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Ladies Junior A Football Final: Éire Óg Greystones 3-12: AGB 3-8
05.10.24
You can’t beat experience.
That was the moral of the story after Éire Óg were crowned Wicklow LGFA Junior ‘A’ football champions on Saturday afternoon.
Of their starting XV, the average age was just shy of 21, with seven aged 18 or under and three were 15 – Thea Sterritt, Lucy O’Leary, and Ella Andrews.
And yet, it was their evergreen veterans Laurie Cunningham and Lorna Hayden who were the deciding factors. The former was Player of the Match with 2-9, while the latter pushed her close with a stellar showing in Avondale.
They were far from alone and were supported by a cast of talent around them. Rachel Purcell came through in the clutch as Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney staged a late comeback, while the youth of Sterritt and experience of Megan Healy made for a fine balance in midfield.
Andrews transcended her youth to finish the game with 0-2 and was complimented by the tireless workrate of Holly Sheehy and Sophie King while Caoimhe Davis orchestrated matters at centre-forward.
Greystones were pushed to the pins of their collars in order to see out a tense second half that saw Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney stage an unlikely comeback, spearheaded by the outstanding pairing of 18-year-old Abby Healy and 16-year-old Aibhe Cullen.
The teenagers showed tremendous leadership in scoring 3-4 between them.
Had Arklow overturned the deficit that stood at 3-8 to 1-4 at one point, Éire Óg would have put it down to some errant shooting, particularly in the first half.
Greystones ran up three wides in the opening exchanges, while Holly Sheehy struck the uprights with an effort of her own. It was Laurie Cunningham who eventually put them in front with the first of her seven frees before doubling her account four minutes later.
Arklow showed their fighting spirit with the game’s first goal through the outstanding Abby Healy against the run of play, only for Éire Óg to immediately respond with a goal of their own when Lorna Hayden’s shot from out the field dropped over the head of Eve Fitzpatrick.
This was the first of two goals in 60 seconds that turned the game in their favour. The second was much more by design than their first, as Cunningham was picked out with a lovely pass inside before dispatching beyond Fitzpatrick.
Aine McKerr kept Arklow in the fight as the half drew to a close with Eire Og leading at 2-6 to 1-4 but, within three minutes of the restart, their task was made that bit harder by conceding a third goal.
Thea Sterritt and Ella Andrews combined well before the latter fed Laurie Cunningham. The 35-year-old’s finish was clinical, flashing past Fitzpatrick.
Cunningham – whose CV already boasted six Dublin and five Leinster club titles with Foxrock-Cabinteely and two All-Ireland JFC, all of which were won alongside Hayden – extended the lead out to 3-8 to 1-4 with another couple of frees.
To their credit, AGB kept on fighting and very nearly turned the game on its head. Aibhe Cullen scored their second goal before Abby Healy – who had set up Cullen – scored their third to make it 3-10 to 3-5 going down the home strait.
Abby Healy could have completed her hat-trick only to be denied by the game Rachel Purcell, while the goalkeeper was called upon again to make another save in the final five minutes. A Muireann O’Connor shot was repelled as Éire Óg weathered the storm.
Éire Óg: Rachel Purcell; Ellie O’Malley, Siobhan Darcy, Megan Maguire; Katie Lawless, Lauren O’Leary, Lorna Hayden (1-0); Thea Sterritt (0-1), Megan Healy; Lucy O’Leary, Caoimhe Davis, Laurie Cunningham (2-9, 7f); Sophie King, Ella Andrews (0-2), Holly Sheehy. Subs: Kate Bourke for S Darcy (49), Tayla Bouwer for G Furlong (49), Erica Somers for E Andrews (55).
U14 ladies football final: AGB 5-15: 7-04 Éire Óg, Greystones
28.09.24
Laoise Mellon scored four goals and six points as AGB won the Wicklow LGFA U14 ‘A’ championship when beating Éire Óg Greystones in a goal fest by 5-15 to 7-4.
The opening exchanges were quite even with Arklow leading 0-2 to 0-1 before the first goal came in the fifth minute, Nessa Clancy scoring it after a passing move sent her bearing down on goal.
The Gers took over the scoring from here for the next 20 minutes with Mellon firing home her four goals.
The first saw her through on goal after a fluid passing movement, the second after receiving the ball free in front of the goal after a defence-splitting run from Katie Nuzum, the third after a long ball from Méabh Moore found her free in the box, and the fourth after she showed great foot-work to beat her marker and get her shot away.
Moya Andrews got a goal for Éire Óg to keep them in the game, as the sides went in at half-time with AGB leading 5-4 to 1-4.
From the second-half throw-in, Éire Óg Greystones got their second goal. Keela Lawless-Rebelo rose high to win it and ran straight to goal, she gave it to Kitty O’Beirne who handed it off to Poppy smith who finished it.
AGB were quick to cancel this out with points from Mellon, Nuzum and Sophie Hurley.
