ASHFORD V VALLEYMOUNT 

We started looking for a manager last Christmas for the current year. Someone suggested a young lad called Jason Dunne from Kildare. He came out to meet the team and hasn’t looked back. The lads were training well at the start of the year and in the first league game we beat a very strong Kilmac team. Then it all went pear shaped and the country went on lockdown. When we eventually got back to train, 3 weeks before our first Championship game, the lads were raring to go.
We played a very well drilled and tactically aware Ashford team that blew us off the park. We were very relieved to have a second chance and came out all guns blazing against Enniskerry. We were successful and qualified to meet Baltinglass in the quarter final. Things went our way that day as we were lucky enough to get a couple of players back from injury.
Up next was our closest rival Blessington, which gave us a chance to avenge our loss to them in last year’s semi-final. After a tough game we got out of Hollywood with a win, 3 points was the margin.

Now here we are again in the Final of the Jun A Championship. We were in this position in 2018 against Kilcoole, and got beaten by a controversial point.
To say we were disappointed is an understatement, as we last won the title in 1998. We would hope to win this year for the supporters and families who have been left out due to restrictions on the numbers attending the games.
It will take a massive effort by our lads to get over the line as Ashford are a force to be reckoned with. We are a small community based club and our lads were available to help in the community when the call went out for Covid19 support. The community is very proud of this great bunch of lads. We had a few young lads graduate from underage football this year, who never got to show their potential as there were no league games to give them a bit of experience. We would hope that things will be better next year and they will be the ones shining.
Thanks to our previous management and selectors for looking after the team for the last few years, and thanks to Bill Hill for everything he does and for giving all the clubs coverage.
Up the Valley, bring home the cup!