CROKES MINOR HURLERS EDGE VINCENT'S IN ANOTHER THRILLER!
CROKES MINOR’S EDGE ANOTHER THRILLER WITH VIN’S!
MINOR A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP:
ST.VINCENT’S 0-20 KILMACUD CROKES 2-17
(Match report by Diarmuid Coogan.)
In a repeat of the memorable 2022 U16 Final, these 2 teams played out another classic in the 2nd round of the Dublin Minor A Championship on Sunday 22nd September in Pairc Naomh Uinsionn.
After a shaky win against Raheny in the 1st round, Crokes needed to be far more “switched on” for this encounter and so they were with David Purcell opening their account in the 2nd minute with a fine point to equalise after Vin’s had scored in the 1st minute. (SV 0-1 KC 0-1)
A minute later full forward Oisín Harnett did well to break down a high ball to wing forward Seán McBarron who showed great dexterity in striking a point from 40 metres with 2 defenders bearing down on him.(SV0-1 KC 0-2)
Vin’s hit back with points from Ryan Murphy and Bobby “Peeler” Peel. (SV 0-3 KC 0-2)
“Peeler” looked to have added another when he hit a great shot from 45 metres but the ball dipped dangerously just under the crossbar where goalie Conor Coogan did well to “pluck it from the air” and cleared to James Neary who passed to corner forward Connie O’Sullivan; O’Sullivan fed Purcell who struck another lovely point from the right in what was a great “end to end” score after 11 minutes!! (SV 0-3 KC 0-3)
Murphy added a free for Vins before Purcell gained possession from the puck out and after “bamboozling” 2 Vin’s players with 2 “dummy solo’s”, he struck a sublime point from 65 metres! (SV 0-4 KC 0-4)
On 13 minutes, wing forward Conall Criostoir did very well to block a Vin’s line ball on the right and the ball was quickly moved to Purcell who had goal on his mind but was about to be engulfed by 3 defenders so he cleverly passed left to corner forward Max McBreen whose rising shot could have hit the net but yielded a very good opportunist point for Crokes. (SV 0-4 KC 0-5)
Purcell and Murphy then swapped pointed frees before McBarron hit another fine point assisted by O’Sullivan. (SV 0-5 KC 0-7)
Peeler reduced the gap to 1 and then Vin’s centre back Harry Curley won possession on the right touchline and left 2 Crokes players trailing in his wake before driving over a wonderful point from 60 metres which really lifted the home team and crowd on 18 minutes. (SV 0-7 KC 0-7)
Murphy added a free to put Vin’s back in front. From the puck out, Coogan spotted midfielder Fintan Lydon unmarked at ½ way and he off-loaded to centre back Rory Flannery whose shot from 65 metres sailed inside the left post (although the Crokes umpire signalled it wide but was over ruled by the referee!). (SV 0-8 KC 0-8)
Flannery and Murphy exchanged further frees (Flannery’s a monster effort from his own 65) before the key moment of the half! (SV 0-9 KC 0-9)
KEY MOMENT!
After tenacious midfielder Gearóid Flannery had won possession, the ball was worked to Purcell in the right corner. He looked as if he was going to run at the defence but there were 3 defenders about to “swamp” him and he showed great vision in playing a soccer style cross into the “Box”; O’Sullivan soared into the air to catch on the 14 metre line and quickly hand passed left to Criostoir who buried it in the net! (SV 0-9 KC 1-09)
Crokes regained possession from the puck out and McBreen drove over another point after 29 minutes but Vin’s kept their composure and finished the Half with 2 points from Murphy to leave the match finely balanced at half time. (SV 0-11 KC 1-10)
2ND HALF.
