Junior A Rathnew Vs Knockannana

 

Junior A Championship

Rathnew 3-19

Knockananna 4-08

Pearse Park

Eoin Horkan

 

For the second week in a row, it was Pearse Park in Arklow that witnessed another junior game that went to extra time as Rathnew prevailed against Knockananna in the early game Sunday morning.

It was Rathnew who started this game stronger as they tried to play quick direct ball into their full forward line. This game plan proved beneficial as they fired over the opening two points of the game from the boots of Jonah Graham and Mark Doyle. Rathnew looked like they could pull away but then against the run of play their opponents drove a long ball down the field.  Joe Byrne gathered the ball before firing into the net to give his side a lead. Doyle levelled from play minutes later, as both teams were benefiting from long balls into the forward line.

Knockananna full forward Tristan Maher was starting to get his hands on the ball this resulted in him tapping over to give his side a lead again. The villager’s response was quick as wing back Jonson O’ Connor drove up from wing back to level the tie before Jordon Graham gave his side the lead . Knockananna were goal hungry getting two in the space of as many minutes as midfielder Jonathan Wybrant fired into the net. Minutes later they won a penalty Stephen Hinchy stepped up, but his penalty was well saved by Peter Dignam. Hinchy made no mistake with the rebound to give his side a five point lead.  With the game starting to heat up as a contest, Knockananna midfielder Wybrant was giving his marching orders for an off the ball incident. As the game entered the final few minutes before the break both sides fired over two points each . Doyle and Jordon Graham fired over frees with Hinchy slotting a dead ball and an effort from play just on the stroke of half time. This left five points between the sides at the break.

With the aid of the extra man Rathnew started to push forward and made serious inroads into the score line. Within ten minutes they had narrowed the gap to the minimum as they scored four points in a row with the two Graham’s getting one each and Doyle getting the other two. Knockananna were finding it difficult to trouble the scoreboard this was until centre back Cathal Sheehan drove forward to extend his sides lead with a well taken score. Both sides were finding scores harder to come by as the half went on this was until Aaron Neill put a goal between the sides again. Rathnew were now starting to empty their bench it was substitute Graham Merrigan who narrowed the gap almost immediately. The oppositions final score of normal time came from a dead ball from Kevin Kennedy.  This goal lead looked like it would be enough as Rathnew didn’t look like troubling the net. With two minutes to go another scuffle broke out ending up in Jonah Graham revving a red card  for striking an opponent . With the final play of the game Doyle managed to get his fist to a high dropping ball to level the tie with a goal . Sending the tie to extra time.

This wasn’t the end of the drama as cards were being dished out all game it was missed in the Graham melee that the villages centre forward Stuart Murphy had received his  second yellow card but had stayed on the pitch. This was eventually realized before extra time even though both sides still got to restart with fifteen men Murphy wasn’t  allowed back on.

Having more numbers on the bench was a benefit to the villages as they started to gain control of the game with three points in a row . Graham opened the scoring the in the half before Merrigan and Doyle added to the tally . Kennedy replied with a solitary deal ball. The final score of the half was from the ever dangerous Doyle who fired into the net as his side were starting to push ahead.

The second half was much more the same from the villagers as Merrigan pointed before Doyle finished his hat trick with another goal. Sheehan finished his goal frenzy  drilling the ball into the corner from a twenty yard free. The aforementioned Doyle and Merrigan finished there scoring with a free and an effort from play. Anthony Tracey came off the bench to narrow the gap again for Knockananna. The final score of the game came from the boot of Rathnew midfielder Darragh Hossey.

 Rathnew: Peter Dignam; Paddy Keogh, Chris Healy, Fionn O’ Sullivan; Jonson O’ Connor (0-1), John Manley, Charlie Cruise; John Healy, Darragh Hossey (0-1); Toby Curran, Stuart Murphy, Ronan Doyle; Jonah Graham (0-2), Jordon Graham (0-4 2 frees), Mark Doyle (3-7 2 frees 1 mark).

Subs: Graham Merrigan (0-4) for Chris Healy, Euan Culbert for Jonson O’ Connor.

Knockananna: Thomas Whelan; Patrick O’ Keefe, Garry Bradley, Ciaran Mooney; Sean Mooney, Cathal Sheehan, (1-1 1 free) Padraig Lancaster; Jonathan Wybrant (1-0), Aaron Neill (0-1); Kevin Kennedy (0-2 2 frees), Brian Leonard, Stephen Hinchy (1-2 1 pen 1 free); Joe Byrne (1- 0), Tristan Maher, (0-1) Joseph Kelly.

Subs Used: Kevin Tyrell for Joe Byrne, Anthony Tracy (0-1) for Sean Mooney.

 

Referee Max Molloy (Annacurra)

Junior Football Wicklow Avondale vs Hollywood

 

Junior B Football Championship

Avondale 0-12

Hollywood 0-10

Eoin Horkan

Avondale

 

After a forty-five minute delay due to a change of venue it was the home side Avondale who managed to beat visitors Hollywood on Thursday nights under lights in Rathdrum.

This long wait to start off the game didn’t affect the visitors Hollywood as they raced into an early three point lead. It was centre forward Thomas Kelly who opened his sides account from play. Hollywood were winning the midfield battle and this led to them giving direct ball into full forward Keith Peppard who fired over a mark and a free for his side. The home side responded with a free from centre forward Cian Ward who narrowed the gap halfway through the half.  It was Peppard who was the main threat as he collected a ball before using the outside of his boot to split the posts again.

