Inside Track: There should be more to come from Máirtíns

It’s been a great year for Naomh Máirtín – and it might even get better. Before the senior footballers made their way onto Drogheda’s Gaelic Grounds to play Newtown Blues, the under-16 title was tucked away.

Then, in the curtain-raiser to Sunday’s big game, the minors came from behind to win their title, beating a strongly fancied Ardee St Mary’s side.

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There’s a lot of celebrating to be done following the return of the Joe Ward Cup to Monasterboice, Máirtíns having taken care of the Blues’ challenge with some ease.

But when it’s all over, not one, but two of the club’s junior sides will attempt to advance to add further glory in their respective championships.

Then there’s the under-20s; but what most Monasterboice eyes will be trained on is the Leinster Club Championship, a tilt at which the seniors earn as a result of lifting the county title for the third time since the beginning of this decade.

Those previous wins were in jousts with St Mary’s in the Covid final, and then 12 months later with St Mochta’s.

However, in their two previous finals against Newtown Blues, Máirtíns came up short, despite having a sizeable lead in one of them with the game well inside the final quarter.

Playing in their seventh final in eight years, Sam Mulroy’s side had the chance to put the record straight on Sunday. They did that in style, overcoming an early deficit to win by seven points, 1-18 to 1-11.

This was a fine team effort, several players choosing this outing to give their best performances of the year; but as many times before, Mulroy was a stand-out, not only chipping in with 1-4, but playing a hand in almost all of his side’s winning moves.

When he wasn’t on the ball, the county team captain was directing operations. His passing was precise, and when it wasn’t convenient to kick with his right foot, he had a trusty left to call on.

His two-pointer in the first half from well beyond the arc was exquisite, and when he stepped up to a penalty, Johnny McDonnell in the Blues' goals was big odds to save it.

The ball was driven to the net with aplomb, just as it was in the Leinster final and later in the qualifiers, none other than Monaghan’s Rory Beggan having to do the stooping.

If club football is taken into consideration when the All-Star selectors do their deliberations, Mulroy would have done his chances of getting the nod no harm with this showing.

Blues needed a good start, and they got it, Conor Brannigan reminding us of what it was like earlier this year in Louth’s league match with Meath by converting an excellent two-pointer.

That score contributed to Blues building a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.

When that lead evaporated, however, Blues found themselves as chasers, trying to catch up on a team growing in confidence. The bookies’ favourites were triers throughout, but never quite able to make up a deficit which stood at five points at the break.

They got to within four points after that, boosted by a Conor Moore goal and some fine pointing by their best player, Ciarán Downey.

But any time Blues threatened a comeback, Máirtíns found the mark at the other end, Daragh Dorian’s two-pointer the best of the winners’ second-half scores.

Máirtíns made little progress in their previous Leinster forays – the competition wasn’t held in 2020 – but encouraged by this winning championship run, in which they got their stiffest examination from St Patrick’s, and also taking heed of how well St Mary’s performed last year, they’ll harbour hopes of making significant progress.

Having got a bye to the quarter-finals, Máirtíns play the winners of the match between Carlow’s Old Leighlins and Laois champions, Portarlington, on November 16th.

This is a well-balanced Máirtíns team, lacking nothing in height or strength. Players such as Thomas Sullivan, Wayne Campbell, Val Leddy and Mulroy have been through the mill, while Dara McDonnell, Eoghan Callaghan, and Tom Gray, among others, have lots to look forward to, maybe in the red jersey as well as the blue. Gray came in with four points in this game.

Blues’ big performance of the year was their quarter-final defeat of St Mary’s. They didn’t reproduce it in the two-point semi-final defeat of Dreadnots, and on Sunday, found a slick Máirtín forward line and resolute defence too much for them.

There’s a lot of rebuilding to be done in Newfoundwell.