Shamrocks 3-8, Grenagh 0-10
Shamrocks are once again Minor Hurling champions of the Rebel Óg East C Grade after a tough and uncompromising hours hurling against never say die Grenagh in the darkness of Mayfield on Monday evening. This game was real championship hurling with 110% committment from all the playes and even the mentors and supporters up in the stand. It made for a very exciting and tense game with Shamrocks ability to get goals being the key to the victory.
Grenagh opened the scoring early on in the very wet conditions and it took Shamrocks a full 10 minutes to register their first score. The early part of the game was evenly matched but Shamrocks got a boost after 13 minutes when it was 0-1 apiece when they broke through, passed to the unmarked David O’Sullivan inside and he made no mistake to rattle the Grenagh net. This was what the game needed and it got both teams going. Grenagh kept fighting and scoring and got to within 2 points before Chris Hayes and O’Grady pointed to leave the halftime score Shamrocks 1-4, Grenagh 0-4.
The game restarted with light fading fast in the gloom. Grenagh went about their business and scored 2 early points and had the momentum behind them at this point. Shamrocks were hurling well out the field against stiff oppositon but the scores werent coming their way. Shane Downey entered the game after 5 minutes of the second half and he was to have a big influence on the game, throwing himself about and generally making a nuisance of himself for the Grenagh backs.
And it was his goal after 13 minutes of the second half, after good work by Chris Hayes, that really sparked the Shamrocks resurgence. He scrambled home the sliotar to the Grenagh net and Shamrocks were leading 2-4 to 0-7. Grenagh pointed again but within 3 minutes, Chris Hayes, who had a superb game all through, billowed the Grenagh net once again and all of a sudden Shamrocks were in a comfortable position, leading 3-7 to 0-9. Hayes again pointed after a monster O’Grady brace and eventhough Grenagh pointed to make it a 7 point game, Grenagh came searching for a much needed goal but Shamrocks battled away, kept them out and took the spoils in the end. The noise generated by the Shamrocks crowd really drove the lads on in the second half in particular.
Both teams go forward to play in the County Section at a later date – Shamrocks play St Patricks from West Cork
Panel: C. Scrievn, J. Lynam, D. Barry, R. Meighan, M. Hitchmough, J. O’Keeffe, A. O’Grady, S. Flavin, D. Andrews, C. Hayes, M. Fleming, D. O’Sullivan. Subs: S. Downey, C. Murphy, D. O’Mahony, D. Allen, C. Hayes (inj)
Winning Panel V Grenagh, 12/9/16. Back row, l to r: Kieran Lynam, Kevin O’Grady, Peter Crowley (all mentors), Liam Shanahan (chairman Rebel Óg East), Damien Allen, James Lynam, Cillian Hayes, Daniel O’Mahony, Ruairí Meighan, David O’Sullivan, David Barry, Criostóir Corkery, Cormac Scriven, Mark Hitchmough, Matthew Fleming and three mentors Dick Andrews, David Nolan and John Jordan. Front row, l to r: Cathal Murphy, Shane Downey, Chris Hayes, Andrew O’Grady, Joseph O’Keeffe, David Andrews, Shane Flavin.
