Result: 4 18 to 2 22
Minor A Hurlers back in the groove! The Shepherd Reports
Although somewhat deflated by both the county minors and seniors getting beaten by the Cats in Parnell earlier in the afternoon, the Ballyboden Minor A team pulled up their socks and set out to have a good crack at Cuala on Páirc Uí Mhurchú. All credit to the club, our own pitch looked even better than the turf over in Donnycarney.
Just like the two matches earlier, we were served up a scorefest on the Firhouse Road. It was great to see Mathew Fitzpatrick back in the swing of things at corner back. He played a great game, out in front of his man all day. Seán O’Donnell was in the other corner catching balls for fun while Conor Lowe was his usual tough as nails, no-nonsense full back. Cillian Wall also played a great defensive game and put in a huge shift at midfield. Within two minutes both teams had rattled the onion sack, ours was courtesy of Cian Corcoran who used his considerable skill and craft to deliver the goods. Malachy Codd scored four points in the first half alone and his were added to by Cillian Kirwan, Cillian Wall and Luke Mc Dwyer. Luke scored a cracker of a goal that could only be described as a thing of beauty, starting with a solo run from the wing out on the half way line and finishing with a rasper that the Cuala ‘keeper could do nothing about. It reminded us old enough to remember of Diego Maradonna in the World Cup in Mexico ’86. Ciarán O’Rielly also scored a Maradonnaesque smasher of his own by using his now renowned left boot to finish his goal. All of this left the boys in Blue up 3-7 to 1-11 at the break.
Although reduced to 14 men at the break the lads kept up a ferocious pace and managed to stay ahead throughout the half. Liam Murphy and Kevin Kirwan from Cuala did most of the damage for the visitors but they were well chaparalled by the solid, hard-working ‘Boden defenders. Ruairí Mac Mathúna and Patrick Dunleavy on either side of Feargal Ryan kept out an amount of ball and fed the eager forwards generously. The scoring continued in the same vein as the first thirty minutes with Mal adding another two points to his tally and Mc Dwyer on fire from play and from frees. (He got two frees and Feargal Ryan got another). The score of the half however was Cillian Kirwan’s powerhouse of a goal. From the minute he won the ball it was going nowhere else other than blasting through the Dalkey defenders, their ‘keeper and their pride! As legs tired from Herculean efforts, Cian Corcoran made way for Ciarán Mc Donnell, Joe Mc Grath came on for Malachy Codd and Daragh Kenny jumped on board instead of Adam Kelleher. Jack Lambert came under pressure in the second half but dealt with it all like a lad who was at it all his life – not a bother. Ciarán O’Reilly added two lovely points from tight angles and Darragh Kenny made his mark by finishing the scoring with a tasty point of his own. The day ended BBSE 4-18 to Cuala’s 2-22. A great game on a lovely evening on a smashing pitch.