Hurley got another point before Smith got her second goal of the game when Lawless-Rebelo sent a long ball into the box which Smith ran onto to palm it in.
O’Beirne got her first goal after a Mellon point to bring us into what would be an end-to-end last 15 minutes.
Nuzum scored four points in a row to give AGB back their breathing room, but O’Beirne got her second goal to lasso the deficit back.
Mellon popped over another point before Éire Óg got two goals in a row, the first from Moya Marinan, then a penalty from Lawless-Rebelo as the sides went deep into injury-time.
AGB got the final score of the game to put a seal on the win and stop an outstanding comeback, a point coming from substitute Annie Breslin as her side went out five-point winners in the end on a final score of 5-15 to 7-4.
AGB: Rhea Keogh; Lily-Jo Rowlands, Caoimhe McDonagh, Karla Redmond; Leah Fox, Syne Leonard, Méabh Moore; Saoirse Healy, Nessa Clancy (1-0); Eireann O’Reilly, Sophie Hurley (0-3, 1f), Katie Nuzum (0-5); Joni Craine, Laoise Mellon (4-6), Katie Kinsella. Subs: Anna Hyland for L. Rowlands (40), Emma Guilfoyle for R. Keogh (42), Sophie McCann for M. Moore (51), Annie Breslin (0-1) for J. Craine (51).
Éire Óg Greystones: Niamh O’Neill; Emily Hurley, Chloe Byrne, Alannah Byrne; Naoise Morris, Aoife Wall, Bárbara Lete-Duff; Keela Lawless-Rebelo (1-0, 1 pen), Kate Patchell; Emily O’Driscoll (0-2, 2f), Moya Marrinan (1-0), Poppy Smith (2-0); Ailbhe Davis, Kitty O’Beirne (2-0), Moya Andrews (1-2). Subs: Ciara Kenny for E. Hurley (11, inj), Freja Gustafsson for B. Lete-Duff (34), Niamh Holohan for A. Davis (34), Cliona Foy for M. Andrews (49).
Referee: Ian Culbert (Rathnew).
Senior hurling: Bray Emmets 2-17-Éire Óg Greystones 0-9
24.09.24
They produced their third-quarter burst as expected, they scored 2-17 overall, they hit nine wides, they’ll feel they didn’t play particularly well, and they are now 60 minutes away from making more history as the only team in Wicklow to have ever won six O’Donoghue Cups in a row.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the hurlers of Bray Emmets!Credit to Éire Óg Greystones, they were well in this game until a missed penalty and a damaging 1-1 from the hurl of Diarmuid Masterson at the end of the third quarter, and had they faced a different team in the semi-finals, given their display against Glenealy and last weekend, reaching a semi-final might not have been out of their reach.
The defending champions were put to the pin of their collars in the opening half and held a narrow 1-7 to 0-7 lead over Mick Burns’ side, Christy Moorehouse’s early goal from the penalty spot the difference between the teams on the scoreboard. However, that traditional third-quarter kick transformed that lead into a 2-12 to 0-8 gulf, Diarmuid Masterson rifling home the second goal to more or less put the game to bed despite the best efforts of the Greystones side.
All over the field the Bray Emmets men stepped up to the challenge in the second half, but especially in the middle third where John and Daire Henderson, Luke Maloney, Diarmuid Masterson, Ronan McMahon and the likes took the game by the scruff of the neck.
That missed penalty for Éire Óg Greystones 14 minutes into the second half was a massive moment in this game. Emmet Blanchfield’s strike whizzed past the outside of Conor McNally’s post at the Rednagh Hill end.
Had he converted, the scoreboard would have read 1-11 to 1-8. Moments later, Diarmuid Masterson got on the end of a flying move to fire home past Dan O’Neill and there was no way back for Éire Óg at that stage.
Mick Burns’ side’s performance in the first half was excellent. They set themselves up to limit the Bray dangermen, Peter Keane marking Moorehouse, Billy Cuddihy on Padraig Doyle and Chester Kelly pushed up to midfield. And for a time, this worked a treat. Bray didn’t score from play until the 23rd minute, and they only managed two in total in that opening half, Christy Moorehouse bagging 1-5 from placed balls, the penalty arriving after 13 after referee Max Molloy had spotted something in the square as a free was being delivered from deep.
Éire Óg were causing the Bray defence plenty of problems in those opening 30 minutes, Emmet Blanchfield with two frees, Padraic O’Keeffe and Mick Walsh with singles and the excellent James Cranley with three from play, two late on in that first half, one a stunner from the bank sideline.
But even though you can hold this Bray Emmets side for one half of hurling, very few can manage it for two.
Three Moorehouse frees and a point from play from Eoin McCormack made it 1-11 to 0-8 after 10 minutes of the opening half, and then came the penalty miss which was swiftly followed by Masterson’s wonderful goal at the end of the third quarter.
