Club Notes: 10th September 2018
Shamrocks GAA Club Notes ( kindly sponsored by Allen Engineering & Agri sales ltd).
Club Lotto.
Last week’s winning lotto numbers were 1-8-14-19, and there was no winner. €20 winners were Laura Budds, John A Kelly, Yvonne Grey, Ann Flanagan, Olan Coleman. Next week’s jackpot will be €7,500.
JFC Western Final, Shamrocks 0-13, Sean Phobail 1-3.
Shamrocks claimed their first Western football title since 1987 (which was Intermediate football ), and first Junior title since 1984 when they powered their way to an emphatic seven point win over an Sean Phobail in a rain soaked Cappoquin last Saturday evening. For a proud club that always fields out in football (even though not always first choice), and has produced some excellent players to county level like Liam Dalton, Dan Casey, and Michael Neville, that is a drought of biblical proportions. Little wonder the sizeable Shamrocks support celebrated long and hard at the final whistle. Old Parish opened the scoring with a pointed free, followed by a free from Bernie Kelleher. The sides traded points again with Colm Roche firing his first of the day to leave the scores two each. With conditions deteriorating and heavy rain now pouring down, calamity struck when a long ball in somehow ended up in the net for a very fortuitous goal for the Gaeltacht men. It was then Shamrocks showed their mettle, taking over completely, and firing over six points in a row to turn a three point deficit into a three point half time lead. Edward Hynes started it with a simple fisted point following a good run, his brother Billy following suit with another, Stevie Lucey who was really starting to dominate around midfield, landed another, then Bernie added two, and Billy Hynes finished the half with another to leave the score 0-8 to 1-2 at half time. This lead didn’t flatter us as I felt we dominated around the middle of the field with Stevie and John Paul Lucey and Colm Roche winning a lot of ball, and the only concern was perhaps we should have been further ahead.
With the rain continuing to pour down, scores were proving more difficult to come by, but it was Bernie who scored first again, with Chris Murphy getting his first score, and Colm getting another fine point to leave six between the sides. To their credit our opponents finally began to put on some pressure, and pulled back a point, but we were not going to be denied, and my man of the match Stevie Lucey fired over two excellent points to make sure the cup was going back to the three parishes once again. We had a lot of heroes on the day, and there was a determination in the team that was lacking two weeks ago when our hurlers bowed out very feebly, but we weren’t going to be denied on this occasion. Our backs were very solid, well marshalled by centre back Shane Roche and full back Tommy O Donovan, but I must give special mention to veteran Brian Harnedy who was superb all through, and another veteran Eoin Murphy who came on in the second half had a big effect on the game bringing a coolness and cuteness to the play that was lacking at times in the first half. Overall it was a satisfyingly performance, and if we can turn our possession into more scores we should have a real sporting chance in the county final, whenever that may come. Congratulations to selectors Declan Butler, Dan Casey, Seamie Tobin along with coach Noel Crowley from Fermoy who has instilled a strong work ethic evident in the way all the players put pressure on the opposition. Well done to all, and roll on the county final! Panel; Richie Murphy, Brian Harnedy, Tommy O Donovan, Padraig Roche, Cathal Herlihy, Shane Roche, Adam Crawford, Stevie Lucey (0-3), Billy Hynes (0-2), Chris Murphy (0-1), Colm Roche (0-2), John Paul Lucey, Edward Hynes (0-1), Bernie Kelleher (0-4), Padraig Ahearne, Eoin Murphy, Alan Kelly, Liam Mother way, Joe Leahy, Tom Roche, Kieran Crawford, Ciaran O Keeffe, Sean Murphy, Ivan O Neill, Thomas Goulding, Michael Lucey, Martin Delaney,Padraig Tobin, Liam Dalton, Jack Crawford, John A. Kelly.
(Photo shows Western Bord Chairman Pat Walsh presenting the Western Cup to joint captains Padraig Ahearne and John Paul Lucey)