Seniors still top league
A windy but mainly dry night made it one of the better ones so far this benighted Summer as Crokes took on Craobh Chiaran at Clonshaugh in the senior hurling league on Friday evening 6th July 2007.
Ciarans raised a white flag with their very first attack. From the puck out James Burke fed Paul Graham who equalised. The home team then added another point before striking for a goal from long range in the fourth minute. Two minutes later a ninety metre free put them five ahead. Having spurned a number of chances, the visitors pulled points back in the twelfth and thirteen minutes through Fergal Armstrong (free) and Eoin Roche. Further chances were missed over the next five minutes. One of the Ciarans midfielders then scored a point following several unchallenged hand passes. The game looked to be ebbing away from the Kilmacud men as the missed chances and wides tally mounted while Ciarans added points in the 23rd and 25th minutes. To their credit the Stillorgan team stuck to the task and finished the half with three unanswered points from Armstrong (two from frees) to leave it 0-6 to 1-6 at the interval.
A Ciarans point within a minute of the resumption was not what the doctor ordered even if Crokes now had the wind advantage. Five minutes elapsed before an Armstrong free brought the gap back to three. In the 38th minute came the game’s crucial score. A good Hugh Gannon clearance found James Burke whose strong run was finished with a good goal to bring the sides level. Ciarans responded immediately with a point but within a minute another Burke run and score restored parity. In the 41st minute an Aodhan de Paor sideline cut found Donal McGovern whose point put Crokes in the lead for the first time. Ciarans levelled again but that was to be their last score, bar one. From the 44th to 49th minute Crokes registered minors through Armstrong, McGovern, Fergus Garvey and Armstrong again (free). In the 55th minute Ciarans looked to have given themselves a lifeline when a hit and hope by the full forward from an impossible angle somehow managed to end up in the net. With the margin now at the minimum it would have been difficult to find backers against the Donnycarney men. However it was Crokes who finished stronger with points from Aodhan de Paor and Armstrong - two, a 65 and a 20 metre free - to give a final scoreline of 1-16 to 2-9.
This was a satisfactory win for Crokes and keeps them at the top of the league. On a night where hurling was made difficult by greasy underfoot conditions on longish grass among those to impress for Crokes were Niall Lillis, Daithi de Paor, Niall Murphy, Hugh Gannon, Fergal Armstrong, James Burke and Paul Graham, who moved to goal at the start of the second half.
Team:
MacDara O’hOgain, Niall Lillis, Kieran Murphy, Ray Mangan, Daithi de Paor, Niall Murphy, Damien Byrne, Fergal Armstrong (0-9, f - 6, 65 -1), Hugh Gannon, James Burke (1-1), Fergus Garvey (0-1), Brian Motherway, Donal McGovern (0-2), Paul Graham (0-1), Eoin Roche (0-1). Subs: Aodhan de Paor (0-1) for MacDara O’hOgain (inj) half time, Neil Casey for Eoin Roche (inj) 50 minutes.