Bray pushed on relentlessly from here, Andrew Conway, Davy Maloney, Moorehouse (two frees) and Shane Lohan sending them to a 2-17 to 0-9 victory, an Emmet Blanchfield free Éire Óg’s only reply. It’s a Bray Emmets v Carnew Emmets county final again. Carnew will cause them problems without a shadow of a doubt. The question is, can they cause them enough?
Bray Emmets: Conor McNally; Daire Lohan, Seanie Maloney, Ben Kearney; Cian Lohan, John Henderson, Daire Henderson; Luke Maloney, Diarmuid Masterson (1-1); Ronan McMahon, Padraig Doyle, Davy Maloney (0-2); Andrew Conway (0-2), Christy Moorehouse (1-10, 10f, 1-0pen), Eoin McCormack (0-1). Subs: Marc Lennon for E McCormack (50), Arran Murphy for D Henderson (50), Brian Nesbitt for L Maloney (50, inj), Shane Lohan (0-1) for C Lohan (55), James Anders for D Lohan (57).
Éire Óg Greystones: Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Peter Keane, Sean Lawless; Kevin Booth, Billy Cuddihy, Kevin Cronin; Stephen Kelly (0-1, f), Shaun Cranley; Mick Walsh (0-1), Padraic O’Keeffe (0-1), James Cahill; Emmet Blanchfield (0-3, 2f, 1 65), Anto Byrne, James Cranley (0-3). Subs: Leon Browne for J Cahill (42), Daniel Burns for K Cronin (49), Luke Dorgan for J Cranley (58).
Referee: Max Molloy (Annacurra)
Senior Men’s Football Championship: Kiltegan 1-12: Éire Óg Greystones 1-9
14.09.24
Going into this Boom & Platform Hire Senior football championship quarter-final, Kiltegan could be forgiven for letting last year’s exit at the hands of Rathnew get in their heads.
Having led both this quarter-final and last year for large parts of the contest coming down the home stretch, doubts must have come into the Kiltegan heads as Éire Óg Greystones went a point up with eight minutes left.
But big players make big plays and when Seanie Furlong was dragged down in the Greystones box six minutes later, all those fears just washed away as Rory Finn was coolness personified from the spot.
Kiltegan, playing with the elements, started like a house on fire and had a crowd behind them that gave every score that extra bit of sauce.
Stephen Farrell kicked off what seemed a run-away train with a 45 and the train really got motoring following a free each off the boots of Seanie Furlong and Shaun Cranley, while Danny Wood’s 16th-minute black card proved costly, given for a foul on Padraig O’Toole, Jack O’Toole converting the subsequent free.
The west Wicklow men would go on to score a further five points, made up of two more O’Toole frees, a Brandon Ryan point and a Stephen Farrell point along with an audacious Rory Finn score from a mark.
In this period, only Joe Prendergast could force some flag-waving as Darren Hayden put him through with an over-the-top pass which spelled goal only for Prendergast to go just over.
At half-time, the talk around the stand was Kiltegan were going well but how many points was the wind worth? At the break, the west Wicklow men led by seven.
In what was almost a game of two halves, Greystones put in a massive effort to shift momentum.
Shaun Cranley began the second half with a 45 to eat into the deficit, but Padraig O’Toole hit back with a powerful run and score off the left.
Stephen Farrell and Oisin Murphy then traded points before an Éire Óg purple patch, with Cranley finding first a free and then a sweet point of his weaker left foot which surprised the stand.
Joe Prendergast would follow that up with an equally jaw-dropping score from well outside the 45.
Momentum now with Greystones. Sometimes you make your own luck in sport, and when a long Cranley free rebounded of the crossbar, it was Daniel Keane who managed the situation the best and collected the break before roofing a strike to make it a one-point game.
Kiltegan struggled on the next kick-out and Éire Óg launched an attack and gave Conall Deeney the opportunity to pull on a break inside and see his effort which could have been for a point or goal go over.
Level for the first time since the first minute. Joe Prendergast would see to it that that statistic would not be relevant for long by finding himself in a nice bit of space on the ‘D’ and confidently kicking Éire Óg Greystones into the lead.
With time getting away from Kiltegan, a response was needed, and when Ciaran Harmon sent in a probing ball from midfield you only had to guess who came up with the ball.
Seanie Furlong won what was an awkward pass and turned for goal only to be fouled by a multitude of Greystones backs, winning a penalty which Rory Finn converted.
A further Finn point in injury-time ensured Kiltegan’s passage safely through after a mammoth effort.
Éire Óg Greystones: Rob Nolan; Colin O’Shea, Stephen Kelly, Dan Healy; Daniel Keane (1-0), Daire Devine, Conall Deeney (0-1); Danny Wood, Kevin Booth; Fintan O’Shea, Darren Hayden, Joe Prendergast (0-3); Oisin Murphy (0-1), Shaun Cranley (0-4, 3f), Fionn O’Carroll. Subs: Cillian Keane for D Keane (52), Luke Prendergast for D Healy (55).
