Intermediates draw with Liffey Gaels

Crokes intermediates emerged from this AHL4 game with a share of the spoils after a hard tussle at Silverpark on Saturday 25th October 2008.  The strong wind, sticky ground and constant rain all militated against good hurling.

Early Crokes attacks against the wind failed to yield a result.  The concession of a seventeenth minute goal on top of two earlier points was exacerbated by conceding a twenty second minute goal when the ball should have been cleared.  An immediate point from Dave Stafford followed by two in quick succession from Traolach O’Sullivan and Colm Duggan brought the home team back into the game.

The Ballyfermot men pointed within two minutes of the resumption to make it 2-3 to 0-3.  Shortly after Ronan Walsh pulled one back.  Ten minutes were to pass before the next score, an Eoin Dalton goal.  It took the same length of time before Shane McNicholas (whose move to midfield late in the first half certainly paid dividends) reduced the margin to one.  In the fifty seventh minute McNicholas levelled.  That was the end of the scoring and while Crokes might have secured the win, in the circumstances and given the slow start, a draw was not to be scoffed at.  Great credit is due to all the players.  To the fore for Crokes were goalkeeper Richie Tighe, the full back trio of Andrew Hopkins, Hugh O’Connor and Aidan Byrne, centre forward Shea Gillen, substitute Colm Duggan and Shane McNicholas.

R Tighe, A Hopkins, H O’Connor, A Byrne, P Clinton, A McCarthy, R Walsh (0-1), E Dalton (1-0), C Sheehan, T O’Sullivan (0-1), S Gillen, P Rath, J O’Reilly, S McNicholas (0-2), D Stafford (0-1).  Subs: C Duggan (0-1) for P Rath (20 mins), P Rath for J O’Reilly (45 mins)