Brendan Boylan Column: Note to self - trust your own judgement

Caution: Con Houlihan quote very familiar to regular readers incoming. For it does indeed appear that those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they do indeed first make mad. Exhibit A - yours truly waking up with 38.5 temperature and feeling as if driven over by a 12-wheel artic.

As much as it broke my heart missing Dunboyne’s SFC showdown with Dunshaughlin, for a game of such magnitude, it has to be all or nothing. There was no point trying to replicate Colm O’Rourke’s futile heroics of 1991.

Thus, it was again a case of being enormously grateful for the exceptional service provided by Clubber. And. for large swathes of a typical ding-dong local derby, there was relative satisfaction in the green and white corner - as it was on Saturday evening - with how matters were playing out. Jack Kinlough and Ronan Jones were well on top in the arm wrestle with their county team-mates, Charlie O’Connor and Conor Gray respectively.

Perhaps even more significantly, though, the underdogs’ rearguard had kept Richie Kealy’s main sharpshooters - Mat Costello and Luke Mitchell - relatively quiet. However, the main drawback for Ger Robinson’s side was an all too familiar one, profligacy in front of goal. Hence, having played with elements in the first half, there was bound to be a sense of foreboding in more places than this seat when the sides went in deadlocked.

Mind you, worthy of praise though the Dunboyne rearguard may have been for their policing of Costello and Mitchell, it’s a sign of a particularly talented team that when not one but two of their talismen are tamed, another can step up and steady the ship.

Enter Ruairi Kinsella. The nimble and highly accurate forward has long caught the one seeing eye here, but, whether the following is down to his being involved with the county senior setup is solely down to pondering on my part, but, he has certainly blossomed as a footballer in recent months.

Now, I’ve always thought there are two ways to play the centre forward role in Gaelic football. Either stand and ‘trade it’ as O’Rourke did so often with Dublin’s Keith Barr or, alternatively, play it as a ‘floating’ role.

In other words, dropping deep to garner possession and either working themselves into a scoring position or be the link in the chain creating scores for others.

See the likes of former Mayo star Colm McManamon, Brian McGuigan of Tyrone and, currently, Paidi Clifford of Kerry for examples of the latter.

In Pairc Tailteann on Saturday last, Kinsella mixed the best of both roles. Which translated as the outstanding Kinsella notching a handful of points. The number being parallel to the total amount of errant shots essayed by those in the red and black of the former underage St Martin’s club.

In calamitous contrast, Dunboyne sent 14 attempts the wrong side of the posts. The last of which, as Donal Lenihan’s valiant attempted salvation of his side dropped inches the wrong side of the posts. Encapsulating how the entire day had been for the eventually vanquished.

Personal heartbreak aside, one couldn’t but appreciate how monumental the victory will have been for Dunshaughlin. Not only due to the fact that it’s only two seasons since Kealy’s crew returned to the top table of Meath football. Or indeed owing to the abundance of talent within the club presently. No doubt the memory and spirits of Maria and Denis Kealy rest forever like a hand on each shoulder.

From my own perspective, my fondness for many of those within the ranks of great neighbours and rivals has been known to cause quite the degree of chagrin in certain places. However, this season that situation became even more complex with my best friend and greatest inspiration, David Gallagher, part of Richie’s backroom team. Saturday was a strange day indeed.

Yet, one thing is (painfully) certain, Dunboyne could point the finger at nobody but themselves for their demise. Yes, there were a few decisions which could’ve gone their way, but that will always be the case. When you kick nearly three times as many wides as your opponents, you are very much authors of your own downfall.

Moving on, personal disappointment aside, the other take from the weekend’s epic action was to trust my own judgement more. You see, aside from the obligatory €10 punt each year on St Peter’s, you might recall that at the beginning of the local championships, the fancies in the various grades were as follows: SFC - Dunshaughlin, IFC - Meath Hill, JFC - Ballinlough, JFC B - Kilmainhamwood.

They didn’t turn out too bad. Which tells at least myself that I’m still well in tune with the local scene, even if that may not be appreciated in places it is earnestly wished it was.

Be that as it may, it will never stop the eye talent spotting for those who might step up to the highest level and help our flagship county team back to where we believe they should be in terms of status in the game on a broad scale.

With all the main adult football championships now down to finalists, outside of those on the ‘outgoing’ Meath senior panel, you’d hope at least some from all teams concerned may have made it into the new regime’s little notebook.

The one thing there has been little or no talk of since Robbie Brennan’s appointment is the Regional Football Championship. Earnest hope is that the competition will be retained. You need only look at players such as Michael Flood, Harry O’Higgins, Sean Brennan, Ruairi Kinsella, Danny Dixon and Keith Curtis - who came through via the midweek winter event to make important contributions at different stages - to see the value therein.

Besides, this writer needs the winter shortened by whatever means possible!