Kiltegan: Cathal Fitzgerald; Colm Keogh, Blaine Harmon, Kieran Conway; James Boland, Bryan Kearney, Jack O’Toole (0-3, 3f); Liam Keogh, Rory Finn (1-3, 1p, 1m); Padraig O’Toole (0-1), Seanie Furlong (0-1, 1f), Stephen Farrell (0-3, 1f); Mike Foley, Brandon Ryan (0-1), Ciaran Harmon. Subs; Mitch Kelly for C Keogh (54), Adam Wynne for J O’Toole (54), Aaron Byrne for M Foley (54).
Senior hurling championship: Éire Óg Greystones 1-16: Glenealy 2-13
08.09.24
The Éire Óg Greystones hurlers stayed in their post-match huddle along with team manager Mick Burns and coaches Eoghan Dunne and Jim D’Arcy for a considerable length of time after the final whistle of their exciting drawn game with Glenealy in Pearse’s Park in Arklow last Sunday.
They had just cleared a very significant hurdle when it simply had to be cleared, the point earned off Glenealy enough to send them through to the Lightning Protection Ireland Senior hurling championship semi-final where they will take on Bray Emmets.
Although the superb victory recorded by St. Patrick’s over Kiltegan in Echelon Park Aughrim at the same time had left both teams on three points, the victory enjoyed by Mick Burns’ side over the Dunbur men in the earlier rounds meant that the Éire Óg men were through on the head-to-head rule.
Skin-of-the-teeth stuff, but who cares when you’ve booked your ticket to the last four where you get the chance to halt a historic push for six Senior titles in a row before it even gets to county final day.
Whether the long chat in the huddle was about the journey to this point or about what’s to come or perhaps a bit of both is unknown, but what was obvious when the Éire Óg players headed for the dressing room was that there was a look of relief on their faces but an air of steely determination.
These proud hurlers won’t be going to Echelon Park Aughrim to make up the numbers, and if sport has taught us anything over the years, it’s that anything is possible with the right attitude, plan and belief.
This was a tough day for Glenealy. This has been a tough campaign for them, too, but one they’re more than capable of bouncing back from.
They had some positives. A very healthy first half had them leading by 2-8 to 0-6 at the break, Gary Hughes looking on fire when blasting home two fantastic goals, Cian O’Neill, Warren Kavanagh and Ronan Manley dealing with the vast majority of threats on their goal, Andrew Lynch, Sam O’Dowd and Joey Driver impressing, as were Tommy Doyle and Alan Driver while Gavin Weir was looking fairly ruthless on the frees and Michael Óg O’Neill was having a fine game in the attack.
One worry was the impact Peter Keane was having on the influence of Danny Staunton. The Reds would need him in the second half in a big way.
Liam Dunne’s side led by 1-3 to 0-3 by the 16th minute, Hughes firing home past the impressive Dan O’Neill and adding a point along with two from Gavin Weir.
For Éire Óg, Emmet Blanchfield started in a really positive way with two points, either side of a fine effort from James Cranley, but Glenealy looked really threatening, and when Hughes fired home a screamer at the end of the half, Éire Óg looked in bother.
But nobody told Mick Burns or his soldiers that! Kristin Flynn would be given the task of limiting the impact of Gary Hughes, a job he performed superbly. Stephen Kelly did what Stephen Kelly does best: be class. Peter Keane battled with Danny Staunton and kept the Glenealy wizard to a few flashes of brilliance. Mick Walsh went inside, Paric O’Keeffe impressed, Anto Byrne began to ask serious questions and the impact from the bench from James Cahill and Leon Browne can’t be overlooked.
They closed to within four six minutes into the second half thanks to two Anto Byrne points, three from Blanchfield and a pair from James Cranley with Gavin Weir shining for Glenealy to leave the scoreboard reading 2-12 to 0-16; fair scoring on 16 points in less than 40 minutes of hurling.
The big moment arrived on the 26th minute when Anto Byrne fired home past Cian Staunton to send Éire Óg in front for the first time in this game, and then Leon Browne added a fine point to give the Greystones men serious belief that they could get the job done.
Two Gavin Weir frees left things unbearably tense in the closing stages, and Éire Óg’s championship goosed looked cooked when Gary Hughes won a ball ahead of Kristin Flynn.
The Glenealy attacker took aim from a difficult angle but the Éire Óg defender managed to get the hurl to the ball and block and John Keenan’s final whistle sounded much to the relief and delight of the Greystones men.
It’s a step in the right direction for Mick Burns’ side. How special would it be if they were to manage to take another one? Nothing is impossible.
