Under 16's Do Well In Carlow
Early Saturday morning, 26th June 2010, the under 16’s set off for the annual Carlow Under 16 Hurling Blitz.
There were twenty entries in Division 1 with games played ten minutes per half. First up in a Group A were Dicksboro from Kilkenny. The Kilkenny lads opened the scoring but by half time the Stillorgan team were on top and led 0-3 to 0-1. Taking the foot off the pedal, Crokes allowed their opponents back in to the game and with three minutes left trailed 0-5 to 0-3. One point was quickly retrieved but try as they might Crokes could not regain parity and went down by the minimum.
Scorers:
C Conway (0-2, f-2), M Geraghty (0-1) and N Gorey (0-1)
Holders, Blackrock from Cork, were next. The opposition were quicker out of traps and 1-3 to 0-1 ahead as the opening instalment neared its conclusion. A long range goal breathed life into the Crokes challenge. In the second half the Dublin lads seriously upped the tempo and the intensity to reel in the Rockies and eventually win 2-4 to 1-3.
Scorers:
N Gorey (1-3, f-2), R Murphy (1-0) and C Conway (0-1, f)
Having so firmly grasped the lifeline, the Crokes boys finished out the group in compelling style. First, they swept aside the challenge of 2008 Limerick Feile champions Patrickswell, who had also lost by a point to Dicksboro, by 2-8 to 1-3.
Scorers:
N Gorey (1-4, f 1-2), B Horan (1-0), C Conway (0-3, f-2) and C Devins (0-1)
Next they disposed of Galway’s Craughwell by 1-7 to 0-0.
Scorers:
N Gorey (1-2, f-2), C Conway (0-2, f-1), R Murphy (f), C O’Byrne and C O’Dwyer (0-1 each)
With six points from a possible eight in the bag, Crokes hopes of advancement turned to the final group game between Blackrock and Dicksboro. The Rockies duly obliged with a three point win. Under the rules of the competition this set a three way 65 shoot out. Each side was allowed four point attempts. In conditions of high tension Blackrock prevailed and both Crokes and Dicksboro were out.
From what turned out to be a beautiful sunny day the Kilmacud team can take many positives from more than holding their own in what was the toughest group in exalted company. Had qualification for the semi final been based on score difference the Stillorgan lads would have progressed comfortably but the rules were otherwise and we can have no complaint. Blackrock went on to win the tournament and among the lessons learned were the need for sustained high intensity right from the start and that teams make their own luck.
Travelling party:
Conor Sweeny, Philip O’Shea, Daibhid Corish, Andrew Colclough, Conor O’Dwyer, Robert Murphy, James Murphy, Conor Devins, Matthew Geraghty, Caolan Conway, Cian Gormley, Tomas Barry, Michael Herlihy, Barry Horan, Neil Gorey, Conor O’Byrne, Paddy Finlay, Odhran O’Siochru, Cian McGabhann, Mark O’Loughlin and Donal Keane