Avondale were finally starting to control the ball as they started to win  the breaks around the middle. This led to wing forward Jack Manley breaking though the defence to raise a white flag. With the game heading to the half time whistle the home side pushed forward through centre back Shane Byrne who started and finished a flowing move with a well taken score. The final point  of the half came from the visitors as Shane Ruane landed a long range mark to leave two between the sides at the break.

Avondale’s game plan of using a two man inside forward line which  hadn’t worked in the first half started to pay dividends  early into the second term as Jack Manley profited with a free before full forward Shane Farrar levelled the tie. The home side were starting to get some more impetuous off the bench as Callum Pursey slotted over an outrageous effort from a narrow angle. The visitors weren’t behind for long as Liam Callanan fired over a free against the run of play. With the game hanging in the balance Avondale flew down the wing but were fouled in what looked like a unfavourable position for a free taker. Ryan Kenny made light work of this angle giving his side the lead again. From the resulting kick out the ball landed in the arms of Ciaran Tyrell whose ling range effort flew just inside the upright.

The final ten minutes of this game turned into a score fest as anything either side hit seemed to go over the bar. Avondale struck first through the aforementioned Byrne at centre back  before Peppard levelled with another dead ball .This ling ball game from the home side was causing more and more problems as the game went on as full forward Farrar added two minores in quick succession before Kelly narrowed the gap to the minimum again. The home side finished the tie with two more frees from Ward with a solitary response from the boot of Keith Traynor.

 

Avondale: Ray Nolan; Kieran Penn, Kevin Sheehan, Rossa Merry O’ Sullivan; Kevin Fitzpatrick, Shane Byrne (0-2), Ryan Kenny (0-1f); Conor Sheehan, Karl Phelan; Jack Manley(0-2 1f), Cian Ward(0-4 3fs), Anthony Byrne; Christopher Sillery, Shane Farrar (0-2), Seamus McGraynor.

Subs Used: Kevin Busher for Kevin Sheehan, Seán Bailey Johnson for Kevin Busher, Callum Pursey (0-1) for Seamus McGraynor.

Hollywood: Garrett Bell; Dan Coyne, Seán O’ Keefe, Ciarán Corrigan; Paul Kelly, Kevin Cullen, Eoin Clarke; Andrew Corrigan, Kevin Murphy; Liam Callanan(0-1f), Thomas Kelly (0-2), Keith Burke; Shane Ruane(0-1m), Keith Peppard(0-4 2fs 1m), Keith Traynor(0-1).

Subs Used: Niall Clarke for Shane Ruane, Ciarán Tyrell(0-1) for Seán O' Keefe for Keith Burke,   

Ireland are in 7th heaven.

 

Ireland 12

Puerto Pico 11

UL Sports Fields

Eoin Horkan

On Saturday afternoon the Irish U21 lacrosse team managed to beat Puerto Rico by a solitary goal to finish 7^th in the world.

Puerto Rico started off the first quarter at a blistering pace and looked to spoil the party for Ireland. They managed to score three goals in the opening six minutes . This great start didn’t seem to phase the Irish team as they netted twice in the last four minutes. The first of these goals coming from Aidan Dempsey with an assist from Ben Collins. The second goal the Irish managed was on  the counterattack as Liam Horkan fed Conor Foley to narrow the gap to one at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was a full on Irish onslaught on the Puerto Rican defence. Kevin Somerville and Foley fired in goals within the opening five minutes . Foley rattled the net again with nine minutes left in the half. The opposition finally managed to take control of the ball and narrow the gap to one with six minutes left in the half . The final goal of the half came from the stick of Sean Horkan after Aidan Dempsey found him wide open next to the goal.

The third quarter was much the same from the Irish team as they kept control of the ball and had the Puerto Ricans on the rack. The opposition were manging  to stay within touching distance all the time as they narrowed the gap again. With Foley on fire as he made the team of the tournament  he fired in a great solo goal. Puerto Rico narrowed the gap to the minimum again. Foley was controlling the game on attack assisted Sean Horkan twice in as many minutes to leave two goals between the sides at the end of the 3^rd quarter.

The final quarter turned into a goal fest from both sides. As defences  were tiring the attack from both sides started to cause more problems. It was the Puerto Rico who pushed forward first in the quarter and within seven minutes managed to fire in four goals to give them a lead against the run of play. It looked like the Irish team were in trouble at this point and maybe this is what kicked them into gear. With six minutes left Aidan Dempsey narrowed the gap to one . With a minute thirty left on the clock Foley tied up the game as it looked like we were heading to overtime.  This was until the man of the tournament for Ireland Foley netted to give his side a well-deserved win.

 

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, Joseph Gehle Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

Ireland vs Japan Match 7

 Ireland 4

Japan 5

UL Sports Fields

Eoin Horkan

 

At 3 o' clock  on Friday the Irish U21 team played their penultimate match of the world championships. It wasn’t the Irish sides day as Japan managed to win by a solitary goal.

The first quarter of this tie was a tough battle as both defences were on top of the attack especially Irish goalie Joe Walsh as he pulled off three great saves. The Japanese thought they had taken the lead eight minutes in but, they were penalized for a moving screen. With five minutes left in the quarter the Irish team broke away. It was Kevin Somerville who netted first in tie with an assist from Liam Horkan. Giving his side a one goal lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was much more one sided as Japan controlled the majority of it. They netted within 4 minutes to level the tie. The next five minutes was a defensive masterclass from the Irish side with Patrick McKee and Walsh keeping the ball out of the net . With five minutes to go the Irish defensive wall was broken as the opposition managed to score two goals in the last five minutes of the quarter. Leaving them two goals up at halftime.

