Shamrocks 2-10, Cobh 2-4
An excellent game of hurling in the Track on Wednesday night and after a good hours hurling, Shamrocks got the deserved win that keeps their unbeaten season going.
With 2 hurling matches being cancelled through no fault of their own, a rather facile victory over Brian Dillons the previous week and with all the training done with this group of lads since last November, with the emphasis being on hurling, this was just what the doctor ordered as the lads face into the state exams period. Cobh were big, strong, tough and could certainly hurl and the Shamrocks lads will be glad of a proper test of where they stand right now. It was a tough contest all through with Shamrocks only repelling a strong Cobh fightback towards the end of the game.
The first half was tight all through with Cobh testing the Shamrocks back on plenty of occasions. Shamrocks were playing Aonghus Boland in the corner and he scored 2 great points from play, Andrew O’Grady also scored a couple from long range frees and a monster one from centre back. Cobh had struck for an early goal and looked dangerous on the inside line. Both teams were guilty of missed opportunities – David Andrews struck the inside of teh post with a well struck shot. The teams went in at half time with Shamrocks leading by 0-5 to 1-1.
Shamrocks got a great boost at the start of the second half as the hard working David Andrews finished off his own powerful solo to the back of the Cobh net and Shamrocks led 1-5 to 1-1. They tagged on a few scores from frees and when Mark Hitchmough finished off another Andrews solo run to the net, Shamrocks led by 7 points, 2-6 to 1-2. However, Cobh came right back into it and after hitting the crossbar with a 21 yard free, they brought the Shamrocks lead back down to 3 points with 10 minutes left. They were right back in the game now but Shamrocks responded and halftime sub Hitchmough pointed an important score to open up that all important 4 point gap with 5 minutes left. Shamrocks closed it out and finished ahead 2-10 to 2-4 after a tough battle.
Panel: C. Scriven, S. Kelleher, S. Kidney, C. O’Grady, A. O’Sullivan, N. Hayes, D. Scriven, D. Andrews, D. Barry, C. Hayes, B. Crowley, A. Boland, M. Hitchmough, E. Desmond, K. Murphy, S. Flavin.
Minor Panel V Brian Dillons, Tank Field, 19/4/14. Back row, l to r: Shane Kelleher, Andrew O’Grady, Sean Kidney, Eric Desmond, Cormac Scriven, Tom Murphy, David Raleigh, Rory Horgan, Shane Flavin, David Barry. Front, l to r: Christopher Hayes, Brendan Crowley, Darragh Scriven, David Andrews, Aonghus Boland, Coby O’Grady, Mark Hitchmough.
