Minor Team 2005 (1987 and 1988 groups)

MINOR HURLING REPORT - 2005

COACH COLM O'FLAHERTY

SELECTORS DEREK GOSNELL LIAM MEANEY JUSTIN BROWNEN MICHAEL HARRINGTON

PREMIER MINOR HURLING CAPTAIN KEVIN MURPHY

MINOR B HURLING CAPTAIN JOHN NORBEG

NON-EXAM LEAGUE CAPTAIN ALEX HOGAN

AS CAN BE GUESSED, A LOT OF WORK IS INVOLVED IN THE MINOR GRADE. WHILE ALL THE PLAYERS ARE UNDER 18, THE MAJORITY OF PLAYERS INVOLVED CAN PLAY IN FIVE SEPARATE COMPETITIONS INCORPORATING LEAGUE AND CHAMPIONSHIP.

OFFICIAL TRAINING STARTED MARCH 17TH OF THIS YEAR & WE HAVE BEEN BUSY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR & ARE STILL INVOLVED, WITH THE MINOR B LEAGUE FINAL TO BE PLAYED, NOVEMBER 27TH V PASSAGE WEST.

RESULTS FOR PREMIER TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP 1ST ROUND V DOUGLAS @ BALLINLOUGH. LOST 0-7 TO 1-10

LEAGUE, PLAYED 6 WON 3 LOST 3

BEAT MALLOW 1-12 TO 2-4 LOST TO CARRIGALINE 1-5 TO 1-9 LOST TO GLEN ROVERS 0-8 TO 2-12 BEAT DUHALLOW 1-12 TO 0-4 LOST TO MIDLETON 0-12 TO 3-5 BEAT SARSFIELDS 0-11 TO 0-7

WE QUALIFIED FOR THE LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL V BISHOPSTOWN @ BISHOPSTOWN. LOST 1-9 TO 0-16

RESULTS FOR MINOR B TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP 1ST ROUND V MAYFIELD @ BALLINLOUGH WON 3-16 TO 1-5 CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL V BISHOPSTOWN @ BALLINLOUGH LOST 2-4 TO 2-8

LEAGUE, PLAYED 5 WON 4 LOST 1

LOST TO PASSAGE WEST 1-7 TO 4-8 BEAT BISHOPSTOWN 0-14 TO 2-6 BEAT DELANYS 4-14 TO 2-7 BEAT MAYFIELD 3-16 TO 1-5 BEAT BELGOOLY 1-12 TO 0-5 W/OVER FROM KINSALE

WE QUALIFIED FOR LEAGUE FINAL V PASSAGE WEST

RESULTS FOR NON EXAM LEAGUE TEAM

LEAGUE, PLAYED 5, WON 2, LOST 3

LOST TO CARRIGALINE 0-4 TO 0-11 BEAT BISHOPSTOWN 2-8 TO 1-8 LOST TO GLEN ROVERS 1-7 TO 0-16 LOST TO INNISCARRA 0-10 TO 3-11 BEAT BALLINCOLLIG 2-6 TO 0-11

 - A TOTAL OF 25 GAMES WERE PLAYED DURING THE YEAR, WITH ALMOST 50 TRAINING SESSIONS. WHILE THE SQUAD (TO DATE) HAVE NOT WON ANY HONOURS THIS YEAR, A NUMBER OF POSITIVES CAN BE TAKEN FROM THE YEAR.

 - A WORRING TREND OVER THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS HAS BEEN THE FALL OFF IN NUMBERS PLAYING MINOR HURLING WITH THE CLUB. INDEED FOR 2004, 7 OF THE STARTING 15 PLAYING CHAMPIONSHIP WERE U16 PLAYERS.

 - IN 2005 THIS FIGURE WAS REDUCED TO 2, AND THE HOPE FOR NEXT YEAR IS THAT ALL OF THE MINOR HURLING SQUAD WILL BE OVER THE AGE OF 16. IN TOTAL, 49 PLAYERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE ABOVE COMPETITIONS, WITH THE VAST MAJORITY GIVING A COMMITMENT TO PLAY AGAIN THIS YEAR

 - IN THE NON-EXAM LEAGUE, WE FIELDED A 15 A SIDE TEAM, UP FROM 12 A SIDE LAST YEAR, SHOWING THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT OF THE PLAYERS INVOLVED.

 - THE MINOR SQUAD ALSO PROVIDED 14 OF THE PANEL OF 26 IN THE U21 CHAMPIONSHIP OF 2005.

IT IS GOOD TO SEE SO MANY PLAYERS INVOLVED IN THE CLUB, BUT,

THE FACT THAT SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS MUST NOT BE LOST.

FROM OUR LAST COUNTY WINNING TEAM IN 1994, THE CLUB HAS GROWN TO BE A MAJOR FORCE AGAIN IN THE COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP & PROGRESSED ITS SECOND TEAM TO THE INTERMEDIATE GRADE.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE MINORS HURLERS FOR NEXT YEAR MAKE A SERIOUS IMPACT ON CHAMPIONSHIP. THE NEW OPEN DRAW FOR AN ALL COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BENEFIT THE TEAM AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGE AHEAD.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY FELLOW SELECTORS AND ALL THE PLAYERS FOR A VERY ENJOYABLE YEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER ENJOYABLE YEAR IN 2006 TO BE CROWNED WITH SUCCESS ON THE PITCH.