Bord na nÓg update – Week 29

Minor B Championship There was an exciting draw played out in Hugginstown on Sunday morning as Carrickshock & Erins Own couldn’t be separated. This match opened very brightly with excellent point taking from both sides early on. After 15 minutes it stood at 0-4 each, with the stiff breeze favouring Erin’s Own. But it gradually deteriorated into a free-ridden affair, with no real flow to it and neither team really got into their rhythm. Goal chances were very scarce. Carrickshock had one in the net early in the 2nd half after excellent build-up play only for it to be ruled out for a square ball. And in one attack Erin’s Own drove a bullet against the crossbar, from the rebound drove one across the goal, it was kept in play before Darragh Dwyer pulled off a miracle save, with the help of the post. In the closing stages both teams dug deep and felt they had their chances to win it. Meanwhile in Muckalee Tullogher Rosbercon made most of the early running in their clash with St Martins as a Danny Glennon goal got them in at the break by 3 ahead and could count themselves a tad unlucky not to be further ahead as Brian O’Shea & Lar Murphy had largely being on top. Goals from Jamie Morrissey & Josh Dempsey swung it back in Martins favour who held on despite late pressure from Tullogher to win out 3-12 to 2-10.  Minor CMullinavat 3-15 Emeralds G.A.A. Club 2-08 Mullinavat advanced to the semifinals of the Kilkenny Minor Roinn C championship with a ten point victory over Emeralds at Mullinavat on Saturday.Two goals in the first quarter from Conor Walsh and Conor Power, meant that Mullinavat always had a comfort blanket on the scoreboard, in a relatively controlled performance.Shane Aylward got the scoreboard moving for Mullinavat early on, before Kieran Cleere equalized for Emeralds. However when the two Conor’s goaled, Mullinavat were a deserved 2-1 to 0-1 ahead.Darragh Queally got Emeralds second score from a free, but three points in a row by the impressive Conor Walsh, left the home side 2-3 to 0-2 ahead.Emeralds got a third score from a free, but Mullinavat we’re now very much in charge.This was empathised with an unanswered five points, from George O’Conor (penalty), Michael Delahunty, O’Connor, Aylward and an O’Connor free.Killian Doyle pointed a free for Emeralds, before Delahunty replied with a lovely Mullinavat score from midfield.At the break Mullinavat were 2-10 to 0-5 ahead, and very much in in charge.Halftime Mullinavat 2-10 Emeralds 0-05. To the credit of Emeralds they battled hard throughout the new half. This despite a goal quickly after the restart from Conor Power, his second of the morning.Emeralds done their best hurling in the third quarter, the likes of Darragh Queally and Alex Burke we’re starting to now feature strongly in an attacking capacity, and when they scored two goals within a few minutes, the margin was down to seven points, 2-8 to 3-12.The Mullinavat management duo of Stephen Foskin and Sean Walsh had to be worried with the poor form of the home side in the third quarter. However to their credit, they picked things up again. Three points in a row were recorded , thanks to a long range free by George O’Connor, followed by further points from Michael Delahunty and Donnacha Walsh.Emeralds Alex Burke had a penalty saved by home keeper Darragh Tynan, before Mooncoin referee Maurice Flynn, called an end to proceedings So Mullinavat proceed to the last four, with a more sustained effort over 60 minutes. Emeralds had some very useful hurlers who no doubt we will see more of in the years ahead. In the other Minor C championship games Barrow Rangers & Ballyhale Shamrocks will have to do it all again after a 0-14 to 2-8 draw whilst Blacks and Whites were more accurate in their 1-16 to 2-7 win over Slieverue.  U-15 Championship James Stephens & Young Ireland’s squared up in the first Roinn A semi final in what was a double header with the U-13 Final. From the get go neither side gave an inch and were duly level at the break but Young Ireland’s won out 2-16 to 1-13 and were probably the better side over the 60 minutes and will face Dicksboro in a repeat of the league final. In Roinn C semi final Cloonen upset the odds to gain a 1-11 to 0-11 win over Lisdowney who had the prominent Alan Dunphy but Dara Brennan has the last laugh as his goal saw the men in green & white home.  