Flying Start to the F Championship as Crokes topple the Towers.

A busy weekend for our five adult hurling teams finished up with our 5th Team playing in the junior F championship.

The match took place at the sun kissed Silverpark at noon on Sunday. The team went out against Round Towers of Lusk who were themselves fielding a team in Adult championship for the first time in three decades.

The Host team were keen to ensure that the  reemergence into Adult Championship would not commence with a victory.

Crokes were backboned by some of the junior F veterans that brought the team to the championship semi-final and league promotion last year and were joined in the starting 15 with plenty of our minor players many who were togging out for their first adult championship season and game.

Things started well with some early scores from our full forward line of Kevin Hannifin Ben Rafter and a very industrious Conall Keane.

The match was played in a good spirit with the odd robust challenge keeping things lively. Crokes worked very hard at midfield with Killian Lanigan and Eoghan Casey from Doneraile in North Cork keeping fast ball moving into the forwards.

This rapid play was capitalised on by our strong forward line and in particular the half forwards of Colum o se and near veteran Junior Hurler (at 18) Adam Tuck.

The pivotal centre forward role was elegantly discharged by senior team physio Hugh 'Chuzz' 'Pottsy' Byrne who kept up a more traditional junior hurling stereotype by arriving fresh from Harcourt Street. He had on his dancing shoes but hurling head and worked some nice link play to allow the young lads do the running. No walk of shame for this true club character. A strut of style.

At Half time we went in with a 4-8 to 1-4 lead.

During the break we impressed on the lads the need to keep up the pressure and to drive on. The team responded in spades.

The backs were dominant throughout and a particularly impressive halfback line of Daragh Kennedy, Fergus Mangan and Ciaran Gorman even chipped in with a few scores of their own.

We were well served throughout the match by our back four of Garrett Dorrian, Brian Dervan, Sean Gorman and Aidan Byrne who all stayed focused and concentrated to keep the Lusk scores to a minimum.

We had the luxury of being able to bring on some fine young players in the second-half; Cian Ryan fresh from a lively minor football game made a big contribution coming in at midfield. Matthew Morrissey and Ronan Boyce made a difference in the forward line with Matthew picking up 1-2 in the last 20 minutes.

Team stalwart Barry O'Sullivan and Conor Walsh added strong presence to the full forward line on their arrival.

For their part management trio of Peter Walsh, Ronan Egan and Eoghan Leacy were satisfied to sit back and let their charges do the business with themselves not being called upon to enter the fray on this occasion.

The final score was 9-18 to 2-5. The lads kept going to the end and it was certainly good to start with a victory.

Credit has to be given to the Lusk team fielding for the first time in 30 years. They will improve from today. For our fifth team it is clear that we will have tougher days in the junior championship but it was great to have such a enthusiastic young and talented team to show their wares at the end of a good adult hurling weekend.

9 of those that played today were making their adult championship debuts. They all have talent, character and ability that will bring them and the club many bright days in the future. That is what this team is all about.

Team:

G Dorrian, A Byrne, B Dervan, S Gorman, D Kennedy, F Mangan, C Gorman, E casey, K Lanigan, C O Se, H Byrne, A Tuck, C Keane, K Hannifin, B Rafter

Subs:

C Ryan, M Morrissey, R Boyce, C Walsh, B O Sullivan

Unused; R Egan, P Walsh, E Leacy