Éire Óg Greystones: Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Billy Cuddihy, Paddy Igoe; Kevin Booth, Stephen Kelly (0-2), Sean Lawless; Shaun Cranley (0-1), Peter Keane; Mick Walsh (0-2), Paric O’Keeffe, Alec Bartek; Anto Byrne (1-2), Emmet Blanchfield (0-7), James Cranley (0-3). Subs: James Cahill for A Bartek (37), Leon Browne (0-2) for J Cranley (52).
Men’s senior football championship
Éire Óg Greystones 1-10: Rathnew 0-12
01.09.24
A Shaun Cranley goal early in the second half would prove a vital score for the Éire Óg men as they ended up hanging on for a narrow victory against a Rathnew team who ran out of time when Liam Keenan’s final whistle went.
Whether or not James Stafford deserved a penalty in the dying seconds after he plucked a dropping ball from the sky at the Rednagh Hill end before ending up on the ground in the Éire Óg square was the topic being discussed immediately after the game and in the days since, but no penalty was awarded, and Rathnew’s subsequent final attack would result in a point when only a goal would allow them keep their unbeaten record.
Quality defensive work from Éire Óg allowed them go in 0-5 to 0-4 ahead at the break, Rathnew really struggling to break them down and being forced to shoot from distance.
Cranley’s goal and points from Fionn O’Carroll (2) and Danny Wood left the Greystones men 1-8 to 0-6 up at the end of the third quarter, but they were never going to get out of Aughrim without a Rathnew resurgence, and it duly arrived via white flags from Robbie Murphy, Theo Smyth with two bombs, JT Moorehouse and Sam O’Dowd. But Éire Óg responded well, pushing two clear with time almost up.
Stafford showed all his class to gather the long ball but calls for a spot-kick fell on deaf ears, and Sam Healy’s free seconds later for a separate foul flew inches over Rob Nolan’s crossbar.
Éire Óg will take on Kiltegan in the SFC quarter-finals while Rathnew will get to reacquaint themselves with Martin Ging’s Tinahely.
Éire Óg Greystones: Rob Nolan; Colin O’Shea, Stephen Kelly, Luke Prendergast; Daniel Keane, Daire Devine, Conall Deeney; Danny Wood (0-2), Kevin Booth; Fintan O’Shea (0-1), Dave Rooney, Joe Prendergast (0-1); Sam Thompson (0-1), Shaun Cranley (1-3, 1f), Fionn O’Carroll (0-2). Subs: Gavin O’Shea for C Deeney (46), Oisin Murphy for S Thompson (54), Darren Hayden for D Rooney (56), Brendan Cunningham for K Booth (57).
U13 ‘A’ Cup final
Éire Óg Greystones 2-12: Rathnew 2-9
02.09.24
Éire Óg Greystones produced a quality second-half display to inflict a three-point defeat on a very impressive Rathnew side in Ballinakill on Monday night.
Trailing 1-5 to 1-3 at the break, the Greystones side pushed on in the second 30, outscoring their village opponents by 1-9 to 1-4 and proving that they are the best football team in the county at this age group.
Goals from Éire Óg’s Aiden Corrigan and Rathnew’s Robbie Doyle arrived in quick succession at the end of the first quarter but the Rathnew lads would finish the half strong with three super points from Robbie Doyle and another from Fionn Fitzgerald to leave them two up at the break.
The Greystones lads must have heeded their mentors during the half-time break because they emerged with fire in their bellies and had 1-2 on the board in the opening five minutes, Gethin Davies with the green flag.
Back came Rathnew through Fionn Fitzgerald who blasted home to the back of Ross Kavanagh’s net but a quartet of points from the boots of John Byrne (2), Dexter Whyte and Conor O’Farrell left Éire Óg leading by 2-9 to 2-5.
But no Rathnew team are ever easily beaten, and the outstanding Robbie Doyle fired over three crackers to pull them right back into this tie, Éire Óg’s Conor Morahan replying as the clock headed towards 30.
The villagers were chasing a goal but it wouldn’t come, and two late points from Conor Keaveny and Scott Tinsley secured the U13 ‘A’ Cup crown for Éire Óg Greystones.
Éire Óg Greystones: Ross Kavanagh, Donnacha Browne, Alex Porter, Cillian Barrett, Andrew McCarron, Dexter Whyte (0-2), Scot Tinsley (0-3), Connor O’Farrell (0-1), Noah Thompson, Chris O’Brien (0-1), A.J. Long, Aiden Corrigan (1-1), Ryan Goff, Conor Morahan (0-1), John Byrne (0-2). Subs: Finn Connerty, Conor Keaveny (0-1), Elliot Mulligan, James Ward, Gethin Davies (1-0).
17.08.24
Senior hurling championship: Carnew Emmets 1-23-Éire Óg Greystones 1-9
A sweetly struck Eoin Kavanagh penalty right on the stroke of half-time turned this Lightning Protection Ireland Senior Hurling Championship clash with Éire Óg Greystones from a two-point advantage to a five-point gap and proved to be the boost that Eamonn Scallan’s men needed to drive on and maintain their unbeaten record in this year’s campaign.
