Under 16 Hurlers – Fall at last hurdle and fail to add the league title to their Championship crown

Date of Match: 22nd October 2007

Versus: St Vincents Venue: PNU

Competition: Under 16 Division 1 League

Management Team: Pat Halpin, Tom Murphy, Daibhi dePaor, Gearóid O’Riain, Kevin Coakley (Kev is involved, despite being omitted {was it deliberate due to his Cork background?} by the national press in recent match reports) & Gerry McGrath

Match Result
Kilmacud Crokes 0 - 08 v St Vincents 1-12

Scorers;
Crokes: Seanie McGrath (0-08 (8 f))

Match Report/ Match Highlights:

Under 16 Hurlers – Fall at last hurdle and fail to add the league title to their Championship crown

The Under 16’s traveled out to St Vincents on Monday night to face their old adversaries in their last league game of the campaign, it was a winner take all situation as neither side had been beaten in the league.

On the night it was a hungrier St Vincents side that came out on top. For the first 15 minutes of the game it was pretty even, mainly due to the great work by the backs, with the score four points to two points in favour of the home side. Seanie scored both of the Crokes scores from frees. However the winning/loosing of the match was in the second quarter of the first half when St Vincents out scored Crokes by six points to two points (again two more converted frees from Seanie). At half time St Vincents led ten points to four points.

An improved performance was required by the Crokes side, but St Vincents were out to revenge their Championship semi final loss three week before and defended resolutely against a committed offense in the second half. Unfortunately it was St Vincents who got the goal that Crokes badly needed to get them back into the game and in the second half Vincents outscored Crokes by one goal and two points to four points. All four second half points coming from converted frees by Seanie. The final margin was seven points in favour of St Vincents, the first time that Crokes have lost to tem since they were Under 13.

Overall it was a tired performance by a team who have played an awful lot of hurling this year, along with the clubs Under 16 and two Minor teams, the team contributed a number players to the Under 16 and Under 18 teams in the various local schools, to the Dublin Colleges Under 16 team and to the Dublin Under 16’s. The team put in some notable performances this year despite being missing some key players in nearly every match, especially in the three Championship matches. While the team were very disappointed by the result, it was been a great year, they have traveled the length and breath of the country playing opposition from Munster, Leinster and Ulster and equipped themselves well, winning one tournament and coming runners up in two. They added the Under 16 Championship crown to the Under 15 and Under 14 titles won in 2006 & 2005, a feat that is unique within Kilmacud Crokes and probably unique within the county. They are a credit to themselves and the management team wishes them well in their exploits as minors over the next two years.

A big thanks to Daibhi, Gearoid, Gerry, Kevin & Tom for all their efforts with the lads during the year and also to Paraic and Niall for all their help and advise durng the year. The parents are also owed a big debt of gratitude, they are great supports and there is never a problem with lifts, no matter how far they are required to travel or how early they are needed.

Kilmacud Crokes:
Barry Mulligan, Peter MacCague, Paul Collins, Cian O’Brien, Louis Whelan, Darren McVeigh, Jack Doughan, Killian Doherty, Sean Murphy, Mark O’Dwyer, Jude Sweeney, Eoin Dalton, Dylan Mulligan, Jack Kelly, Seanie McGrath.

Subs: Hugh Byrne for Eoin Dalton, Johnny Brew for Sean Murphy, Brendan Halpin for Jude Sweeney, James O’Keeffe for Peter MacCague and Sean Garvey for Dylan Mulligan – all in second half.

Unavailable: - Alan Carr, Bill O’Carroll, Eddie O’Byrne, Gary Melican, Matthew Kinsella & Naomhan O’Reardan.