The third quarter was a quarter of missed opportunities from both sides as Ireland started to pressure the Japanese defence . This pressure led to Liam Horkan narrowing the gap in the tie finishing high into the roof of the net. With two minutes left in the quarter Japan had control of the ball for nearly four minutes. They netted another goal just before the end of the third quarter.

Japan won the face off at the start of the fourth quarter and kept the pressure on the Irish defence. Within two minutes they had netted a fifth goal. With a strong home crowd on the hill in UL they started to become an extra man as the Irish team found another gear in the last few minutes. With five minutes to go Jack Doherty broke through the Japanese defence to narrow the gap to two with a well-executed goal. With the crowd getting louder Ireland managed to win the face off which resulted in Conor Foley narrowing the gap to the minimum . The Japanese were under pressure as Ireland pushed forward. With a minute to go Conor Foley had netted but, unfortunately this goal was disallowed.

Ireland tried to complete this comeback but unfortunately  it wasn’t to be there day.

Ireland will play Puerto Rico in their final match of the tournament as three thirty Saturday.

 

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin ,Joseph Gehle, Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe  Walsh, Ronan Walsh. 

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/sport/890621/ireland-to-face-puerto-rico-in-their-final-world-lacrosse-men-s-u21-world-championship-tie-at-ul.html

Ireland vs Germany Match 6

 

Ireland 11

Germany 3

UL Sports Fields

Eoin Horkan

 

At three o clock yesterday evening Irelands u21 lacrosse team came up against  Germany for the second time in this competition. With the home crowds getting larger and larger the Irish team managed to produce another good team performance  beating the Germans by eight goals .

The Germans managed to win the first face off of the game. They went on to control the ball for the opening three minutes of the game, but Irelands defence held out strong. Ireland  then managed to break away on the counterattack. This led to Conor Foley feeding the ball to Kevin Somerville to give the Irish side a lead against the run of play. The Germans were still piling on the pressure and eventually managed to level the tie with ten minutes to go in the opening quarter. Ireland started to control the play after the levelling goal. With five minutes left in the quarter Sean Horkan assisted Kevin Somerville to give his side a one goal lead at the first break.

The second quarter was a much more one sided affair as the Irish team started to control the game. They extended their lead when that man Foley assisting  Aidan Dempsey to open his account for the day. With three minutes left in the quarter and Ireland in complete control Foley finally netted for his side after a solo run through the German rear-guard. The last goal of the half came from Dempsey again as him and Foley were causing all sorts of trouble when they got near the German goal. This left four goals between the sides at the break.

After the break it was more of the same from Ireland .This was until the Germans manged to sneak in for their second goal of the game. Ireland netted twice more in the quarter with Foley firing in after another solo run. It was Somerville who completed his hat trick with two minutes left in the quarter . Giving his side a five goal advantage going into the final quarter.

The final quarter of this tie was much the same from the Irish team as their defence held out only letting in one final consolation goal. On the other side of the pitch the attack manged to add for more to the scoreboard . Jack Doherty fired in another long range effort, before Somerville added two more to his tally for the day. The final goal of the game was from Dempsey with six minutes left before the final whistle.

With the game over as a contest Tom Prior and the coaching staff emptied the bench this led to Conor Breen making an appearance in goal . Within minutes he had made two great saves  for his side as they won out comfortable winners in the end.

Ireland play Japan at three thirty today as they hope to gain the highest seeding possible from this tournament.

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin ,Joseph Gehle, Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe  Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

Preview and thought Ireland head coach Tom Prior

 

Ireland’s head coaches’ thoughts on the tournament so far along with thoughts on Germany game today.

Eoin Horkan 

 

After Ireland was beaten by Canada yesterday , we have the opportunity to hear the thoughts of the Irish head coach Tom Prior. Firstly, Prior speaks about how the University of Limerick has been a great place to host the tournament and he is happy with how the Irish team are preforming so far. “I think the University of Limerick has been an awesome host for us. I think our team has done a pretty good job and has come to play every day.”  Prior shared that the Irish team has improved each game as they have never played together until this tournament. “Every game we show up and we've been given a strong effort.  I'm proud of the consistency and the way the guys have developed- especially the leadership of  our captains and our coaching staff. Yesterday, we got beaten by Canada, but I really have a tremendous amount of respect for what the guys are bringing to the playing field and all the games before this.”

After noting how much the Irish team has improved since their opening game, Prior goes on to mention that the Germans have improved. He adds ideas on what sort of game the Irish are expecting at 3 o’clock today. “Germany is going to be a better team than we played earlier in the tournament.  Having played Germany already, they will be better prepared for this game. And they are a tough, physical and athletic team. They will be ready for today’s test.”

After having performed so well against Canada,  Prior believes that if the Irish team brings the same level of composure and play against the Germans it should be enough to see them win the game. “ If we do a nice job today possessing the ball and play with a strong lacrosse IQ on defence we will be successful.  I'm also hoping we do a great job in the ground ball game. I know we've had a solid goalie play with Joe  ( Walsh) throughout the tournament and our defensive base is strong and with Finn ( Daly) playing well in the face off’s. We will give it our best shot and we know that Germany will be ready to play us as well. We know we have to come to the test and we know we have got to perform.”

