Post date: Jul 15, 2012 9:47:28 PM
Cúchulainn Gaels under 16s kept their championship hopes alive with a 2:11 to 15 point win against St Edwards. Played on Friday evening last at Ellistown, these two teams served up a very exciting and at times, a quite tense championship game with Cúchulainn Gaels eventually coming out on top.
A point after twenty seconds by Jay McDonagh set the the tone for the game as two well matched teams threw themselves wholly into the encounter with a fine display of point kicking from both sides.
After the quick start by Gaels, it was St Edwards who established themselves on top with some fine points from Sean Flynn and Adam Toman from play and were five points in front after twenty minutes with Anthony Tyrell and Brian Travers at midfield dictating the play. However, a free dropped into the Edwards square found a breaking ball pulled on by Conor Mulholland after twenty one minutes and suddenly Gaels were back in the game. A free by Conor Hyland levelled it up. Points were exchanged in the remaining moments of the half, to leave the score at 1:05 to 7 points in favour of Cúchulainn Gaels.
Five minutes into the second half, Cúchulainn Gaels scored another goal. A fine passing movement between Conor O’Loughlin and Cormac O’Mahony found Jay McDonagh inside who coolly slotted home. Further points followed from Jay Corroway and Dean Frehill before St Edwards got their first scores of the second half. And when they did, they did so impressively with a mid half dominance that led to scores from Joey Toman, Tom Salmon and Brian Travers. The final five minutes saw The Gaels’ Conor O’Loughlin tag on a free to ensure it was Cúchulainn Gaels who took the victory on home soil.
Cúchulainn Gaels: J Behan, D Whelehan, S Maughan, M Howard, S Duffy, D Gilbert, C Doolin, C O’Loughlin, A Maguire, J Corroway, C Hyland, C Mulholland, D Frehill, J McDonagh, C Merrigan. Subs; D Kelly, R Moran, R Hewson, E Bond, C O’Mahony.
St Edwards; C O’Lagan, E Williams, D Delehunt, Alex, J Conway, J Kieran, A Nolan, A Tyrell, B Travers, L Casily, T Salmon, S Flynn, J Toman, T Ashe, A Toman.
Referee; Fran Bolger
Cúchulainn Gaels under 16s final championship game is against Two Mile House this Friday at 7:15. Check the website for time and venue