Valley Rangers

Valley Rangers Take on Skryne

If one weren't involved directly over the past twelve months with the Valley Rangers, you might think that they had taken their eye off the ball in relation to last year's success, especially with their all- conquering minor team that went the whole 2002 season unbeaten. This couldn't be further from the truth.

The Valley Rangers have a very good structure set up that doesn't change from season to season and while we mightn't have had the most successful season just past as regards winning trophies, it doesn't mean we were any less busy.

The club fielded teams in all minor band competitions across the whole spectrum. For the second year running the club has held its own in summer camp and it has proved a tremendous success, while our members have taken part in minor board camps since their inception, This is a new and welcome departure for our club, and it was organised this year by our new chairman John Noonan and our Schools Coordinator Paul Breen (if that title actually covers the wealth of Paul's duties).

We part subsidise the cost of each individual athlete, and a very enjoyable week was had by over 90 young athletes.

Our under 13/14s were looked after by John Noonan, Peter Toner, Mickey Flood, Gerry Murray and John Mc Ardle. They were beaten in the all county league quarterfinals after coming out of their group beating Gaels in a play-off.

The under 14s hadn't a great run in their division, failing to qualify for the play-offs. In the championship they hadn't and better luck going out in the first round to one of the stronger teams, Roche Emmetts.

The most prominent under 13s players were Stephen Toner, Alan Duffy, Damien O' Hanlon, Ronnie Murray, Paddy Flood, Owen Connor, Aidan Mc Cann and Colin Jordan. Strong players in the under 14s were Michael Owen Mc Greehan, Peter O' Reilly and Daniel O' Connor.

The under 15s/16s were managed by John Noonan, Diarmuid Mc Artain and Frank Mc Cann. The under 15s failed to come out of their group in the all county league. The under 16s fared slightly better, just missing out on the league semi-finals and although they were beaten in the first round of the championship by Clan na Gael. They had a tremendous run in the subsidiary competition, going all the way to the final against Oliver Plunketts.

Going into the final we lost one of our stronger players, Paul O' Brien, through injury, but the lads still put up a tremendous fight, leading going into injury time by a solitary point. We were caught by a sucker punch of a late goal by Plunketts in what was a tremendous match. Best for Valley Rangers was Stephen Rice, Anthony Joyce, Diarrnuid Mc Artain, Alan Dullaghan, Sean Cumisky, Paul Birch and Colin Mc Cann.

Moving on to out minor team, one man who I think deserves special mention is Christy Connor, and I don't mean the legendary golfer (although he does talk a good round of golf himself; it seems par for the course in the Pats Old Boys Club). Our own legend Christy has just finished his sixth season involved with the Valley Rangers minors, which is a tribute to his enthusiasm for the game- and the club. Selectors this year were Liam Oliver and then, later in the season, Paddy Mc Cann.

They has a massively hard act to follow after last year's all conquering team, but they did themselves proud. In the first round of the championship they beat a strongly fancied Na Gael side, going out in the quarterfinal to eventual beaten finalists Baile Talun.

Our best players were Liam Oliver, Trevor Keenan, Vincey Loughran, Rory O' Hagan, Brian Murnaghan and Feilimy O' Conoir.

If there was one common theme throughout all of our teams this year, it was probably that we had to use too many young players on each team, yet they wore the Valley Rangers colours with pride and enjoyed their football for the most part.

A reflection on a Valley Rangers season couldn't end without a mention of the great run the Louth minors had in this year's Leinster Championship, beaten in the semi fnial after a replay by eventual winners Dublin.

Valley rangers took extra pride in this performance due to the fact that one of our own, a great Pats and Valley Rangers stalwart, Paddy Oliver was manager of the team.

Valley Rangers committee for the year 2003:
Chairman: John Noonan
Vice Chairman: Gerry Cumiskey
Secretary: Frank Mc Cann
Schools Coordinator: Paul Breen
PRO: Martin Keenan
All aforementioned team selectors.