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/sport/889097/ireland-face-germany-at-world-lacrosse-men-s-u21-world-championship-in-ul.html

Ireland Lacrosse Match 5

 

Ireland 7

Canada 17

Eoin Horkan

UL Sports Field

 

Having won their  opening four games in the tournament the Irish U21 team were defeated by 10 goals by Canada who are one of the tournament favourites

With a strong home crowd in attendance, it was the Irish who netted first as Liam Horkan fed Conor Foley who rattled the back of the net inside the opening minute. This lead didn’t last long unfortunately as Canada won the face off and drove forward to level the tie with four minutes gone. Ireland took the lead again with nine minutes left in the quarter as Foley finished off a solo effort of his own. It was two minutes later when Canada levelled the tie for a second time. With five minutes left in the quarter Canada started to pile the pressure on a great Irish defensive effort. This pressure led to three more goals by the end of the opening quarter.

Ireland was finding difficult to win any face off’s leading to sustained attacks by the Canadian offence. These attacks led to two more goals from the Canadians. Ireland defence then manged to hold the dangerous Canadians at bay with Joe Walsh making some great saved. With three minutes left in the quarter Foley managed to complete his hattrick before Kevin Somerville added a fourth goal for a  defiant Irish team. The last goal before halftime came from Canada leaving four between the sides at the break.

 

The Canadians started to move away in the third quarter as they netted five goals in a row before Aidan Dempsey stopped the onslaught with a break away goal. With thirty seconds left in the quarter the Canadians netted again as they went nine goals up with a strong third quarter performance.

The final quarter was a much tighter affair as Somerville added a second goal to his tally before Canada responded minutes later. Ireland’s final goal of the game came from Jack Doherty with a long range effort. Canada netted two more goals before the final whistle.

This was a very respectable performance from the Irish side against a much tougher opponent.

Ireland will face Germany at lunchtime tomorrow as they look to gain the highest ranking they can.

 

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, Joseph Gehle Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

Ireland U21 Lacrosse Match 4

 

Ireland 9

Czech Republic 4

Eoin Horkan

UL Sports Fields.

 

The Irish u21 team played their first knockout game of the world championships against the Czech Republic at lunchtime today. They  managed to make it 4 wins in a row against the Czechs.

The Czechs managed to win the first face of  off the match and put the pressure on the home team. The Irish defence stood strong for the opening minute. As they drove up the field on the counterattack Conor Foley managed to goal to give his side the lead. The next few minutes of the quarter the Czechs took control of the ball and they eventually broke through what had been a resolute Irish defence. With eight minutes to go they managed to level the tie. In the next play Ireland broke away through Jack Galvin who fed the ball to Sean Horkan to give his side the lead again.  Foley added a third straight   from the face off as Ireland led by two at the end of the first quarter.

The Czechs flew out of the blocks in the second quarter levelling the tie with two quick goals inside the first eight minutes of the quarter. Ireland  who looked under pressure with five minutes to go before half time. This was until Aidan Dempsey came off the bench to score straight away. The last goal of the half came from the Irish side again from the aforementioned Foley.

Ireland were starting to control the play after the break with the defence holding strong and Jack Galvin covering every blade of grass in UL. This control led the Irish side firing into two more goals from Foley and Dempsey who were causing havoc every time the ball came near them. The Czechs responded just before the end of the third quarter leaving three goals between the sides heading into the final term.

The Irish completely controlled the ball in the last quarter of this tie as they closed out for the win. As they had the majority of possession they inevitably managed to net two more goals from Foley and Dempsey as they won out five goal winners in the end.

 

Ireland will play Canada at lunchtime  on Wednesday in their next knockout game .

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, Joseph Gehle Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

Ireland U 21 Lacrosse Match 3

 World U21 Lacrosse Championships.

 

Ireland 20

Latvia 1

UL Sports Fields

Eoin Horkan

 

On Sunday afternoon the Irish u21 team played their final group game in the world championships. After winning their opening games and sitting top of their group everything was looking good for the Irish team . This was the case as they beat Latvia as their ease.

It wasn’t until five minutes into the first quarter when Ireland broke the deadlock as Sean Horkan fired in his first of the tournament. After this early goal the young Irish team took control adding four more goals in the quarter. The first from Ronan Walsh before Fionn Kinsella added his name to the scorers. Horkan netted his second before Foley finished the scoring in the opening quarter.

The second quarter was much the same from this Irish team as they looked dangerous every time they drove forward. Foley goaled twit more with an assist from Dempsey to finish his hat trick. Ben Collins then scored an outrageous behind the back goal. The Irish midfield were controlling the game , this resulted in Kevin Somerville driving forward to finish the sides scoring in the first half .

The third quarter of this tie was a complete Irish onslaught on the Latvia goal as they scored on nearly every attack, as they added seven more goals. Horkan doubled his tally with two more , as did Walsh. Aidan Dempsey came off the bench to finish a fine flowing move before Somerville added to his account . The last goal of the qaueter came from the stick of Sean Loftus to give his side a seventeen goal lead.

The final quarter was a much tighter affair as Ireland only netted three more goals . Walsh was on fire as he netted after the whistle . Latvia managed one consolation goal with six minutes to go. With three minutes left on the clock Aidan Kearns came off the bench to net two more goals for his side.

 

Ireland will play the third place team in the other group which will be either Czech Republic or Israel that game will be played today.

 

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, Joseph Gehle Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/limerick-sport/886028/ireland-s-impressive-start-at-world-lacrosse-u21-world-championship-in-limerick.html

U17 Fai Girls soccer

 

U17 Fai Cup Final

Salthill Devon 1 ( Penalties 4)

Claremorris 1     (Penalties 2)

Eamon Deacy Park

Eoin Horkan

As the thunder and lightning arrived late into the night in Galway on Sunday night . It was Salthill who managed to prevail on penalties as both sides produced a great spectacle in what turned into a horrible night weather wise.

