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This Week's Club Notes

November 7, 2018

U8 FOOTBALL: It is said that travel broadens the mind so we're hoping that our u-8s have had their football brains sharpened by their cross-border visit to Kilmacud Crokes in Stillorgan on bank holiday Monday. There they participated in a blitz involving teams from Kilmacud, Sarsfields of Kildare and Naomh Olafs. To encourage point taking, points were given a value of 3 units while goals had a value of only one.

Éire Óg brought 2 teams to the event and each of them was involved in 5 competitive matches, the last of which was between themselves. The games were of an impressive standard so it was a source of great satisfaction to the Éire Óg mentors to see their charges hold their own in such august company.

The games against Sarsfields of Newbridge were particularly interesting. Our players were dwarfed by the Kildare chaps and we feared for their annihilation. However the Éire Óg children were not at all daunted and gave battle with a bravery which surprised and delighted. Realising that they could not compete physically with their Lilywhite counterparts they played to their strengths -an té nach bhfuil láidir ní foláir dó bheith glic (the weak must be clever like the fox) – and this allowed them to run their opponents close on the scoreboard.

TEAM 1: Maeve Gurrin, Cathal Kirby, Conor Keogh, Darragh Keogh, Liam Leonard, Tom Meyler, Seán Meyler, Jack Flynn, Aaron Hempenstall, Sam Travers, Adam Travers, Darragh Shanahan.

TEAM 2: Hugh O'Carroll, Piaras Healy, David Connerty, Tara Casey, Seán Lehane, Max Moody, Alec Bartek, Gavin Lincoln, Cathal Byrne, Matt Fallon, Leah Fallon, James O'Dowd.

CAILÍNÍ The u-14 girls continued on their winning way with a Div B victory over An Tóchar, 2-5 to 1-0 in Roundwood. Eventhough this was the team's 4th victory on the trot they have not allowed themselves to become victims of complacency and they treat all opponents with the utmost respect. The conditions for the match were miserable but this did not seem to bother the players and they participated with gusto. In the 1st half, on both sides, the forwards were afforded a good deal of freedom and virtually all of the scoring (2-3 to 1-0) took place in this period. After the break defensive stonewalling was the order of the day with the only scores, 2 points, coming from Éire Óg boots.

Róisín Farrell who played well in goals received great cover from Laura McMullan and Sophie Dallaghan. Sarah Lucey and Sophie Fitzgerald were prominent among the forwards and Alana Ní Sheáin had a terrific game around the centre.

IOMÁINT Inevitably after a contest which has had a decisive outcome one set of supporters will be dispirited. This was the case for the Wicklow hurling followers after the county's 1 point defeat at the hands of Kildare in the replay of the 1st round of the Christy Ring Cup in Arklow on Saturday. The loss was all the more disappointing in that it was very much of the team's own contrivance; bordering on a baker's dozen of wides in the 1st half with the wind. A paltry half-time 4 point lead, facing into a wind which had grown significantly in ferocity over the break and an unerring Kildare freetaker: a scenario with the potential for a Wicklow drubbing. However, one has to hand it to the Wicklow lads – not least our own Stephen 'Chester' Kelly – they battled mightily against this adversity and were only undone by a last minute point.

The consensus, uncoloured by the downcasting of loss or the elation of victory, was that the spectators had been treated to a splendid and enjoyable game of hurling. And indeed they had been.

A very clean game, peopled by athletes svelte of figure and loose of limb, enriched by some wizardly wielding of the camán and by wholehearted engagement and which remained in exciting uncertainty to the final whistle. At game's end it struck one as sad that so many soi-disant sportspeople in this country are denied, through prejudice or location, the sporting and artistic pleasures to be derived from the game of hurling.

Sunday next the county's footballers face those of Laois in Fortress Aughrim. Will they be able to repeat their 'David over Goliath' victory of the previous meeting between the teams at this venue? We wish them, especially Éire Óg's Darren Hayden, all the best on Sunday