The victory sets up a winner-takes-all kind of joust with defending champions Bray Emmets with the victors from that fixture receiving what will be a massive psychological boost ahead of the semi-finals but also avoiding the teams in second and third on the table.
For Éire Óg Greystones, a competitive first half display fell away somewhat in the second as the Carnew Emmets men turned playing against the breeze and up towards the Rednagh Hill end very much to their advantage, with Eoin Kavanagh in blistering form along with Wayne Kinsella, John Doyle Jnr, Pádraig Doran and Jack Doyle while defensively there were good displays from Conall McCrea, Tommy Collins, Aaron Kinsella, Martin O’Brien, Cormac Redmond and Ruairi O’Brien.
There was plenty to like about Mick Burns’ side’s efforts here and they will now face a huge game against Glenealy where – on the dangerous assumption that Kiltegan will have too much for St. Patrick’s in their battle in the last group game – the winner will secure the last semi-final berth that will see them take on either Bray Emmets or Carnew Emmets.
It was a frantic but successful day for Carnew Emmets goalkeeper Aaron Redmond who played the full game in the Junior ‘A’ hurling final just before this Senior battle and the lined out for Eamonn Scallan’s side immediately afterwards for another 60-odd minutes of hectic hurling action.
And aside from a blunder in the 17th minutes from a long Stephen Kelly free that ended with the ball in the back of his net, the netminder looked very competent, with some of his puck-outs resembling missiles and for the most part finding their targets.
When that major went in, the game was suddenly level at 0-6 to 1-3, the electric Eoin Kavanagh getting Carnew on the board, the classy Paric O’Keeffe replying for Éire Óg before Scallan’s men opened up a 0-4 to 0-1 gap thanks to white flags from Jack Doyle, Pádraig Doran and an Eoin Kavanagh free.
The impressive Alex Bartac rifled over a fine score after 11 but he probably could have opened up the legs even more and headed for goal if he had realised the room he had, and James Cranley sizzled over a free to leave just one between the sides.
Wayne Kinsella was in excellent form for Carnew and had Kevin Booth for company but still managed to split the sticks thanks to a Jack Doyle cross-field ball, and this was followed by a second from Wayne Kinsella after good work from Pádraig Doran and Jack Doyle.
The goal arrived then, and was a big boost for Éire Óg who also added points from Paric O’Keeffe and a bomb of a free from Stephen Kelly, John Doyle Snr chipping in with a single for Carnew, but Mick Burns’ men also added six wides and dropped two efforts short to Redmond in the closing stages of the second half.
Carnew Emmets finished strong, Jack Doyle, Kavanagh and Damien Aylward firing over excellent scores, Alyward’s coming from great work from Cormac Redmond.
An Aaron Redmond restart that found the hand of Jack Doyle resulted in a long ball to Eoin Kavanagh who gathered superbly, bore down on the Éire Óg goal before being bundled over in the square.
Kavanagh stepped up to take the penalty and buried it past Dan O’Neill in the Éire Óg Greystones goal to give Carnew a 1-10 to 1-5 lead at the break, but with the Greystones men having the breeze at their backs in the second.
It would be 13 minutes into the second half by the time Éire Óg registered their next score, that from James Cranley, but the scoreboard now read 1-14 to 1-6, Kavanagh (3) and John Doyle Jnr with the Carnew points upon the restart.
Damien Aylward picked up what looked to be a worrying injury on the knee that saw him miss the last 12 months of hurling at the end of the third quarter, but hopefully it’s not as serious as it looked initially.
The Kilkenny native was replaced by Kenneth Cullen who put in another steady show as he has done all season.
Carnew were opening up the shoulders now, Éire Óg picking off the odd score here and there but they had no answer for the power of Eoin Kavanagh, John Doyle Jnr, Wayne Kinsella and Pádraig Doran to name just a few.
A resounding win for Carnew Emmets. They’ll take the confidence gained and the improvement to their hurling into the collision with Bray Emmets where there’ll be no room for shadow boxing in the last group game with the winner topping the table and setting up a semi-final showdown with the fourth-placed side.
Carnew Emmets: Aaron Redmond; Cormac Redmond, Ruairi O’Brien, Martin O’Brien; Damien Aylward (0-1), Conall McCrea, Aaron Kinsella; Justin House, Tommy Collins; Pádraig Doran (0-2), John Doyle Snr (0-2), Jack Doyle (0-2); John Doyle Jnr (0-2), Wayne Kinsella (0-4), Eoin Kavanagh (1-9, 5f, 1-0pen). Subs: Kenneth Cullen for D Aylward (45, inj), Dan Redmond (0-1) for J Doyle Snr (51).
