The U16 boys marked a milestone for Skerries Harps yesterday as for the first time we have 2 teams competing in the U16 Hurling Championships. Unfortunately, our Colt (“B”) team got a walkover as O’Dwyers couldn’t field. Our Shenick (“A’) team took on Round Towers Clondalkin away.
With numbers tight Skerries travelled with 13 (the minimum). Championship is a bit more strategic than league with players not being able to move down from the A team once they’ve played there.
Smaller numbers with space on the pitch suit our style of play so Skerries fancied their chances even against a team a division up in the league. Clondalkin got off to the better start scoring 5 points without reply. At the first water break Skerries had cut the deficit to 2 with 2 points from Matthew Weldon and a 65 from Cillian Emmett. Clondalkin were winning the battles in midfield even with the excellent puckouts from Bobby Rogan
in goals for Skerries.
Before half time, Clondalkin managed to hit the net while Skerries were unlucky not to have
a goal or 2. Skerries got to the halftime break trailing 0-6 to 1-5, with another 65 from Cillian
Emmet, free from Matthew Weldon and a nice point from Oscar McIvor Lynch.
Capitan Jonny Dunne’s rallied the lads at half time and a few tactical position changes saw Skerries dominating the midfield. Pressure on the Clondalkin backline led to Oscar McIvor McIvor hitting the net. That combined with Skerries early point taking from Matthew Weldon and and the accurate Cillian Emmet from play and a 65 saw the side level again at the water break.Clondalkin came back out and got a quick goal but Skerries dug deep and to be fair didn’t panic. The
pressure on the Clondalkin backline continued and Skerries were unlucky not to hit the net on 3 or 4 occasions. The Skerries backs were phenomenal and kept huge pressure on Clondalkin as they tried to point but their wides mounted up as they had no option but to shoot under pressure. Bobby Rogan’s puckouts were being cleaned up by Skerries as 6 points were added to the tally for the day, 5 Matthew Weldon and 1 Cillian Emmett. Clondalkin hit the upright with almost the last puck of the game and the side finished level Skerries 1-15 Clondalkin 2-12. It was there for the taking but a draw is not a bad result for Div 3 Skerries
against Div 2 Clondalkin. Most importantly, championship is off and running for 2 teams in their last year on the juvenile side. U16 mentors and players would like to thanks the U15’s for their support over the years.
Skerries Harps Shenick Squad : Bobby Rogan, Senan Campbell, Leo Curtis, Like Ryan, Jonny Dunne
(Cpt), Tom Mulvey, Oisin Quinn, Dara Twomey, Joe Crilly, Matthew Weldon, Cillian Emmet, James
Courell, Oscar McIvor Lynch
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