DUBLIN COLLEGES UNDER 18 C CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL FRI 4TH FEB 2022 ABBOTSTOWN Oatlands V Skerries
DUBLIN COLLEGES UNDER 18 C CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL FRIDAY 4TH FEB 2022 ABBOTSTOWN.
OATLANDS COLLEGE 1-16 SKERRIES COMMUNITY COLLEGE 3-6
(Match report by Diarmuid Coogan.)
Scorers: Oatlands: Tom Doran 0-10(6 frees, 1 65), Eoin Keys 1-3, Peter Whelan 0-3.
Skerries: Thomas Hegarty 1-5, Ronan Geoghegan 2-1.
Oatlands College (with a large contingent of Crokes players) and Skerries Community College served up a really competitive final in brilliant winter sunshine in Abbotstown today. The game ebbed and flowed from start to finish and ultimately Oatlands’ dogged determination and quality finishing won out in a game which could have gone either way.
Oatlands got a off to a good start with an excellent free from half forward Tom Doran following a foul on Ruairi Myers in the 2nd minute. (O/L 0-1 Sk 0-0) However this was quickly cancelled out by a free from centre forward Thomas Hegarty for Skerries. (0-1 to 0-1)
Oatlands then had a setback when corner back Peter Bradley (only recovered from a lengthy injury) had to be helped off the pitch. Sub Dan Sheerin ably deputised for Bradley.)
Doran added another free from 45 metres a minute later but there followed some serious pressure on the Oatlands goal in which goalie Bill Buckley did well to save an initial shot and the defenders scrambled it clear but only as far as Hegarty who swung over a fine point after 6 minutes. (0-2 to 0-2)
Skerries were coming fully into the match now and full forward Ronan Geoghegan edged them ahead after 11 minutes. (O/L 0-2 Sk 0-3)
Oatlands got back into command mode with midfielders Eoin Keys, Gavin Egan and wing forward Peter Whelan winning some good possession and Doran scored 2 more frees after 12 and 14 minutes. (O/L 0-4 Sk 0-3)
Keys then produced one of the “moments of the match” when he fielded a high ball close to the right side line and hit a wonderful point from 45 metres. (O/L 0-5 Sk 0-3)
Any illusions Oatlands may have had of pulling away were quickly dispelled when Skerries attacked on the right side from the puck out and Hegarty didn’t need any second invitation to exploit a defensive lapse as he drilled the sliothar into the net after 16 minutes. (O/L 0-5 Sk 1-3)
2 minutes later Doran hit another clinical free to level matters and Whelan hit an excellent point from 40 metres following a great catch. (O/L 0-7 Sk 1-3)
Hegarty tied it up a few minutes later but unfortunately a Skerries player was seriously injured just after and there followed a lengthy break until he could be given aid and stretchered off.
On the resumption of play, Doran won possession and hit a memorable point from 65 metres. (O/L 0-8 Sk 1-4)
Following a good save by Buckley which he deflected away from goal, Oatlands were penalised in the subsequent scramble for the ball and Hegarty levelled with 2 minutes of the half left. (O/L 0-8 Sk 1-5)
4 POINT TURN AROUND!
The influential Keys struck with another point on 29 minutes and then Skerries had a gilt edge chance to strike a major psychological blow but Buckley saved brilliantly and full back Fearon did well to clear to centre back Fionn Boyd who found Whelan on the right and Whelan carried before striking a great point from 45 metres – in essence a 4 point turn around – as the half time whistle sounded! (0-10 1-5)
2ND HALF.
The Oatlands players began the 2nd half as if the game was “in the bag”!
Following a long free from Hegarty which hit the post, the defence weren’t quick enough to react and Skerries full forward Geoghegan made no mistake. (O/L 0-10 Sk 2-5)
Hegarty and Geoghegan now looked menacing to the Oatlands defence and found the net again minutes later but luckily for Oatlands, the referee ruled out the goal for “square ball”.
