The St Brendan’s Hurlers, sponsored by Bodibro, put the disappointment of their second half below par performance against Erins Isle behind them, when Co. Wicklow club Kilcoole, travelled to Longmeadows on a hot Wednesday evening for the latest Go Ahead AHL7 fixture. Again, don’t ask me why a Wicklow club is in Dublin leagues. Maybe the standard is better and the quality higher.
I have no doubt the players will still be smarting from 10 days ago and want to set the record straight here this evening. And there were signs to things to come when Rob ‘Shane Lowry’ O Hanrahan pucked a super ball 70 meters away over the bar for the opening score for The Dark Force.
Kilcoole then equalised, but Pa Carey had the home side in front with a 25 meter free after a foul on Tom Kiely. Carey had a goal opportunity thwarted when the Kilcoole back hit the bas of his hurl onto the shaft of Carey’s and the shot was cleared. Kilcoole hit a brace of points to lead momentarily, Carey redeemed himself with his second free in over the bar, 3 points each after 10 minutes.
St Brendan’s took the lead when Carey completed his hat trick of points after O’Hanrahan whipped in the slioter into Carey who went for goal but settled for the point. Another Kilcoole point followed and the home side retook the lead thanks to Brian Dolan, who goal bound shot deflected off a Kilcoole hurl and over the bar.
Carey opened a two point lead with a free in after a foul on Eoin Corcoran after collecting an eye of the needle pass off Noel Murphy. There was some super Hurling off Neon Leon Broderick, to make a timely pass to Corcoran and a shot over the bar and a two point lead, which didn’t last long as the away side hit another point to make it 0-7 to 0-6, as a young Kilcoole boy presented tonights goalkeeper, Michael ‘Bruno Fernandes’ Harte for his next puck out.
And that puck out was caught by Noel Murphy and pass to Brian Dolan who went one on one with the goalkeeper and there was only one outcome, a goal for St Brendan’s. 1-7 to 0-6.
However, Kilcoole would hit 1-2 in the last three minutes of the first half to lead 1-8 to 1-7 at half time.
In what may be a first for St Brendan’s, The Wexican Oisin Carley, who was about to come on as a substitute, was booked whilst still on the sidelines, for complaining about a foul which the referee did not see. Kilcoole opened a two point lead when Eoin ‘Corky’ Corcoran pounced on a loose ball and pucked into the net for a one point lead 2-7 to 1-9, but again that lead did not last long with a point from Kilcoole.
In fact, that goal galvanised Kilcoole as they up the ante by scoring a further six unanswered points. In between, Jack ‘The Relegator’ McCarron had a shot saved for a 65, and that 65 went wide.
However, Carey did stop the rot with a point from play, however with 8 minutes to go, Kilcoole hit their second goal and an 8 point deficit, 2-8 to 2-16.
Now, you might think St Brendan’s heads will drop, lose interest and Kilcoole tag on score after score after score.
Well, you're wrong!
Neon Leon Broderick hit a point from a free in, then Noel Murphy hit a point from play and with 5 minutes to go there was a 6 point deficit. Kilcoole responded with a point from play to increase their tally to 2-17. Broderick hit a brilliant sideline cut for a point and a six point deficit again.
Daniel McCarthy came on as a sub and caught McCarron’s free in which he dropped short, The Kilcoole backs did everything they could to stop McCarthy from taking the shot and up to six Kilcoole players were on his back as McCarthy pucked the slioter into the net for a third St Brendan’s goal in scenes similar to the try Ginger McLoughlin scored for Ireland against England in the 1982 Five Nations when he had all of the England forwards on his back!
The Wexican Oisin Carley hit an excellent shot over the bar and soon there was two between the side. But Alas, Kilcoole woke up and won a crucial turnover off Pa Carey and the referee called a halt to proceedings. While the loss was still gut wrenching, the overall performance was encouraging and all goes well for the rest of the league with matches against fellow bottom of the table opposition Naomh Fionnbarra and Naomh Olaf still to come, Can the Hurlers build in this performance and add more wins before the league ends. Who knows.
