Seniors triumph in Championship

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On Friday 14th September 2007 the Crokes senior hurlers made their much delayed championship debut against the South Dublin Regional (2) team under lights at O’Toole’s grounds in Blunden Drive.  It was a nice evening for hurling with, at times, a noticeable cross wind.  The opposition included six Ballinteer players as well as players from Naomh Olafs, St Judes and Clanna Gael.

The Regional side got off to a good start with a point inside thirty seconds.  Sixty seconds later a forty metre free from Fergal Armstrong found its way to the net.  Almost immediately after Paul Graham crashed home a twenty metre free and when good interplay involving Niall Murphy, Donal McGovern and Ross O’Carroll saw McGovern put over in the seventh minute the contest was as good as over.

In the tenth minute Armstrong pointed a twenty five metre free and within the next four minutes O’Carroll, Brian Motherway and Armstrong (from a placed ball) also raised white flags.  A clearance straight to an opponent in the sixteenth minute reduced the margin by one.  O’Carroll, from the left sideline, and Armstrong, from a free, both put over before Regional registered their third minor of the half.  The respite was brief.  A loose ball broke to an alert James Burke who rippled the net and shortly after Fergus Garvey sent over a good point.  Regional had the last word of the half with a point in the twenty eight minute to leave it 3-9 to 0-4 although on checking with the referee he had the score at 3-8 to 0-4, admitting to confusion over one score.

Crokes started the second half with two points from O’Carroll and Armstrong, a sixty metre free.  In the thirty third minute Regional converted a free.  Over the next ten minutes Crokes had overs from Armstrong (free), O’Carroll (2) and Aodhan de Paor.  Regional then got a point, goal and point in quick succession to bring it to 3-15 to 1-7.  A scoreless eight minutes was followed by a point from Graham (free) and three from Armstrong (two frees) interspersed by one from the losers.  Official final score 3-19 to 1-8.

After so much deferral and uncertainty it was a relief to get the campaign underway.  While O’Tooles have to be complimented on the magnificent condition of their pitch and the welcome afforded it is questionable whether the lighting system is quite up to the demands of occasions such as this especially from a stanchion height point of view.  With the first round safely negotiated Crokes next face Cuala on 29/30th September.

Team:

MacDara O’hOgain, Declan Browne, Dave Mahoney, Kieran Murphy, Niall Murphy, Aodhan de Paor (0-1), Daithi de Paor, Fergal Armstrong (1-8, f – 1-7), Hugh Gannon, Fergus Garvey (0-1), James Burke (1-1), Brian Motherway (0-1), Donal McGovern (0-1), Paul Graham (1-1 frees), Ross O’Carroll (0-5).  Subs: Neil Casey for Fergus Garvey (47 minutes), Eoin Roche for Hugh Gannon (49 minutes.), Damien Byrne for Niall Murphy  (56 minutes), Niall Lillis for Kieran Murphy (56 minutes), Tomas Donohue, Adrian Grogan, Alan Tierney, Willie Ryan, Michael Dalton, Shea Gillen, Eoin de Paor, Andrew Hopkins and Cathal Brugha
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