From the opening whistle it was the Galway side who started to take control of the tie. As they started to push towards the opposition goal striker Amber O’ Donnell managed to carve out an effort which whistled past the post from outside the box. As Salthill managed to control the play more in the middle they manufactured a free kick. This long range free flew wide of the Claremorris goal as the pressure began to mount on the Mayo side. Even with this pressure on them the Claremorris defence  were standing strong marshalled by Saoirse Ronayane and Emma Walsh at the heart of it.

After the  water break the Galway side made their first inroads into the opposition box, but O’ Donnell’s  controlled effort brushed the post as it went wide. The Mayo side manged against the run of play to break away on the counterattack as Katie Clarke burst through the defence before firing down the throat of the goalie.  This meant the sides were deadlocked going in at the break.

 

As the rain began to come down heavier after the break chances both sides started to create more goal chances as legs tired from both defences. Naoise Heffernan in the Claremorris goal managed to keep out another long range effort from the boot of Kaeiah Tobin. After this effort the Mayo side started to gain more control of the ball in the wet conditions. With the control they started to carve out chances, the first of these fell to Bree Hession who drove from the middle of the park before firing straight at the keeper. As the game headed towards the second water break it was Salthill who took the lead against run of play after ball bounced around the box from a corner  it was Rhia Stone who  managed to find some much needed composure to hit the back of the net and give her side the lead.

After the final water break it was all Claremorris up until the final whistle. They carved out two more half chances before Caoilinn Walsh ran down the wing and drove into the box, her effort was well saved by Frances Hardy in the opposition goal. As Claremorris pushed forward this was resulting in Salthill fouling players. Both of the Mayo sides midfielders had long range frees. The first fell to Roisin Horkan whose effort was kept out. The second free in a matter of minutes was taken by Bree Hession who drilled a fantastic effort low into the corner of the net, to level this cup tie. This was the last chance of note before the ref blew the full time whistle.

The extra time to follow was a much tighter affair as it looked like both teams were getting tired with cramp appearing on both sides. The only effort worth noting came from a corner from Claremorris . As the ball bounced around the box Amy Cummins couldn’t keep her effort down with pressure on her.

The second half was even tougher as both defences manged to stay strong keeping out attack after attack from both sides. This meant the game would be decided on the dreaded penalty shootout 

 

The Galway side won the toss and elected to go first playing into the shooting into the clubhouse end in Eamon Deacy Park. Kaeiah Tobin stepped forward and slotted away her sides first penalty. Then it was the turn of Claremorris. Captain Roisin Horkan stepped up for her side to level the tie. Sathill sent up centre back Klara Banek for their second penalty which she duly converted. Bree Hession did the same for Claremorris with a penalty that rattled the back stanchion and came back out. It was then the turn of Salthill’s captain Daisy O’ Connell who buried her penalty. It was then up to substitute Alyssa Murphy , but her penalty was expertly saved by Frances Hardy. Salthill’s goal scorer Rhia Stone who had been taken of came back on before sliding her penalty into the bottom corner. Caoilinn Walsh stepped up for the Mayo side but unfortunately drilled her effort over the bar to give Salthill the victory.

Salthill Devon: 1. Frances Hardy, 2 Isabel Fahy, 3Anna Daly, 4 Maria Costello, 5 Klara Banek, 6 Daisy O’ Connell (C), 7 Daria Brennan, 8 Kaeiah Tobin, 9 Elle Brennan, 10 Lauren O’ Donnell, 11 Rhia Stone

Subs Used: Aoife Summerville for Rhia Stone

Claremorris: 1 Naoise Heffernan, 2 Ashling Cummins, Siomha McNulty,4 Saoirse Ronayne, 5 Emma Walsh, 6 Jessica Higgins, 7 Amy Cummins, 8 Roisin Horkan (C), 9 Bree Hession, 10. Caoilinn Walsh, 11 Katie Clarke.

Subs Used: Clara Higgins for Jessica Higgins , Alyssa Murphy for Katie Clarke.

Ireland U21 Lacrosse Championship Match 2

 Ireland 9 

Jamaica 5

UL Sports Fields 

Eoin Horkan

Saturday afternoon saw the Irish u21 lacrosse team take to the field for the second game of the world championships being played on home soil in Limerick.

Jamaica managed to gain early control winning the first face of the game. After a period of pressure on the home side’s goal they weren’t able to make the breakthrough as the Irish defence stood strong led by goalkeeper Joe Walsh.

With nearly five minutes gone in the quarter and against the run of play the home side took the lead as Jack Songer managed to fire into the opposition net. The Jamaicans kept the pressure on they even managed to level the tie just before the whistle for quarter time . This goal was not allowed due to an illegal stick.  With moments to go on the clock Aidan Dempsey doubled his sides lead. 

The second quarter was a much more open affair as both sets of attackers were starting to get the better of their defensive opponents. Within minutes of the resumption Dempsey added a third goal for his side as the Irish team were starting to control this tie. Ireland’s attack was looking dangerous this time it was the stick of Conor Foley who finished into the net for a four goal lead. With five minutes left on the clock and against the run of play Jamacia started to pressure the Irish defence. This pressure paid off as they netted twice in the space of a few minutes as a comeback looked on the cards. In the last minute of the quarter Ireland broke forward on the counter. It was Foley again who netted right on the whistle to give his side a three goal lead at half time.

