minor team 2004

Minor Team 2004 (1986 and 1987 groups)

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October 2004

Minor B County Quarter Final

Played at Pairc Ui Rinn.

Tuesday October 5th 2004.

Blackrock 0 --- 5 Ballygarvan 3 --- 16.

The Blackrock lads fought hard in this game but the age gap was just too much to bridge in this game under lights at Pairc Ui Rinn. Despite being down by 2 --- 7 to 0 --- 5 at the interval, the Rockies had given a good account of themselves in the first half. They were very unlucky not to score at least a couple of goals and were still in the game. However some early long range points from Damien O'Sullivan for Ballygarvan in the second half enable the south-east lads to pull further away.

David Duggan and Gearoid Magner worked very hard throughout, while Eric Hegarty played well in the first half. Paul Reidy kept trying and was unlucky not to score at least two goals. However Ballygarvan played some excellent hurling, with some of their lads able to puck the sliotar upwards of 100 metres, notable right half back Stephen White.

This was a useful exercise for the Blackrock team, who picked up the city championship along the way. On the night the age gap for most of the players was a bridge too far. It will take a very good team to stop Ballygarvan.

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September 2004

Minor B City Championship

Played at Ballinlough Friday September 3rd 2004.

Blackrock 2 --- 9 Passage 1 --- 8.

This Blackrock team was mainly comprised of 16 year olds and when combined with some experienced heads such as Paul Reidy and David O'Shea they pulled off a good win against a fine hurling outfit from Passage.

Blackrock lead by 0 ---7 to 0 --- 3 at half time and when Paul Reidy belted home a 21 yard free after Colm Daly had been fouled in the 38th minute, it looked curtains for Passage. David O'Shea added a further goal with ten minutes remaining. Eric Hegarty up front had a fine game and finished with four points from play. However Reidy was unstoppable and eventually finished with a total of 1 --- 5.

Passage were game to the end and had fine performances from Cian McCarthy and Thomas Mullane. In the final minutes Rockies goalkeeper Gordon Aherne was forced to bring off two magnificent saves which could have swung things Passages way had they struck the net.

Blackrock: Gordon Aherne, Tony Linehan,Denis O'Sullivan, B Murphy, Brian Lombard, David Duggan, Rory Waddell, Gearoid Magnier, K.Hurley,David O'Shea, Paul Reidy, Michael O'Donoghue, Colm Daly, Colm O'Brien, Eric Hegarty.

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June 2004

Non-Exam Minor Hurling league group 3 Final.

Church Road Friday 25^th June 2004.

Blackrock 1 --- 14 Youghal 3 --- 9.

This 12 a side competition produced some of the finest hurling seen at Minor level in Church Road for a number of years, when two good hurling sides engaged in a see-saw battle for supremacy. Youghal won but Blackrock were very unlucky indeed.

Just two of the Rockies were full minors so on the basis of recent displays there are now grounds for optimism that the massive work in recent years at the underage and Saturday morning sessions around Church Road will be reflected in some success at this level in the coming months and years.

In this game the truism that goals win matches was never more apparent as the Rockies defence conceeded three, all of which kept Youghal in the game and negated the excellent points being scored by the Rockies forwards. Leigh Desmond for Youghal was always winning ball and the failure to counteract his dominance (he eventually scored 1 --- 5) also contributed to this defeat.

The standard of hurling was very high indeed and this writer has been converted to the 12 a side game in recent months. This game allows hurling and the skills to be expressed to the full and poor hurlers are quickly found out due to the huge space which is available and the absence of pulling and dragging that sometimes is a substitute for real hurling.

Youghal led at half time 2 --- 4 to 0 ---8, Paul O’Sullivan, Shane O’Sullivan and Eoin O’Brien firing over some excellent points for the Rockies. After half time came a sucker punch however when a forty metre side-line cut from Ian White was determined by an umpire to have crossed the Blackrock goal-line. Referee Diarmuid Kirwan allowed the goal.

The Rockies to their credit fought back with gusto, a goal from Paul O’Sullivan, points from Karl Leonard and Mark Russell levelled matters with 5 minutes to go.

This was a great contest with the ball travelling up and down the field, in front of a captivated audience. Leigh Desmond added his fifth point to give Youghal the slenderest of margins. A few misses from scoring positions then cost the Rockies the match.

With two minutes left Paul O’Sullivan had a goal chance, went for it and fired in a ground shot for a goal, it was saved by Richard Cunningham and that was the final chance. It was a captivating contest between two groups of well-drilled hurlers, the experience of Youghal versus the more youthful enthusiasm of the Rockies, a fine evening’s entertainment, hurling being the real winner. Well done both teams!

Blackrock:

Mark Drummond, Alex Hogan, Gary Norberg, Gearoid Magner, Brian Aherne, J.P. Carroll, Kevin Murphy, Karl Leonard, Mark Russell, Eoin O’Brien, Paul O’Sullivan, Shane O’Sullivan.