Seamus Flanagan to Patrickswell for 2024 seems to be gathering paceā¦
I think both themselves and Castletown/Ballyagran might be after Christians winning today.
And a lot of 2nd teams?
Ahane, Patrickswell, Blackrock, Doon, Garryspillane
JUNIOR A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Askeaton 2-13 Ballybricken/Bohermore 0-16. I was in Ballybrown this evening for the Junior game between Askeaton & Ballybricken/Bohermore. Both other matches in their group were called off because of the weather and, apparently, the only reason the field in Ballybrown also wasnāt deemed to be unplayable is that nobody went to check the pitch as they were all in Claughaun for the Ballybrown vs Mungret match.
It was definitely unplayable by full time anyway, cut up very bad as the game went on.
So thatās the kind of game it was, a dogfight, the side who could win more dirty ball were always likely to come out on top.
Have to give a big mention to the individual display from Oisin OāFarrell. I mentioned a few other young Limerick players really standing out in this yearās club Championship and really should have given him a mention. Heāll surely be starting for the 20s next year, heās been brilliant in pretty much every game and today was the best of the lot.
He got 2-6 from play, 2-9 overall, he absolutely destroyed the B/B full-back line. An unbelievable display.
Dan Owens has been Ballybricken/Bohermoreās main man so far this year and while he was lively (scored one outrageous point in the first half from way out on the wing), he was held a lot better by Askeatonās Alan McGrath than Colm OāRiordan did on OāFarrell. Now, Askeaton didnāt have another scorer from open play, while Niall Martin and James Hickey both got a couple of scores from play for B/B. But when Askeaton were able to find OāFarrell, itās not hard to blame them for looking for him rather than taking a shot on and, tbh, they hit a lot of wides in the second half.
Askeaton started poorly and B/B ran into an early lead, playing down the hill and with the wind at their back. But Askeaton slowly grew into the game, started to get more tackles in and stop B/B taking uncontested shots. Senan OāBrien was very impressive, he turned over some amount of ball and he also set up both OāFarrellās goals in the first half. Gearoid Mitchell was very strong under defensive puckouts for B/B, though, and I thought B/B definitely had the edge on breaking ball & puckous in the first half.
But somehow B/B went from being 5 points up about halfway through the first half to 3 points down by half-time. A long free dropped in around the 20m line, the ruck was won by B/B, but were turned over by Luke Gammell, Senan OāBrien was able to flick an unorthodox pass out to OāFarrell, who was pushed to a narrower angle but buried the ball past the keeper. That gave Askeaton a lifeline when they had been under pressure but their second goal was quality, worked from Colm OāConnell in the left corner-back position all the way up the wing, OāBrien won a ruck, kicked it through for himself, came in along the endline and popped it to OāFarrell who buried it from close range.
They went in 3 points up and with the wind & hill in their favour in the second half, may have felt it was well within their grasp. And that was definitely the case, B/B found scores a lot harder to come by in the second half but were still winning a lot of breaking ball and Owens got a couple of frees to narrow the gap. But once Askeaton settled, they were able to nudge that gap out to three again. But they suffered a massive blow when their talisman, Willie OāMeara, was forced off through injury. WOM hadnāt scored from play but had won a lot of puckouts and was linking the play between backs & forwards and obviously was a huge loss.
Askeaton seriously lost momentum after he went off injured, it gave B/B a boost and they went from 3 points down to a point up as Askeaton just lost their way. Gave away a few silly frees which Owens nailed and he got another point from play too. OāFarrell also missed the first free after taking over from WOM and it looked like it might just slip away from them.
But fair play to them, they managed to turn the tide again and outworked B/B in the closing minutes. Senan OāBrien, Colm OāConnell, Kevin Barry and Matthew OāMeara were all absolutely huge, winning dirty ball, fighting for everything and OāFarrell had that bit of class, his 6th from play was a class score to seal the game. B/B needed a win to progress and they started hunting goals but Askeaton were able to repel them and tbh, B/B never had a huge goal threat throughout.
As the other matches didnāt go ahead, the group is still up in the air. Askeatonās win means that B/B are out anyway. Still looks like Monagea & Kilteely/Dromkeen will make it through. Askeaton will probably finish 3rd which means that they should be playing Premier Junior next year. B/B were fairly sickened at full-time. Askeaton will rue the last-minute defeats against Monagea & K/D; the one against Monagea will be a particularly bitter pill to swallow considering the amount of chances they had and the nature of the last minute goal conceded.
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Crecora are well within their rights technically, I think Keogh is correct here though.
Crecora totally within their rights, I donāt know what Keogh is cribbing about. If Ballinacurra Gaels, Christianās, Pats, etc are good enough theyāll attract players. If they donāt itās their own fault.
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Plus city clubs have poached promising players from smaller junior clubs including Crecora for years.
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I suppose having waddled south and annexed manister theyād like a go into the city now
Crecora have lost a share of the talent theyāve developed over the recent past. Kieran Kennedy to Na Piarsaigh, Colin Coughlan to Ballybrown and the Duffs to Mungret. Mike McCormack played football for Mungret for a long time too and The Well made several efforts to poach CON.
John Keogh is a Christians stalwart and thatās probably where heās coming from although thereās little wrong with Crecora trying to widen their base given those theyāve lost. Itās only a matter of time before Claughaun/Old Christians becomes a single entity.
Thereās club transfers news breaking about a prominent player but it aināt Flanagan
Thatāll be in the bank the next time adare pull one of yeāre lads
Theyāll struggle to accomodate Gillane, Flanagan and Cathal O Neill and also keep the Kirbys and OāBriens happy
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Sure the Croagh boys went as far as Murroe
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You wouldnāt catch us at that carry on
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I can see both sides of the argument.
Obviously the likes of Christians & Claughaun are already struggling and donāt need anyone else coming into their patch. But as Elvis said above, Crecora have lost some amount of underage county talent to surrounding clubs already, I suppose they have to do whatever they can to make the most out of their own catchment area.
Realistically, itās unlikely that Crecora will be Christiansā problem.
Christians need to look at themselves for their problems and not others.
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In fairness they can also look at Young Munsters, Old Crescent, Regional United, Pike Rovers, Prospect, Hyde Rangers, Summerville Rovers and Janesboro.
Thatās some amount of competing clubs
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And not enough young lads interested in hurling.
Poaching has been going on from the very start in the gaa.
That great ahane team with mick Mackey had a number of lads from other clubs with them.
They could get fellas jobs in town at the time.
Iāll tell you why there isnāt or at least hasnāt been enough interest in hurling in that catchment area is because Christians and Ballinacurra Gaels didnāt know their place, they were trying to tell young lads who were playing a high level of soccer and rugby that they could only train with them and couldnāt go to rugby and soccer matches. Guess what lads chose?
Thatās it. Forcing lads into a choice will always end in disaster.