Aghada GAA Juvenile News - By Juvenile PRO Donal Walsh
Hi folks, hope this week’s newsletter finds you well, the children are back at school after the Easter break and it will be another while until the summer holidays come along with May and June Bank holiday weekends sandwiched in between. The future what will it bring? There will be many happy times spent planning it. Many hours spent working to make it better, what is around the next corner? If only we knew, then we would not have to worry about what might be. What we imagine is often much worse than what actually happens. But if you had a choice would you really like to know the future? Perhaps it is the expectation which makes life so exciting? Make the most of life, live for today, cope with tomorrows problems only when and IF they happen.
U14 Hurling League. Aghada 5-11 Youghal 4-11 We took on our seaside neighbours the Youghal boys on our main pitch last Saturday morning in what turned out to be a close and cracking encounter. In truth we were the better side for the majority of the contest, until Youghal mounted a spirited second half comeback before we steadied the ship once again to run out deserving winners. We started brightly when corner forward Eoghan O’ Shea followed up on a rebound to blast the sliothar to the net. Ace forward Matthew Condon struck over a couple of nice points and then full forward John Dorney fired a double goal salvo. The first touching home a long range free and the second a fine finish after being set up nicely by the impressive and hard-working Robbie Oosthuizen. Our opponents worked some good points and we had a few of our own from Dorney before we notched our fourth goal, a terrific low finish to the corner of the net by Matthew to leave the half time score 4-5 v 0-9 in our favour. You can never rest on your laurels, and we nearly paid the ultimate price as Youghal got back in the game with 4 goals of their own, the first was hard earned as our goalkeeper Rían saved twice showing magnificent reflexes. With the game in the melting pot, we stood up and were counted, centre forward Shay Rooney set up Dorney for a point after a fabulous high catch and then Matthew found the net once again after a great run through the heart of the defence and with Shay hitting the last point of the game we managed to see it out with a goal to spare after a terrific contest. Team & scorers Rían O’ Brien, Finbarr Alcock, Rossa White, Eoghan Kirrane, Donncha Walsh, Kaylan Cunningham, Jake Morrissey, Conor Charles, Cormac Cashman, Matthew Condon 2-5, Shay Rooney 0-1, Robbie Oosthuizen 0-1, Eoghan O Shea 1-0, Dara O’ Brien subs used Marcus O’ Loughlin, Dylan Kearns, Cathal Lowney, Sam Aherne, Tim O’ Hanlon, Darragh Crowley, Jamie Sweeney, Harry Borgoyne.
U16 Hurling League. Aghada 1-6 St Colmans 3-18 The scoreline tells the story, this was a very disappointing result for our u16 hurlers, a total reversal from last year when we beat the same opponents twice and one of those games was the league final where we were victorious by ten points. How could this happen you may ask, well the preparation for both sides looked to be on a different stratosphere, St Colmans came meaning business wearing GPS monitoring devices and a backroom team that would put most inter county teams to shame, our first touch was dire and we struggled in that department in most areas of the field, while the opposition looked a lot more accurate and sharper. We know we have not become a bad team overnight and the only place to put it right will be on the training field, so the next time these sides meet we will hopefully see a vast improvement.
U12 Football League. Wins on the double for our u12 teams who are certainly in the middle of a busy period of games lately. Our second u12 team are proving to be great entertainers sharing 15 goals with our opponents Carrigaline in Rostellan with the home side scoring 9 of them. Good performances from Cormac Byrne, Aidan Murphy, Alex Gill, Ronan Callanan, Bobby Creedon, Michael Creedon and Dara Kelleher saw us run out winners 9-3 v 6-7 in the high scoring affair. The first u12 team were much too
strong for visitors St Catherines on Monday evening also shooting the lights out with an impressive 7-14 with James Irwin, Jack Kelleher, Lorcan Evans, Ben Duggan and Leon O’ Connor to the fore.
Academy Our academy players were out in force last weekend, with our u7s involved in their first football blitz on the 4G pitch in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The u9s hosted Glanmire and Fr O’ Neills on our forest field. The u10s travelled to Kilworth and the u11s were in Killeagh on this football weekend, with all teams acquitting themselves well and many thanks to the parents and coaches for helping out and making it enjoyable for all involved.
