Lavey weren't one of the fancied runners as the JFC got up and running but goodness how they stormed through on the blindside to catch the best of the rest stone cold. A lot of Lavey's supporters present at Kingspan/Breffni Park on September 21st last probably weren't even born in 1975 never mind remember when Lavey, that year, scooped the JFC title. Still, the joy of witnessing their beloved club regain the JFC couldn't have been more vivid as they danced on the Autumnal sod at headquarters in celebration of their team's achievement in the winning of the blue riband junior title for the first time since '75. More seasoned Lavey veterans celebrated like young ones too. Joy was unconfined. It was a picture-postcard vista - grass roots GAA style. All belonging to the black and whites were so eager, so determined to see their club bag another major trophy and cast aside one seriously irritating monkey off their shoulders that black and white droplets of rain could have trickled down from the heavens and no one would have noticed! Making their way back into the winners' enclosure was the all-consuming mission of team-manager P.J. Lee, his selectors Frank Tracey, Phil Smith, Jimmy Ferguson and their charges as 2003 dawned. From early on in the league campaign though, it became increasingly obvious that the league was only going to be a leg-up to attain the sort of fitness, fluidity and football skills necessary to beat the best of the rest in the blue riband championship fare. Mid-table respectability was to be Lavey's lot in the league, as things panned out. On the blindside, meanwhile, fancied runners like Kildallan, Redhills and Shercock remained the pundits' favourites for a shot at the title on finals day. But Lavey had other ideas and showed a more than useful penchant for bagging goals as their championship campaign gathered momentum. For instance, against Munterconnacht on July 17th, the would-be finalists beat their opponents by four clear goals, 4-8 to 0-8. But it was Lavey's outings in the semi-finals which arguably served to highlight, best of all, their ambition, pride and never-say-die spirit. Kildallan, by now, are old hands at contesting Junior championship semis and finals and they went into their tussle with Lavey as clear favourites to advance to yet another county decider. In what turned out to be a tremendously exciting and high-quality meeting, the would-be champions seemed to be in the driving seat at the interval as, helped in no small way by veteran Seamus Donohoe, they rifled over three unanswered points to career into a 0-9 to 0-6 lead. But with the retirement of the injured Donohoe and the tightening up by the Kildallan defence, the pendulum slowly but surely began to turn the Ballyconnell-based team's direction. With five minutes remaining the sides were deadlocked but then Barry Smith was hauled down and Paul Brady cooly slotted over the resultant free to edge Lavey in front once again. Kildallan pressed hard for an equaliser though and after two bad wides, eventually drew level with Lavey with the levelling point before the final whistle sounded. In the days that followed, some people could be heard talking about the possibility that Lavey had missed the proverbial boat and that the more experienced Kildallan men would make good their second bite of the cherry. However in the replay, it was Lavey who made absolutely no mistake second time around - even if they once again gave their supporters and mentors several near-heart attacks! A cracking penalty conversion by Cathal Donohoe and an opportunist strike by Padraig Smith did the needful on an eventful night for the Lavey men. Lavey's strength in depth was most noticeable against Kildallan with former countyman Seamus Donohoe, Kevin Brady, Finbar Jordan and Michael Maguire (with a two point tally) in particular all contributing to Kildallan's ultimate defeat. In truth, it came as little surprise to many shrewd judges that Lavey succeeded in reaching the 2003 JFC final. With the return from the States of the vaunted Sean Maguire, the presence of such a potent mix of youth and experience in the squad and a top-class think-tank along the line, should we not have paid the local turf accountant a courtesy call without hesitation? Certainly those privy to Lavey's championship heroics will testify to the sheer grit, determination and great teamwork demonstrated by them en route to sealing their place in the final. Though it is not an exact science, the evidence of Mountnugent and Lavey's league showings and their equal points tally suggested that the final would see little, if anything, separating the teams at the death. Not so. As things panned out, Lavey's thoroughly professional display proved a mite too much for the inexperienced Mountnugent lads at Kingspan/Breffni Park on finals day. The match turned out to be an intriguing, yet largely one-sided JFC final. In winning at their ease, for the most part, Lavey played like a team well capable of holding their own at a much higher grade and their combination of pace, cohesion and efficiency proved to be a potent mix. The winners-elect controlled the match for all but fleeting moments, boasted the most impressive individuals in their ranks, and were, in truth, well-worthy of their double-scores victory. The game started two minutes early but Lavey were equally early into their stride with Seamus Donohoe winning an important 50/50 challenge before laying the ball off to Paul Brady who promptly pointed with just 42 seconds on the clock. Mountnugent's tentative start to the match contrasted with Lavey's more assured opening. Lavey made some tactical alterations to their starting line-up with Barry Smith picking up Mountnugent's former Castleblayney Faughs player Paul Campbell in the full-back berth. In addition, Joey Jordan operated on the 'forty with team-captain Seamus Donohoe dove-tailing with colleague Paul Brady in a two-man full-forward line. Perhaps most significantly of all though was the roaming role handed to would-be man of the match Sean Maguire. The writing was on the wall as early as the 14th minute when Sean Maguire raced in on goal and from close range fired the ball over, instead of under, the Mountnugent crossbar to ease his side into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead. By then Mountnugent's difficulties in converting their hard-earned possession into scores was all too evident. In this respect the losers' inability to add to their opening free by Eurick Reilly in the third minute until the same player fired over another free in the 30th minute was telling. All told, the fact that Mountnugent scored just one point from play over the entire 60 minutes-plus served to highlight one of the team's glaring weaknesses on the day. True to form, Lavey began the second half with a swagger and long-range points from play by Sean Maguire and Declan Murphy served to illustrate Lavey's greater efficiency in the last third of the field as they coasted into a commanding 0-8 to 0-2 lead just four minutes after the restart. As the second half gathered pace, it became increasingly obvious that Mountnugent needed a goal urgently to get a foothold in the match. Lavey's defence was in no mood to be opened up though. Mountnugent just couldn't get off the backfoot and when they did their efforts at working the ball in close broke down under intense scrutiny by the alert Lavey defenders. Lavey demonstrated great ambition on the day and right from the opening whistle showed the sort of aggression and composure befitting champions-elect. Four points without reply between the 10th and 23rd minute with substitute Adrian Garry notching the last of those points from play suddenly left Mountnugent just three points adrift, 0-6 to 0-9. But, like true champions, the black and whites reacted in a very positive yet composed manner to their opponents' spirited efforts. Lavey were left to celebrate an historic and well-deserved victory. And for once, it was a double scores victory (0-12 to 0-6) which fairly reflected the gap between the combatants over the course of the full 60 minutes-plus. Surely even the most partisan Mountnugent fan would surely acknowledge that Lavey were simply a class apart on the day. Roll on the 2004 intermediate championship campaign! The following is the Lavey team, scorers and subs, who did their club proud in the 2003 JFC decider: James Carolan; Kevin Donohoe, Joey Jordan, Declan Smith; Peter McGee, Adrian Smith (0-1), Darren Smith; Cathal Donohoe (0-1), David Walsh; Kieran Galligan (0-1, free), Seamus Donohoe, Barry Smith; Declan Murphy (0-1), Paul Brady (0-4, two frees), Sean Maguire (0-4). Subs; Finbar Jordan for Kieran Galligan; Padraig Smith for Seamus Donohoe; Kevin Brady for Paul Brady. Tweet

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