U-13 Roinn A Final James Stephens 5-10 4-10 Dicksboro After a 120 minutes hurling these great city rivals were only separated by a puck of a ball in the Duggan Steel Roinn A hurling championship at a well appointed Gowan venue. The village men made a roaring start to this encounter with Rory Holland getting a goal after Ed McDermott had settled his side with two early points and this wall all inside the first six minutes. James Brennan Smyth & Patrick Lacey got the Palmerstown outfit into the game with some nice points before McDermott plundered a goal after a neat ball from Larry Phelan. Michael Stynes got the ‘Boro back into it with a gone goal of his own but Jacob Breslin ensured that James Stephens were up at the break 2-4 to 1-6. The first half may have being tight with both defences on top however the second half saw the attacks plunder 5 goals between them an average once every 6 minutes. McDermott landed the first point of the half and followed up with goal soon after but Brennan Smyth & Stynes sent the green flag waving before Dara Power gave the advantage back to the Village and a Breslin goal with 3 minutes to go seemed to settle the matter but the men clad in Maroon & White are made of stern stuff and had it back to two in injury time but a McDermott pointed  free got them across the line to cue the celebrations for the Kells arias outfit.  James Stephens: Padraig Joyce, Daniel Ring, Noah Minogue, Conor Heffernan, Larry Phelan, Ed Lauhoff, Sean Deely, Ruari Harrison, Ruari Holland, Jacob Breslin, Sean Bergin, Bill McDermott, Zack Scanlon,  Ed McDermott, Dara Power. Subs: Diarmuid Beehan, James Kelly Dicksboro: Ciaran Power, Luke Kerwick, Evan Murphy, Anthony Clifford, Max Doyle, Michael Stynes, Enda Kavanagh, Ross Doyle, Donnchadh Hennessy, Louils Ragget, Brian Moore, James Brennan Smyth, Thomas Treacy, Jamie O’Brien, Patrick Lacey. Subs: Oisin Henderson, Ref: Peter Bourke (Emeralds)U-13 Roinn B Final Erins Own 3-16 3-10 Dunnamaggin  In a thrilling Roinn B U-13 Final in Danesfort on Saturday morning, Erin’s Own secured a memorable win over Dunamaggin. Backed by the strong breeze from the off, it was Dunamaggin who set the early pace ,with midfielder Jamie Tallon and full forward Cathal Buckley to the fore driving Dunamaggin to a 3-7 to 1-3 lead at the interval with the goals coming from Buckley, Sean Lawton and Tim Doherty . Erin’s Own scores came from a James Coogan penalty and two frees, with the only score from play by Eoin Brennan. It was only some excellent goalkeeping by Conor o Sullivan and brilliant defensive work from Jack Comerford, Conor Brophy and Jack Coogan that allowed the Comer boys stay in touch in that first half.Erin’s Own rejigged their team slightly at the interval following the loss of Bobby Brennan to a shoulder injury and it really paid dividends with James Coogan, who finished with a personal tally of 3-12, Robert Coogan and Jake Connery storming into the game. While Eoin Shiel and Ross o Neill did everything they could to stem the tide Erin’s Own were transformed in the second half with Eoin Brennan, Conor Buggy, James Comerford and sub Kevin Buggy causing all sorts of problems for the Dunamaggin defence. The crucial goal came after twelve minutes of the half following great work at the back by Alec Kerr the ball was delivered upfield by Eamon Brannigan to James Coogan who gave the keeper no chance with a brilliant finish and the ten point interval deficit was now down to two and from there on Erin’s Own grew in confidence to record a fully deserved win on a score line of 3-16 to 3-10.Credit must be given to both teams for the standard of hurling produced, it was a game of high intensity and high skill levels throughout by quality young hurlers all over the pitch on both team. Erins Own:  1.conor o Sullivan2.alec kerr3.jack coogan4.jack Comerford5.robert coogan6.conor brophy7.eamonn brannigan8.jake Connery9.james Comerford10.cathal Dunny11. James coogan (capt)12.leo Downey13.eoin brennan14.bobby brennan15. Conor buggy16.kevin buggy17.cian Rothwell18.james o Neill19.mathew rowe20. Jamie Cahalhan21.james brennan22.will tynan23. Josh kirwan24.tristan Daly25.luke Connery26.sam coogan27.mark kennedyDunnamaggin: 1. Scott McDonald2. David Moore3. Pierce Costello4. Sean Rossiter 5. Shay Delaney6. Eoin Shiel7. Ciaran Hickey8. Jamie Tallon9. Ross O Neill10. Cathal Buckley11. Sean Lawton capt.12. Conor Lawton13. Tim Doherty14. Brian Hickey15. Noah Cahill16. N/A17. John Hayes18. Jack McCormack19. Tommy Steed20. Thomas Deegan21. Jake Butler22. Liam Davis23. Conor Aylward24. Cathal Rossiter 25. Ian McDonald26. Stephen Walsh Ref: Colin Tobin (Young Ireland’s)