Tracton 2-16, Shamrocks 2-9
Shamrocks bowed out of the B hurling championship at Carrigaline on Tuesday evening. Tracton just had too much for the young Shamrocks team on the night. They found scores much easier to come by while Shamrocks at the other end relied mostly on placed balls. However, despite all this, they finished strong and never once gave up the ghost and indeed, with a bit more luck and penetration up front, they would have been much closer in the end.
Tracton started much the better and were 1-4 to 0-1 ahead after 10 minutes and they kept attacking. Shamrocks hung in there up until 20 minutes in, mainly through Andrew O’Gradys frees and a nice point from Chris Hayes. However, Tracton got in for a second goal before HT and it left it 2-8 to 0-5 at HT for Tracton.
Once again, Tracton did most of the pressing in the second half and it took Cormac Scriven in goal to deny them on 3 separate occasions with excellent saves. Chris Hayes scored 2 great goals from play to keep Shamrocks in the game but by the 45th minute they were still 8 points down, 2-14 to 2-6. They finished the stronger and had a few goal chances saved and scrambled away. Tracton finished out the game to move onto the final.
While defeat was their lot, their play suggested many better things going forward. 11 minors started the game out of the 13; this was surely one of the youngest u21 teams ever put on a hurling field. But they played with spirit throughout and never shirked the challenge. Thanks to the players for their efforts this year and to the management team of Colin Brady, Johathan Tuohy and Aidan O’Leary.
Team: C. Scriven, S. Kelleher, S. Kidney, A. Boland, M. Hitchmough, D. Barry, T. Murphy, A. O’Grady, C. Hayes, R. Twomey, C.O’Grady, D. Scriven, B. Crowley. Subs – K. Murphy, E. Desmond.
Shane Kelleher races out of Defence V Tracton