However this “let off” didn’t seem to awaken the Stillorgan lads and following an attack from the left, Hegarty passed to Geoghegan who drove the sliothar in off the right hand post on 40 minutes. (O/L 0-10 Sk 3-5)
While Oatlands looked as if they were in “meltdown mode”, there was still plenty of time left and Keys won possession around half way and ran at the heart of the defence right into the large square where Oatlands should have goaled but Doran was on hand to tap over from 30 metres to reduce the deficit to 3 points. (O/L 0-11 Sk 3-5)
Hegarty restored the 4 point advantage with a fine point before Oatlands spurned another goal opportunity but they were awarded a 20 metre free just to the left of the goal. With 15 minutes left, most observers expected Doran to tap over but he went for goal – unfortunately for him he didn’t connect particularly well and the goalie deflected it out for a 65. He then showed great mental resolve to convert the 65 for a very important “psychological score”. ( O/? 0-12 Sk 3-6)
With 12 minutes left, Fionn Boyd drove a long free out of defence which Doran gathered and swung over the bar to make it a 2 point game. (O/L 0-13 Sk 3-6)
There followed a series of missed chances by both sides until Doran again showed great nerve to steer over a 20 metre free from the right side line on 54 minutes. (O/L 0-14 Sk 3-6)
COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE MAN!
The momentum was now all with Oatlands and following a great catch by Boyd, he passed to Keys on the Skerries 45 and he showed great pace, skill and strength to evade several defenders before giving the keeper no chance with a great shot into the bottom right corner of the goal with 3 minutes left. (O/L 1-14 Sk 3-6)
Having worked so hard to regain the lead, Oatlands weren’t about to let it go again and they defended ferociously from the puck out. Eventually the tireless Keys was awarded a free deep inside his own half. Boyd sent it long and Whelan won the ball on the edge of the “D” before striking over to extend the lead to 3. (O/L 1-15 Sk 3-6)
With the game now in injury time, Skerries attacked desperately in an attempt to engineer a goal but the Oatlands defence held firm and Boyd hit a massive clearance to Keys in the centre of the pitch on the Skerries 45 and he drove over for the “assurance point”!
The final whistle sounded shortly afterwards much to the jubilation of the Oatlands players and travelling support.
The future looks bright for Oatlands Hurling as their U16 team won their Shield Semi Final on Wednesday
An Official from the County board presented the Trophy to winning captain Eoin Keys and payed tribute 2 both teams for delivering such a competitive entertaining match. He also mentioned Eoin Keys’ and Fionn Boyd’s major contribution to the South Dublin Colleges team who had beaten the famed St.Kieran’s Kilkenny to reach the Leinster Colleges final on 12th February in Nowlan Park.
OATLANDS: Bill Buckley, Peter Bradley(Dan Sheerin 3 mins), Adam Fearon, Colm Lyndon, Jack Burke, Fionn Boyd, Niall Perry, Eoin Keys(Capt), Gavin Egan, Peter Whelan, Thomas Doran, Ruairi Myers, Seán O’Riain, Liam Georgeff, Peter Egan.
Subs: Conor Coogan, Éamonn Burns, Stephen Joyce, Dan Sheerin, Lucan Merriman, Jack Nolan, Seán Coogan.
Bainisteoirí: Cian MacGabhann, Barra Ó Leidhin
Dúirt Siad:
OATLANDS Principal Caroline Garrett:
“I’m so proud of the lads and I’m thrilled that they’re bringing some silverware back to Stillorgan. All the lads played their hearts out and I’ll never forget today. After what we’ve been through over the last 2 years, this feels even better than when we won in March 2020!
It’s on days like this, I think of our sadly departed colleague Enda Carolan who did so much for hurling in Oatlands. I hope he was cheering from above today!”
OATLANDS Bainisteoir (& Crokes & Dublin Senior Hurler) Cian MacGabhann:
“I’m just delighted – the lads really dug it out after the goals went inand took some great scores as the game went on.”
When asked is he thought it was “all over” after the quick concession of the goals at the start of the second half, dúirt sé:
“Luckily the goals came early enough in the 2nd half so there was plenty of time for us to get back into it if the lads kept their heads which thankfully they did. After that they all showed great determination and took their chances well when we got back on top.”
OATLANDS Captain Eoin Keys:
“We made tough work of it and it would have been easy to give up after those goals in the 2nd half but once we steadied ourselves, we were calm on the ball and I felt that we’d get the scores. Once that happened I thought we’d win it as this team always keeps going right to the finish.”