After the break Jamacia managed to narrow the gap again. With the quarter only meant to be fifteen minutes this one ended up nearly half an hour with all the stoppages. These stoppages were due to indiscipline from both sides. It was after one of these stoppages when Ireland were a man up Dempsey managed to goal again. Foley added another at the end of the quarter to extent further increase the pressure on Jamacia .

The final quarter was a tough affair after what had just happened in the previous one. Fionn Kinsella broke through the defence after a great pass from Jack Doherty to goal. The final goal for the home side was from the stick of Sean Loftus after an assist from Sean Horkan. Jamaica managed to pull back to consolation goals to leave four between the sides at the full time whistle.

Ireland final pool game will be against Latvia and lunchtime Sunday before they head to the knockout stages. 

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, Joseph Gehle Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella , Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville, Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/limerick-sport/886028/ireland-s-impressive-start-at-world-lacrosse-u21-world-championship-in-limerick.html

Ireland u21 Lacrosse World Championship

 U21 World Lacrosse Championship

Ireland 12

Germany 5

Maguires Fields UL

Eoin Horkan

History was made on the fields in UL on Wednesday evening as it hosted the

u21 world lacrosse championship . With twenty three teams competing its going

to be a great 10 days in UL.

For anyone new to the sport the game is played in four quarters with substitutes

rolling on and off all game.

After the opening ceremony the Irish team got there campaign up and running

with a game against Germany on a score line of 12 goals to 5. The Irish team

made up of players from England and the USA had only trained together on a

handful of occasions before the tournament.

The Irish team flew out of the blocks, after a minute on the clock Liam Horkan

controlled a pass before firing into the net to give his side a dream start to the tie

and tournament. Ireland kept the attacks and pressure on Germany, but their net

minder was in fine form managing to keep out any goal bound effort. The

Germans managed to level the tie against the run of play ten minutes into the

tie. With a minute left in the quarter the Germans took the lead as they were

causing danger on the counterattack.

After a nervy opening quarter from both sides, the second quarter was much

more open as goals were flying in from both sides. Similar to the first quarter

Ireland took control and levelled the tie with a goal from Jack Doherty who

drove forward from midfield. Moments later the Germans managed to take the

lead again as both sides were shooting on every occasion. Both keepers were on

top for the next ten minutes of play. This was until Doherty finished well after

some great work from Aidan Dempsey. This looked like the tie would be level

going into the half time break . This wasn’t the case as the Germans managed to

break through to score on the whistle to give themselves the lead.

The 3 rd quarter also known as the moving quarter in other sports was a full on

Irish onslaught. The home side levelled the tie when Conor Foley cut back

against the defence before sliding the ball past the German net minder. The Irish

team were flying at this point firing in the next four goals . Jack Galvin burst

forward to feed his teammate to give his side a well-deserved lead. Horkan burst

through for his second before the ever dangerous Dempsey netted two more

before the end of the quarter.

The final quarter was much more of the same from the Irish team as that man

Galvin was flying up and down the field at every opportunity . His run this time

ended up with another Conlan finish. Conor Foley was on fire in the Irish attack

as he added two more goals to his tally . It was Dempsey who finished the

scoring for his side. The Germans fired a late consolation before the final

whistle.

This performance bodes well for a young Irish team as they play Latvia and

Jamacia at the weekend. The knockout stages will begin from next Monday

Ireland: Conor Breen; Matthew Brennan, Ben Collins , Gavin Conlan; Finn

Daly. Aidan Dempsey, Jack Doherty, Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, Joseph Gehle

Sean Horkan, Liam Horkan, Ridley Horton, Aedan Kearns, Fionn Kinsella ,

Matt Loftus, Sean Loftus, Patrick McKee, Brady Morin, Kevin Somerville,

Michael Songer, Jack Songer, Joe Walsh, Ronan Walsh.

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/limerick-sport/886028/ireland-s-impressive-start-at-world-lacrosse-u21-world-championship-in-limerick.html

District Junior B Hurling Final Wexford

 

District Junior B Hurling Final

 Fr O’ Regan’s Craanford 0-17

Naomh Eanna 0-17

Eoin Horkan

Camolin

 

The junior b district final on Friday night in Camolin turned into a classic battle between two local rivals as Craanford and Naomh Eanna could not be separated in sixty minutes. With light fading extra time could not be played as there was no floodlights in the venue.

After missing an early goal chance, it was Naomh Eanna full forward Barry Levingston who pointed an early free. Opposition full forward Martin Doyle slotted over from play to level the tie. Kevin Poole managed to fire over four points in a row for Fr O’ Regan’s , three of these were long range frees with the aid of a very strong breeze before pointing another effort from play. Gorey’s response came through Oisin Hobbs before Levingston  narrowed the gap with another place ball. Poole was on fire from the frees adding another one to his increasing tally. O’ Regan’s were using the strong breeze to fire ball into the full forward line resulting in two quick fire scores from dangerous corner forward James Nolan.  Opposition  corner forward Eddie O’ Brien Murphy pointed from a narrow angle before Levingston added two more, one from play before slotting  a place ball minutes after Poole had done the same for Cranford. Leaving three points between the sides at the break.

Cranford made a substitute at half time with John Fleming coming on in the inside line. He made an immediate impact slotting an outrageous side-line  cut from a near impossible angle. Gorey narrowed the gap with midfielder Paddy Dwyer using the strong breeze to his advantage. Fleming responded this time with an effort from play along with sharpshooter Poole.