Final Score from Longmeadows, St Brendan’s 3-12, Kilcoole 2-17.
I have no doubt the players will still be smarting from 10 days ago and want to set the record straight here this evening. And there were signs to things to come when Rob ‘Shane Lowry’ O Hanrahan pucked a super ball 70 meters away over the bar for the opening score for The Dark Force.
Kilcoole then equalised, but Pa Carey had the home side in front with a 25 meter free after a foul on Tom Kiely. Carey had a goal opportunity thwarted when the Kilcoole back hit the bas of his hurl onto the shaft of Carey’s and the shot was cleared. Kilcoole hit a brace of points to lead momentarily, Carey redeemed himself with his second free in over the bar, 3 points each after 10 minutes.
St Brendan’s took the lead when Carey completed his hat trick of points after O’Hanrahan whipped in the slioter into Carey who went for goal but settled for the point. Another Kilcoole point followed and the home side retook the lead thanks to Brian Dolan, who goal bound shot deflected off a Kilcoole hurl and over the bar.
Carey opened a two point lead with a free in after a foul on Eoin Corcoran after collecting an eye of the needle pass off Noel Murphy. There was some super Hurling off Neon Leon Broderick, to make a timely pass to Corcoran and a shot over the bar and a two point lead, which didn’t last long as the away side hit another point to make it 0-7 to 0-6, as a young Kilcoole boy presented tonights goalkeeper, Michael ‘Bruno Fernandes’ Harte for his next puck out.
And that puck out was caught by Noel Murphy and pass to Brian Dolan who went one on one with the goalkeeper and there was only one outcome, a goal for St Brendan’s. 1-7 to 0-6.
However, Kilcoole would hit 1-2 in the last three minutes of the first half to lead 1-8 to 1-7 at half time.
In what may be a first for St Brendan’s, The Wexican Oisin Carley, who was about to come on as a substitute, was booked whilst still on the sidelines, for complaining about a foul which the referee did not see. Kilcoole opened a two point lead when Eoin ‘Corky’ Corcoran pounced on a loose ball and pucked into the net for a one point lead 2-7 to 1-9, but again that lead did not last long with a point from Kilcoole.
In fact, that goal galvanised Kilcoole as they up the ante by scoring a further six unanswered points. In between, Jack ‘The Relegator’ McCarron had a shot saved for a 65, and that 65 went wide.
However, Carey did stop the rot with a point from play, however with 8 minutes to go, Kilcoole hit their second goal and an 8 point deficit, 2-8 to 2-16.
Now, you might think St Brendan’s heads will drop, lose interest and Kilcoole tag on score after score after score.
Well, you're wrong!
Neon Leon Broderick hit a point from a free in, then Noel Murphy hit a point from play and with 5 minutes to go there was a 6 point deficit. Kilcoole responded with a point from play to increase their tally to 2-17. Broderick hit a brilliant sideline cut for a point and a six point deficit again.
Daniel McCarthy came on as a sub and caught McCarron’s free in which he dropped short, The Kilcoole backs did everything they could to stop McCarthy from taking the shot and up to six Kilcoole players were on his back as McCarthy pucked the slioter into the net for a third St Brendan’s goal in scenes similar to the try Ginger McLoughlin scored for Ireland against England in the 1982 Five Nations when he had all of the England forwards on his back!
The Wexican Oisin Carley hit an excellent shot over the bar and soon there was two between the side. But Alas, Kilcoole woke up and won a crucial turnover off Pa Carey and the referee called a halt to proceedings. While the loss was still gut wrenching, the overall performance was encouraging and all goes well for the rest of the league with matches against fellow bottom of the table opposition Naomh Fionnbarra and Naomh Olaf still to come, Can the Hurlers build in this performance and add more wins before the league ends. Who knows.
Final Score from Longmeadows, St Brendan’s 3-12, Kilcoole 2-17.
