Lannleire's veteran campaigner Thomas Martin readily admits that his club have been off song in recent seasons, '02 being a case in point. But he insists that the Dunleer side still has plenty to offer and warns that they intend to return with a vengeance next term. On the evidence of their overall performances in 2002, Lannleire would certainly appear to have gone off the boil somewhat. However, one should not be hasty in their judgement of the Dunleer men . . . they still possess the ability to make a major impression at the top table of Wee County football. Before conclusion jumping, let's indulge in a precursory glance at the facts: Lannleire have underachieved since contesting the 1998 county final, of that there can be no doubt. But it's foolhardy to conclude that they're now a spent force. The players are still there - that's the most important thing. At their disposal, Lannleire still have the bones of the side that came agonisingly close to ultimate glory in '98, and they haven't become bad footballers overnight. And who will ever forget the fabulous football they played to light up the Joe Ward and Cardinal O'Donnell campaigns of 1997 and '98? That they emerged empty-handed from those seasons was a definite injustice. For whatever reason, they haven't hit the same heights since. In 2002, they yet again failed to impact in either league or championship. They remain wholly capable of doing so, however. As we speak, they are busy drawing up plans in Dunleer. The idea is to regroup over the winter and to return next season with a concerted effort on both fronts. And, as everyone associated with Louth GAA knows only too well: if Lannleire hit form, they will take stopping! Thomas Martin is a veteran of many, many campaigns in the blue and white of his local club. He was there when time seemingly stood still . . . when the Dunleer men were marooned in the intermediate grade. He was there too when they were standing on the shoulders of giants, within touching distance of the Holy Grail, winning admirers from every corner of the county - and beyond - for the eye-catching brand of football they patented. He was there again last season, as Lannleire once more failed to break into their stride, losing all three championship games and serving up a pretty average league programme. Needless to say, Thomas is moderately crestfallen when recalling the events of '02: "We were disappointed, definitely. It was a poor enough year. To be honest, I thought we should have done a lot better. "We had Nicky [Malone] for the whole year because he was taking a year out from the county team, and the preparations were good. We went into the season in high spirits and full of hope. Everything had gone well and we felt we had a great chance of turning the corner. "We won our first league game and thought we were on our way. But, for some unknown reason, we couldn't seem to get things together at all after that." Since its inception, Lannleire have struggled to adapt to the new championship system. Season 2002 was no exception. Playing out of Group C, they lost all three games - to eventual finalists St Brides, semi-finalists Clan Na Gael and steadily improving Glyde Rangers. Lannleire had the distinction of taking part in the first SFC fixture of the season - against St Brides on May 30th. They lost by 2-8 to 1-6. Tellingly, only three Dunleer men (Declan Martin, Martin Farrelly and Thomas Martin) scored, while eight different Knockbridge players got their names on the scoresheet. Next up were the Clans on June 13th. Lannleire held their own for the first 45 minutes and were still within a point as the game went into its final quarter but the Dundalk men finished strongest to prevail by 1-11 to 0-9. With Clans and the Brides already through to the knockout stage, the final group outing was meaningless. For the record, it was played on July 7th and Glyde Rangers took the points on a 0-15 to 1-8 scoreline. Lannleire were clearly holding back in that game, however, as - significantly - they turned the tables on the Tallanstown men in a vital league game the following week. Still, three straight defeats in the premier competition left a decidedly bitter taste in the mouth. Says Thomas: "Since the championship has been re-organised on a league basis, we haven't been able to get into it at all. We haven't featured and are struggling to win a single game. "When it was straight knockout, you had to be really up for every game and Lannleire used to thrive on the big match atmosphere and the whole occasion of championship football. The new format doesn't seem to be suiting us at all, which is certainly something we're going to have to take a look at before the new season. If we could break our duck and get a bit of momentum going, then I'm sure we'd improve dramatically..." Certainly, if Lannleire rediscover the form that clearly marked them out as the best footballing side in the county in 1998, then everyone else had better start grappling for their rosary beads. Back then, the Dunleer side was a joy to behold. They reached the county final and would almost certainly have shot down traditional kingpins Clan Na Gael had not the day been marred by a storm of Old Testament proportions. All that was missing from The Grove on county final day were the locusts .. . . and the opportunity to play good football. This suited the more physical side - the Clans - and the Castletown Road outfit duly forced the result. "The weather didn't suit our style of play," Thomas confirms. "We were going really well all year with a fast running game, moving the ball fast but we couldn't do that in those conditions. It was very difficult to get on the ball and, when we did, they could just push us off it. "There is no doubt that up to the final we had played the best football. We were flying that year and we also reached the league semi-final, but didn't come away with anything, which was really disappointing." Is Thomas surprised that Lannleire have failed to build upon the achievements of 1998? "Yes, logically we should have improved further after that because we were a coming team. We've lost a couple of players, Noel Callan and Wayne Carroll, but even allowing for that I still think we should be doing much better. And we definitely didn't do ourselves justice in 2002. There are a lot of good players on this team and we are underachieving, which is very frustrating." Senior honours have therefore proved elusive thus far during Thomas' extensive career. But it's not all doom and gloom - his palm has been laced with certain silvers. He has garnered intermediate championship, minor championship and Division Two league honours as well as three Old Gael Cup mementos. Thomas has served Lannleire extremely well as an exceptional utility player for the past 17 seasons. In 2002 - his 38th summer on Planet Earth (he turns 38 in February) - the experienced campaigner lined out in the middle of the park. Playing around him are some wonderful exponents of the national game. In Martin Farrelly and Nicky Malone, Lannleire boast two of the best all-round footballers in the county. The irony is that the pair are in such big demand that they're not always able to serve their club as well as they'd like to. It's a handicap many clubs are forced to contend with, but one which arguably afflicts Dunleer more than most. Thomas notes: "Nicky and Martin always give 100% for Lannleire, but I suppose we do suffer a little bit. We had Nicky for all of last season, which is one of the reasons why we're so disappointed not to have done better. Martin was in America for part of the season and was also with the county team, but he played for us as much as he could. "They are two great footballers and naturally we do miss them when they're not here. They're asked to play a lot of football, with the result that they're sometimes burnt out and not as sharp as they could be. But we're proud of them and delighted to have them here." With Farrelly and Malone firing on all cylinders, Lannleire could match anyone in the county. In 2002, though, they had a brief flirtation with relegation to intermediate level. But when the going gets tough... "We were in the relegation zone at one stage," Thomas concedes. "But we fought our way out of it easily enough in the end with a few wins in a row. Once we realised that we were in trouble, we upped our performance level and pulled clear." What is a realistic target for Lannleire in 2003? "To win one game in the championship!" Thomas quips. "Seriously, we have to look at getting promoted to Division 1A. Also, if we could get a few decent results in the championship and put together a bit of a run, we could take it from there. Our teamwork has been poor at times and maybe that's something we'll have to brush up on as well." Under the capable guidance of John Kennedy, Ray Newman and Michael Murphy, training went really well early on in '02. There were some creditable performances in challenge matches against Meath opposition and Lannleire went into the season confidently, with no complaints or injury worries. It just didn't work out this time. However, that's no reason why things shouldn't go better in 2003. Even the longest of journeys begin with one small step: "We're still a young enough team, so there's no crisis. We have young lads coming through as well - Stephen Murphy and Alan Murphy broke onto the first team last year while Richard Kieran is another very good footballer who's on the brink of it. "There's a steady supply of talent coming through and that's the lifeblood of any team, so we should be able to turn the corner. With a bit of luck and the rub of the green, we'll be in contention again next year." Indeed. Lannleire haven't gone away, you know... Tweet

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