Monasterevan Blitz.The club have been enjoying a great relationship with Kildare club Monasterevan over the last few years, mainly due to one of our mentors Padhraig O’ Loughlin who is a native of the area. They have invited us up this Saturday to Kildare to take part in a u12 football blitz that includes ourselves the home side, Roscrea and St. Laurence’s GAA clubs. Our u11 side will also be in action on the day and the best of luck to all in what is sure to be a really enjoyable occasion.
The Cork minor hurlers lost out away to Clare last Tuesday in the third game of the round robin championship format. All is not lost however as they play Limerick next with a place in the Munster final up for grabs.
Well done to Midleton CBS u14 Hurlers who defeated Kilkenny CBS in the Rice cup and to Matthew Condon and John Dorney who were involved. The team now take on Ardscoil Rís in the semi-final with date and time to be confirmed.
Our u15 Feile Hurling group has been confirmed and we will play the hosts Blackrock, Kiltha Óg and Carrigaline with the games taking place on the bank holiday weekend Saturday 29th April.
U18 Football League. Aghada 0-10 Erin’s Own 0-8 With light fading on Wednesday evening, we nearly had a throwback to days gone by as some people were turning on the headlights in their cars as the match was finishing on our main field. Our opponents Erin’s Own were threatening for an equalising point or even a match winning goal when we broke up field and a booming kick from Cian Hego Hegarty sailed over the bar to put us 2 clear and with that Referee Brian Murphy from Carrigtwohill blew the final whistle as the light was extinguished on the Erin’s Own challenge. This was a great team performance and it had to be as there was very little separating both sides throughout the match. We were deadlocked at 4 points apiece at half time with our scores all coming from play with Hego, Samuel O’ Driscoll, James Motherway and a rousing score from Conor Baxx as he ventured forward from his wing back position finding the target. A feature of our play in the first half were the marks won by David Wallace around the middle with some impressive high fielding with the kickout strategy orchestrated by goalkeeper Seán Corkery working well. The closest any side came to a goal in the first half was a fine save by the Erin’s Own keeper who denied Seán O’ Callaghan after he made a penetrating run through the middle. We started the second half in determined fashion with our backline teak tough and in particular Ronan Devoy and Conor Geary with Joshua Halpin also excelling up front. The confident footballing skills of John Walsh in his free role had us in front and further points from Seánie Call and James M after good build up play embellished our lead. Erin’s own hit back to level before James Hurley put us one ahead with a well taken free. The return of Seán Santos O’ Sullivan after a lengthy lay off gave us a good boost and in a welter of excitement as the game neared its conclusion our opponents had their chances as our defence stood firm and then Hego sealed the deal to put us into the final where we will play Kiltha Óg. Well done to all involved in this richly deserved victory. Team & Scorers Seán Corkery, Ronan Walsh, Ronan Devoy, Colm White, Conor Geary, Fionn O’ Callaghan, Conor Baxx 0-1, Samuel O’ Driscoll 0-1, David Wallace, Cian Hegarty 0-2, John Walsh 0-1, Seán O
Callaghan 0-1, James Hurley 0-1f, James Motherway 0-3, Joshua Halpin. Subs used Evan Crowley, Diarmuid Cotter, Seán Santos O’ Sullivan, Cian Murphy.
Fixtures
Friday 21st April. U14 Football League Kiltha Óg v Aghada 18:30 Castlemartyr
Sunday 23rd April U14 Football League Carrigtwohill v Aghada 13:00 Carigtwohill
Sunday 23rd April U15 Football League Midleton v Aghada 15:00 Midleton
Monday 24th April U12 Hurling League Aghada 1 v Erins Own 18;30 Caherlag
Monday 24th April U12 Hurling League Aghada 2 v Bride Rovers 18:30 Rathcormac
Wednesday 26th April U18 Hurling League St Catherines v Aghada 18:30 Ballynoe
Be Seen Wear the Green. Slán go fóill.
Ár nDícheall Go Deo