Vin’s won possession from the throw in and Murphy made a very dangerous run into Crokes territory before being pulled down inside the 20 metre line and he tapped over before Flannery struck another long distance free (SV 0-12 KC 1-11)
The Crokes full back line of Cathal Crean, Seamus Dunphy and Rian Robertson had been very “stingey” on not allowing the Vin’s forwards many clear shots on goal but on the 33rd minute, Vin’s broke through and Coogan batted the sliothar out to the left where in the ensuing scramble, a free was awarded to Vins which Murphy duly despatched. (SV 0-13 KC 1-11)
A minute later following a marvellous catch by wing back James Neary close to the right hand touchline, he was fouled and Flannery hit his most difficult point yet. (SV 0-12 KC 1-12)
(A feature of Crokes play throughout the game was the attacking threat which the half back line of Neary, Flannery and right wing back Finnian Donohoe posed.)
Crokes then went and through a 13 minute famine where they hit several wides and Vincents hit 3 in a row. The 3rd point was arguably the high point of the match for Vin’s; Crokes had worked the ball up to the Vin’s 20 metre line and really should have scored at least a point but good scramble defence led to a “schmozle” for the ball from which the inspirational Harry Curley emerged and carried powerfully out of defence before clearing to sub Cillian “Whippo” O’Grady who hit a lovely point to put his side back into the lead for the 1st time since the 28th minute. (SV 0-16 KC 1-12)
All the momentum seemed to be with Vin’s at this point but Coogan pucked out long to Purcell who was fouled as he was about to “take off”. After “dusting himself down”, he calmly bisected the posts from 50 metres to steady any Crokes’ nerves. (SV 0-16 KC 1-13)
McBreen did good spoiling work to thwart a Vin’s clearance and Harnett hit a nice “over the shoulder” point to edge Crokes back in front on 49 minutes. (SV 0-16 KC 1-14)
At this point, a draw seemed likely as both sides threw everything at it and were exchanging points in the last 10 minutes.
After Curley had put Vin’s a point up (0-19 to 1-15) on 57 minutes, Crokes responded in the 58th with a superb point from Criostoir on the left touchline after McBreen had done very well to win possession in the corner.
In the final minute of normal time, following a great catch by Neary on the left, O’Sullivan played a clever crossfield ball to Criostoir on the right sideline and he carried before expertly “curling” his shot between the posts just to show that he’s not “one sided”! (SV 0-19 KC 1-17)
There had been quite a few stoppages in the 2nd half and it was expected that there would be at least 5 minutes injury time so this game was still on a knife edge.
In the 2nd minute of added time, Neary sent a speculative shot towards Vin’s goal and Harnett and sub forward Ronan McNamara exerted enormous pressure on goalie Bailey Devitt and the ball broke to the left of the “large square”. In the scramble that followed, McBreen pulled on the ball with just enough power to see it trickle inside the right hand post as the Vin’s defenders looked on in despair!
(It reminded this observer of the sadly deceased Salvatore “Toto” Schillaci’s goal against Ireland in Italia ’90!!)
This really gave Crokes a cushion as Vin’s needed to score at least twice from here. They butchered a close range free that should have made it a one score game and when wing bank Seán Nolan scored in the 5th minute of added time, it really was just a consolation as the final whistle sounded shortly after the puck out.
The parents and supporters of both sides applauded the great spectacle that the players had served up and there’s a strong possibility that these 2 fine sides will meet again in the latter stages on this Championship!
Crokes:C.Coogan,C.Crean,J.Dunphy(Capt),R.Robertson,F.Donohoe,R.Flannery,J.Neary,G.Flannery,F.Lydon,C.Criostoir,D.Purcell,S.McBarron,C.O’Sullivan, O.Harnett, M.McBreen.
Subs: Jack Dillon f Robertson (40mins), Ronan McNamara f Purcell(56 mins)Subs not used: Hugh Leahy, Daithí Linehan, James Ryan.
CROKES SCORERS: D.Purcell 0-6 (4 f), C.Criostoir 1-2, M.McBreen 1-2, R.Flannery 0-4(3 f), S.McBarron 0-2, O.Harnett 0-1.