Éire Óg Greystones: Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Billy Cuddihy, Bill O’Toole; Sean Lawless, Stephen Kelly (1-1, 2f), Daniel Burns; Alec Bartac (0-1), Peter Keane; Kevin Booth, Paric O’Keeffe (0-3), James Cahill (0-1); James Cranley (0-3, 2f), Mick Walsh, Shaun Cranley. Subs: Nathan Unwin for B O’Toole (38).
17.08.24
Junior ‘A’ Hurling final: Carnew Emmets 0-19: Éire Óg Greystones 1-8
The introduction of Fionn D’Arcy at half-time and a stirring reaction to the concession of 1-1 early in the second half were key factors in Carnew Emmets lifting the O’Neill Cup following the Wicklow Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship final played in Echelon Park Aughrim on Saturday afternoon.
The sides were level at a paltry 0-4 apiece at the break with Éire Óg Greystones shooting a damaging 10 wides in the opening 30 minutes, a stat that would come back to haunt them as this game edged towards its conclusion.
Dr. Brendan Cuddihy’s and Mick Burns’ charges looked to have found their rhythm with seven gone in the second half when Enda Forde fired home a fine goal after good work from Nathan Unwin and Hugh O’Neill with O’Neill adding a point seconds later to push Éire Óg 1-6 to 0-8 ahead.
But that was as good as it got the Greystones men as Carnew, boosted by the fresh energy and sharp hurling of Fionn D’Arcy around the middle third and the accuracy of Michael Collins from play and placed balls, took over and opened up a 0-17 to 1-6 lead by the time the busy Josh Barry notched their next score with seven left in the game.
There were some cracking battles over the 60 minutes. Hugh O’Neill and Killian O’Keeffe went at it hard and mostly fair from the first minute to the very last. Sam Molloy was locked in a mighty struggle with the physically impressive Billy Rickerby. William Kenny and Nathan Unwin locked horns while Mark Barry looked to mind the house when the lethal Cormac Doyle was prowling.
Aaron Redmond (65) and Cormac Doyle opened up a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after nine but Éire Óg would hit seven wides in the opening quarter.
They stopped the rot with Josh Barry and the lively Luke Dorgan firing over only for Michael Collins to land a brace (one free) to push Carnew out to a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.
Two further Éire Óg wides followed with the breeze at their backs but Josh Barry and Nathan Unwin sent the sides in level at 0-4 apiece with Carnew turning to enjoy the benefit of the breeze in the second.
A Michael Collins free and a fine Jody Byrne point made it 0-6 to 0-4 but then Éire Óg landed 1-1 and looked set to push Carnew Emmets all the way.
However, that was not how it turned out. Billy Rickerby replied with a fine point and Fionn D’Arcy added another and from here on in it was the Carnew Emmets show, Cormac Doyle cutting loose inside and Michael Collins on fire from the frees.
The Carnew Emmets team and supporters celebrate after the Junior ‘A’ championship final.
This was a wonderful win for Carnew Emmets against a gallant and very useful Éire Óg Greystones side and secures a sweet league and championship double.
SENIOR MEN’S FOOTBALL 10.08.24
Éire Óg Greystones 2-11 AGB 2-9
Éire Óg produced a stirring second-half comeback to boost their chances of making the Wicklow Senior Football Championship quarter-finals with a stunning win over AGB.
Down by four points, Greystones came out firing in the second-half and, inspired by goals from David Rooney and Colin O’Shea, and a quite sensational showing from Joe Prendergast, among many others, led them to a statement victory in Aughrim.
Éire Óg have been tested thus far in the championship campaign. After a terrific league campaign, their championship season got off to a rough start with defeat to Dunlavin,
Victory over Barndarrig got them back on track but Saturday was Conor Mackle’s side’s biggest statement yet, against an Arklow side with designs on making it to the latter stages of the championship but which now faces a tenuous path out of the pool stage.
Mackle remarked afterwards that they had to be patient and pragmatic in the first-half playing against a strong breeze. Indeed, with the breeze at their backs, Arklow made the brighter start and, after ten minutes, led 0-4 to 0-1.
Arklow’s bright start led to their first goal on 14 minutes. Aaron O’Brien fired a long kickpass into JP Hurley, who held off his man, spun at goal and dispatched into the back of the net.
They could have had a second on 18 minutes, but for Sean Hurley to shoot wide but, with ten minutes left in the half, AGB were in a strong position, with Hurley extending their lead out to 1-6 to 0-3 from a free.
But crucially, Éire Óg stuck around, with David Rooney and Daniel Keane registering the final two scores to send them into the break down by four.
Arklow should have had their second goal within 60 seconds of the restart, only for Andy Maher – a lively presence in the first-half in particular – to slice a wild shot wide of the post when he should have hit the target at the least.
They would very quickly rue those missed goal chances.
David Rooney brought the two sides back to within two points before he then rattled the back of the net on 37 minutes to give them the lead for the first time since the third minute.