Levingston frees were keeping his side in the game as he narrowed the gap again . John Langan Murphy came of the bench as he fired over immediately . With fifteen minutes left in the tie Gorey pushed forward this resulted in them winning  a penalty. Levingston stepped up but his effort was expertly saved by Thomas Tobin who kept out the rebound to keep his side ahead. Missing this penalty kicked Gorey into gear as they won four frees in a row which were all converted by Levingston. Cranford solitary reply after this purple  patch came from the hurl of centre forward John Lancaster this score was massively against the run of play and stemmed what seemed to be a  flurry of Gorey scores. Naomh Eanna’s back line was well on top at this point as there half backs pushed forward at every opportunity this resulted in Oran Fitzpatrick landing a monster score before Langan Murphy levelled the tie from out wide.

With the final whistle minutes away, Aaron Byrne was brought on for Gorey. Within minutes he managed to put two points over the bar. It looked like this had sealed the deal for his side, but this didn’t happen . Kevin Poole managed to narrow the gap to the minimum with an effort from the side-line. With the last puck of the game Poole levelled the tie with a free from sixty-five yards out.

 

Fr O’ Regan’s Craanford: Thomas Tóibín; Padraig Tobin, Pat Kenny, Jack Kenny; Michael Shortall, James Byrne, Paraic Redmond; William Conroy, Cian O’ Toole; Martin Kenny, John Lancaster (0-1), Kevin Poole(0-11 8 frees); James Nolan (0-2), Martin Doyle (0-1), Padraic Donohue.

Subs-  John Fleming (0-2 1 side-line) for Padraic Donohue (30), Des Kavanagh for Cian O’ Toole (54).

 

Naomh Eanna: Declan O’ Dwyer; Dean Dowling, John O’ Brien, Rossi Kavanagh; Oran Fitzpatrick (0-1), Brian Sunderland, Kevin Molloy; Paddy Dwyer, (0-1) Darragh Fitzpatrick; Noel Kennedy, Jack Molloy, Oisín Hobbs (0-1); Jamie Kinch, Barry Levingston (0-9 8 frees), Eddie O’ Brien Murphy(0-1).

Subs- John Langan Murphy (0-2) for Noel Kennedy (30), Aaron Byrne (0-2) for Jamie Kinch (54), James McGraynor for John Langan Murphy (60). 

 

Referee: Shane Quinn

Junior C Championship Wicklow

 

Macra na Feirme Cup Quarter- Final

Arklow Geraldine’s- Ballymoney 2-16  ( Penalties 5)

Donard/Glen 3-13 ( Penalties 4)

Pearse Park

Eoin Horkan

As darkness began to fall in Arklow on Thursday night it was Liam Moore’s penalty that was the difference in what was a dramatic penalty shootout, between AGB and Donard/ Glen in the Macra na Feirme quarter final after the sides couldn’t be separated in normal or extra time.

It was the away side who won the toss and elected to go first. Liam Mullan put away the first penalty expertly past Sean Murphy in the AGB goal. First up for the home side was Tom Connors who slotted his penalty past James Walshe. Ray Halloran and  Mark Fitzgerald both put away their sides second penalties giving the keeper no chance sending them the wrong way on both occasions. Next up was two defenders for Donard it was Harry Mangan who blasted low into the corner before Thomas Lynch did the same for the home side. Two substitutes with fresh legs and minds were next up with Mickey Byrne just managing to put the ball past Murphy in the goal . It was Gahan that netted next up. After having scored the levelling goal Edward Flynn had his side’s final chance which he blazed over the bar . Liam Moore stepped up to give his side the victory by the narrowest of margins.

The visitors were first to make there mark on the scoreboard as full forward Mullan giving his side an early lead with a well taken point. AGB’s response was rapid as Richie Neary drove through the middle of the pitch before centre forward Joe McGeary fisted the ball into the net . Gary Fennell added a point moments later. Donard who were playing with a two man inside line with there other forward sweeping in defence added two more points first Mullan added his second before corner forward Ray Halloran fired over a great score . AGB’s response was an effort from Tom Connors in between these scores . The home side started to push forward with wing forward  Mark Fitzgerald pointing from range.

As the home side were starting to gain control it was full back Luke Delaney who made his was up the field to score from range. Gary Fennell’s place ball extended his sides lead even further . Mullan’s scoring was keeping his side in the game and against the run of play he managed to round two defenders before finishing into the net . With the game right back in the mix the home side kept pushing forward  as corner forward Daniel Doyle added another white flag along with Fitzgerald. Donard’s final point of the half came through the boot of wing forward Thomas Dwyer. With the game minutes away from the half time whistle both AGB midfielders Liam Moore and Richie Neary slotted points as the opposition went down to thirteen men with two black cards.

The second half of this tie was a much more higher scoring affair. It was Mullan who pointed first again while his side still had two men in the bin. The next score astonished everyone in attendance as Donard managed to put the ball over there own bar. Mullan added another dead ball as his side were starting to make inroads into the home sides defensive line. Mullan then manged to goal from a penalty as Halloran was taking down in front of goal .As the tie was getting closer Halloran managed to  level what was turning into a great contest. Both veteran full forwards were scoring freely at this point it was Connors who gave his side the lead  twice in the space of minutes in between a fisted effort from centre forward Edward Flynn. Moore then burst through from midfield  to put two between the sides. Mullan and the Donard forward line were starting to break through the defence as legs tired , he added two more place balls along with an effort from Dwyer.

Both sides were emptying the bench as the full time whistle came into sight , it was AGB sub Conor Gahan who made  an immediate impact slotting over to level the tie. With time almost up Mullan thought he had won the tie as he fired over from play. With the final kick of the game Moore levelled the tie with a place ball. This meant extra time had to be played.

