Under 21’s Defeat Craobh Chiaran

With the advantage, Crokes were a point up inside a minute from a Rob O’Loughlin free.  Six minutes later centre back Rory O’Carroll doubled the lead from a 90 metre placed ball.  Brother Ross then fed Kevin O’Loughlin who drew and punished a foul from 30 metres.  From a Crokes puck out Neil Casey won the ball and hit a good point on the run in the thirteenth minute.  Two minutes later Ross O’Carroll sent over to make it 0-5 to 0-0.  Barry O’Rorke made it six in minute twenty. 

Notwithstanding the scoreline it was not all plain sailing.  By now the visitors had hit a number of wides and in the twenty second minute Barry Mulligan was forced to come off his line to make a brave save.  Four minutes on good work by the Crokes defence forced a Craobh Chiaran wide.  Two minutes before the interval a Richie Power shot was scrambled out for a 65 that Kevin O’Loughlin converted, the last time the umpires at either end were troubled in the half.

With the strength of the wind a seven point lead had to be considered slim.  A minute after the restart Chiarans had the arrears down to six.  Three minutes later the gap was four.  Ross O’Carroll’s thirty sixth minute point brought it back to five only for Chiaran’s to have it down to three by the thirty ninth minute.  At this stage Neil Casey came to centre field and Conor Clinton moved to the half forward line.  Ross O’Carroll began to operate behind his half back line and for the remainder of the game his foraging brought great relief to the Kilmacud team.

In the forty fifth minute Conor Clinton made it 0-9 to 0-5.  In the next minute good combination between Ross O’Carroll and Conor Clinton set Kevin O’Loughlin up for a point.  Chiaran’s immediately pulled one back.  In the forty ninth minute the impressive Shea Gillen fed Kevin Dalton and the hard working midfielder split the posts.  The next five minutes were scoreless before the Donnycarney side pulled one back.  With three minutes remaining Ross O’Carroll was set up for a point and it was 0-12 to 0-7.  Chiaran’s rattled off two overs.  With a single score in it Niall Butler gave Crokes the tonic they needed with a fifty ninth minute point.  Chiarans still pressed and it was a relieved home crowd that heard the final whistle shortly after. 

Most impressive for the winners were keeper Barry Mulligan, Fergus Garvey, Ronan Walsh, Shea Gillen, Ross O’Carroll and Conor Clinton.  This was a good performance by Crokes and sets them up for the next round against Erin’s Hope, from St Patrick’s Teacher Training College.  This game is likely to be played on Saturday 1st December in Silverpark.

Team:

Barry Mulligan, Ronan Walsh, Fergus Garvey, Andrew Hopkins, Shea Gillen, Rory O’Carroll (0-1, f), Rob O’Loughlin, Kevin Dalton (0-1), Conor Clinton (0-1), Ross O’Carroll (0-3), Neil Casey (0-1), Brian Sheehan, Kevin O’Loughlin (0-4, f-2, 65-1), Barry O’Rorke (0-1), Richie Power.  Subs: Peter Clinton for Brian Sheehan (46 min), Niall Butler (0-1) for Kevin Dalton (53), Brian Mahon for Richie Power (60 min), Andrew Greene.

For more images of this match click on photo above or HERE