AGB bounced back well to get their second goal through a cracking Paidi Kavanagh goal within a minute of Greystones’ goal, but the momentum was starting to flow in Éire Óg’s favour.
Shaun Cranley hit the post with a shot for a point and, on 45 minutes, they got the second goal to retake the lead that they would not give up. Danny Wood picked out the marauding Prendergast.
He kicked a good ball into Colin O’Shea who, having done a tremendous job defending against Brian Hurley at one end, popped up from corner-back to provide the finish touch for the second goal.
Unlike after their first goal, Éire Óg would not give up this lead and would instead extend it as the game wore on, with a quickfire brace of Shaun Cranley scores extending their advantage out to four points with five minutes left to play.Christopher O’Brien and Thomas Lynch added the final two points for Arklow but it was mere consolation as Éire Óg Greystones saw out the well-deserved and stunning statement 2-11 to 2-9 victory
JUNIOR HURLING
Éire Óg Greystones 2-14
St. Patrick’s 0-10
Éire Óg Greystones secured their place in the Wicklow GAA Junior ‘A’ hurling championship final when getting the better of St. Patrick’s in Ballinakill last Tuesday evening.
With Arklow Rocks unable to field for their game against Carnew Emmets at the same venue and time, that means that the Greystones men will lock horns with Carnew Emmets in the decider on Saturday, August 17, in Echelon Park Aughrim at 2.30pm.
A heavy shower in the hour before this game in Ballinakill didn’t augur well but thankfully, we got through the game before rain arrived again.
Two goals separated the sides at the half time break at 2-7 to 0-7 in favour of Éire Óg but that was as close as Pat’s got with the Greystones men pulling away in the second half to win on a final score of 2-14 to 0-10.
Éire Óg hit the ground running from the throw in and had points on the board from Hugh O’Neill and Enda Forde before Pat’s had time to draw their breath.
However, the Wicklow town lads steadied and had the sides level at 0-2 each by the sixth minute with scores from Jim O’Brien and Wayne Farrell.
St. Pat’s were doing well enough in these early stages and further points from Cole Byrne and Jim O’Brien had them ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 by 10 minutes.
However, with Michael Arrigan and midfielders Luke Dargan and Nathan Unwin coming strongly into the game for Éire Óg, the Pat’s defence began to come under pressure.
Hugh O’Neill, who had looked dangerous all along, exploded into the game. By the quarter-hour mark he had first timed a shot past John O’Brien to the St. Pat’s net.
Taking a pass from Enda Forde he had time to pick his spot for goal number two and added a point to an earlier free leaving Greystones ahead by 2-4 to 0-4.
St. Pat’s steadied again and with John ‘Dee’ O’Brien in goal, James Stafford and John G O’Brien in the full-back line defending well plus some excellent play from Adam Hume at centre-back, they got back into the game.
Two pointed frees from Bill O’Brien had Pat’s back on track, but three points in a row for Éire Óg from Ryan McCormack, Enda Forde and Hugh O’Neill and one point in response from Wayne Farrell left the half-time score at 2-7 to 0-7 in favour of Éire Óg.
The Greystones side brought John Cahill and Sean Meyler into the game for the second half while St. Pat’s introduced Myles O’Brien and Darren O’Brien.
While the level of intensity was never high, St. Pat’s began to fall back in the early stages of the second half.
Two points from Craig Byrne and Hugh O’Neill had Éire Óg back on the scoring trail again. A Bill O’Brien pointed free was the only early response from Pats as the Greystones lads put up the shutters.
Tom Meyler, Mark Barry and Sam Molloy were comfortably in control at the back.
From the 10th minute on, the only scores for Éire Óg came from Hugh O’Neill. He added a total of four points, two from frees and two from play.
St. Pat’s had run out of steam at this stage, but George O’Brien pulled back two points in the final 10 minutes.
Éire Óg failed to score in that final 10 minutes, but they were coasting at this stage and content to play out the time.
The rain was arriving back as the referee blew for full-time leaving Éire Óg comfortable winners on a final scoreline of 2-14 to 0-10.
Éire Óg Greystones: Ger White; Tom Meyler, Mark Barry, Sam Molloy; Pa Scanlan, Michael Arrigan, Paddy O’Sullivan; Luke Dorgan, Nathan Unwin; Craig Byrne (0-1), Daire Corcoran, Ryan McCormack (0-1); Hugh O’Neill (2-9, 3f), Enda Forde (0-3), Robert Martin. Subs; John Cahill, Sean Meyler.
St. Patrick’s: John ‘Dee’ O’Brien; James Stafford, John ‘G’ O’Brien, William Connors; Jim O’Brien (0-2), Adam Hume, Luke Connors; Cole Byrne (0-1), Conor Doyle; Bill O’Brien (0-3, 3f), Wayne Farrell (0-2), Ronan O’Brien; Geoge O’Brien (0-2), Jim Connors, Tadhg Keating. Subs: Myles O’Brien, Darren O’Brien.