Extra time was a much tenser affair Mullan carried on his scoring from a free . The home side then managed to manufacture a penalty which was duly converted by Moore giving his side a two point lead at the break. After the break it was Moore who finished his sides scoring with a free. The final score of the game was a goal from the fist of Flynn .

 

                                                                            

Arklow Geraldine’s Ballymoney: Sean Murphy; Eoin Byrne, Luke Delaney (0-1), Luke Commons; Oran Dunning, Sean McCarthy, Thomas Lynch (1-0 1 pen); Richie Neary (0-1), Liam Moore (2-2 1free 2 pens ); Mark Fitzgerald (1-2 1 pen), Joe McGeary (1-0), Gary Fennell (0-2); Daniel Doyle (0-1), Tom Connors (1-3 1 pen) , Jason Redmond.

Subs Used: Shane Donoghue for Eoin Byrne, Conor Gahan (1-1 1 pen) for Richie Neary, Garrett Kenny for Jason Redmond, Niall Higgins for Joe McGeary, Niall Dempsey for Mark Fitzgerald, Oran Kelly for Luke Delaney, Cian McBride for Gary Fennell.

 

Donard/ Glen: James Walshe; Aaron Moody, Oisín Traynor, Shane Eager; Willie Eager, Harry Mangan (1-0 1 pen), Dean Flynn; Pat Flynn, Niall Curran; Thomas Dwyer (0-2), Edward Flynn (1-1), Darren O’ Neill; Ray Halloran (1-2 1 free 1 pen), Liam Mullan (3-8 4 frees 2 pens), Daniel Furlong.

Subs: Mickey Byrne (1-0) for Shane Eager, Rory Toomey for Niall Curran, Eoin Hallisey for Darren O’ Neill.

 

Referee: Darragh Byrne

Intermidiate A Championship Wexford

 

Intermediate A Hurling Championship

Oulart- The Ballagh 2-17

Duffry Rovers 0-13

Ferns

Eoin Horkan

 

Oulart came out on top in the intermediate a quarter final in Ferns in weather conditions that you would see in the winter not in the last weekend in July.

Oulart’s forwards were dangerous from the opening minutes in this game firing over three points early on. Corner forward Garry Murphy opened his tally before Des Mythen slotted over moments later. The final point of this trio came from hurl of Peter Murphy from a dead ball after he won the free himself. Duffry responded with a sixty-five from wing back Cathal Clince after they nearly goaled in the previous play.

Oulart’s half forward line was causing havoc from each puck out it was Mythen who benefited from this adding a second point to his tally. Quinn was flying at wing forward as he spilt the posts with another dead ball to give his side a  four-point lead. Duffry were firing wides any time they did carve out opportunities. This was until Loughlin Rafter and full back John Dunne narrowed the gap.  Both free takers were on fire it was Clince that narrowed the gap to stem the tide. Scores were now coming quick and fast now with both sides becoming more economical. Oulart’s Daryl Gray completed the scoring for the Oulart half forward line. Clince was keeping his side in touch with yet another free from range. Thomas (Mossy) Dunne drove through the rover’s defence to open his tally for the game with Murphy notching another dead ball. Liam Pender for Duffry just copied what Lynch did for the opposition.

With the game minutes away from the break the Ballagh put on one final scoring burst scoring a goal and three points with two in reply for Duffry from Michael Coleman and Clince from a free. Murphy and Quinn fired over. With a minute to go in the half Murphy turned his defender before raising the green flag. Gray finished the scoring in the half with a minor from out wide.

Duffry flew out of the blocks in the second half as they tried to bring themselves back into the tie. Tiernan Fitzhenry pointed from play before Clince pucked over a free. Ten minutes into the half Duffry were going for goals they won a twenty-yard free, but Oulart expertly kept it out of there net. This great defensive play kicked Oulart into as Murphy slotted two more frees. The game was effectively over as contest when Daryl Gray finished low into the rover’s net. The aforementioned Murphy minored again with a free. Rovers added three final scores to there tally two of these came from Gearoid Doyle before Clince finished his side scoring with a final place ball. The final scores of the games were all minors for the red and blacks. Full forward Adam Nolan opened his account for the day before Mythen and Gray added one each to there tally to give their side a ten-point win.

 

Oulart- The Ballagh: Ben O’ Connor; Sean Murphy, Kevin Nimmo, Aaron Byrne; Jim Finn, Eamonn Murphy, Craig Davitt; Dennis Morton, Thomas Dunne (0-1); Daryl Gray (1-3), Des Mythen (0-3), Peter Murphy (0-6 5 frees); Cormac Finn (0-1), Adam Nolan (0-1), Garry Murphy (1-2)

Subs- Robbie Cleary for Kevin Nimmo (25 blood sub), Seamus Ormonde for Cormac Finn (51)

 

Duffry Rovers: Stephen Watchorn; Aaron Coleman, John Dunne (0-1) , Glenn Rafter; Cathal Clince (0-6 5 frees 1 65),Seamus Doyle, Craig Casey; Gavin Rafter, Liam Pender (0-1); Aidan Byrne, Thomas Dunne, Tiernan Fitzhenry (0-1); Loughlin Rafter (0-1), Michael Coleman (0-1), Gearoid Doyle (0-2).

Subs – Micheal Doyle for Thomas Dunne (34), Michael Doyle for Tiernan Fitzhenry (55), Callum Boyce for Loughlin Rafter (60).