every time while Jamie O’Shea is a clever operator in the half forward line who dragged the team back from the brink in that epic semi-final with Skryne as he kicked 2-04. Then there’s Adam McDonnell who looked like he had springs in the soles of his boots such was the heights he was leaping to pluck the ball out of the sky in the final as he gave one of the best displays of high fielding seen all year, only days after he turned in a brilliant man marking performance as he tussled with Niall Finnerty in the aforementioned semi-final. 

There were many more players across the divisions who were excellent throughout the Championship but there are few who would say St. Colmcilles wouldn’t have the Delaney Cup spending the winter on the county’s Gold Coast were it not for their inimitable no.14 David Bell who is our choice as the 2019 LMFM MFC Player of the Year. 

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