Nestor savouring his latest success
Daire Walsh
WITH five clean sheets to his name from six championship outings, David Nestor’s selection on this year’s Dublin Bus/Herald Dubs Stars football team comes as little surprise.
Ballyboden St Enda’s star James Madden (who was recruited by Brisbane Lions back in August) was the only player to get the better of the Kilmacud Crokes netminder in over 360 minutes of competitive action, as the Stillorgan men captured their first Dublin SFC title since 2010.
The October 29 triumph against St Jude’s was Nestor’s third county final success in a stellar club career – and one that he felt was long overdue for Crokes.
“I’m one of the lucky ones, I suppose. I’ve three Dublin championships and they’re all unique and brilliant in their own way. It’s the camaraderie you have with the guys that you’re playing with and it’s great to enjoy it with them and in the Kilmacud jersey,” Nestor remarked at last Friday’s awards lunch at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
“It was something we talked about. A club the size of Kilmacud and the talent that’s there at underage level, and the work that goes into the club, you should definitely be competing at that level year-on-year. That would be the target. It was great to get back there again.”
A surviving member of the 2009 All-Ireland winning side, Nestor can also count Leinster successes in 2008 and 2010 amongst his list of honours. A third provincial crown was beyond Crokes’ reach this year, however – rank outsiders Mullinalaghta (Longford) enjoying an historic day in the sun at O’Connor Park, Tullamore on December 9.
Despite acknowledging the disappointment of this shock final reversal, Nestor can reflect positively on the progress of the past 12 months.
“It was great to get to a Leinster final. Unfortunately we just couldn’t see it out. That’s something we’ll have to think about over the winter until we get going again.
“If you had said to us 12 months ago, after Ballymun beat us in the semi-final, we’d be back winning a Dublin championship and be in a Leinster final, we’d have bitten your hand off.
“The Portlaoise [Leinster semi-final] game was great. It showed great character in the team, especially in the younger lads, to come through a game that was as open as that.
“Portlaoise are one of the best club teams in Ireland. It was great to get over that.”