Éire Óg Greystones
GAA Club

Boys & Girls Under 12 Football

Training: Wednesdays 7:30 - 8:30pm

Next match:

Summary of U12 Season

By Kevin Keyes

Their brave policy yielded incredible results. The U12 B's lost two games all year. They succumbed to a more powerful Kilcoole side in the league stages and again to the same oppossition in the league final. It was refreshing and heartening to see at the closing stages of the final in Newcastle, kids pulling and screaming at Carmel & Willie to get back onto the pitch to play even though the game was well beyond them. Well done to Carmel & Willie and to the team.The lessons learned this year will stand to you next year when you will hopefully defend the County Championship once more.

The U12 A's were a fabulously talented bunch of young people. Highly spirited, witty, fearless, closely knit as a group of friends should be but hugely talented. How were myself, Barry & Dermot going to keep these guys on an even keel over the course of the season? The answer came against Bray in the North East League Final. We coasted through the league, even beat Bray on the way by five points without three of our stronger players. We were confident going to the final but did not recover from a horrific start - 9 points down after 10 minutes, 11 points down @ half time. We pulled them back to two in the second half but more sloppy defending as we were chasing the game, cost us in the end and we lost by six points. Well done Bray.

I'll never forget the tears and look of disappointment as we waited for the presentation. We congratulated our conquerers, waited behind and had a meeting on the pitch. We decided that Bray were the standard that we had to beat if we were to retain the championship. We promised each other that we would all work together to try to achieve our goals; each match in the group stages of the championship would be treated like a final and that we would endeavour to enjoy ourselves along the way.

A new panel was picked. Six extra players were added from the U 12 B's, a testiment to Carmel & Willie's hard work and also to the skill levels and eagerness to particpate at the next level of the young men involved.We moved through the group stages fairly comfortably, struggled against St. Kevins ( an omen of things to come ) on both ocassions pulling away strongly in the end.

We finished top of our group. St Joseph's were waiting for us in the semi - final. We did not know what to expect. We had been rattled by the loss of Eoghan Smullen, an exquisite half back whose selfish parents, Dermot & Rita, decided to whisk him away to Australia for a year. How could you swap the glamour of a semi final in Avondale for the overheated suburbs of Perth & Sydney ? We had lost a coach & a player from the same family at the same time and if you are reading this down under Eoghan, we missed you more than your Dad ( only joking hope you are all having a wonderful time ). How would we cope ? Two young men proved they were more than able for the task, Thomas Gascoigne and Stephen McHugh, a product of the B's. We were back on track. St. Joseph's held a certain fear for Barry & myself. They have been the kingpins of Wicklow football for so long, you always had that fear at the back of your mind that they would spring another team from the woodwork and catch us unawares. Whilst we had a fearful respect for the opposition, nobody told the team that. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, they tore them apart and ran out comfortable winners in the end.

County Final Day was approaching. We decided to have a look at the opposition in the other semi-final in Laragh and could not believe what we saw. St. Kevin's played a totally different brand of football to what we had experienced twice already in the group stages and destroyed Bray running out 19 point victors at the finish.

Time to re do the homework as we had honestly expected Bray to come through. The change in the St. Kevins had frightened the life out of us.We had two weeks to prepare and the team responded brilliantly. The light hearted banter had disappeared, they wanted this more than anything.

Championship Final

Everybody seemed content with proceedings so far - except the management. A very strong half time lecture was issued to the team at half time. Justin O'Brien was in tears with pain. We kept him back in the dressing room as the team ran out for the second half. We decided he had to be replaced, he was evidently in a lot of pain, he couldn't go on. He refused point blank to come off. We switched him to Full Forward, brought Conor Earley out to Centre Forward. Justin received more physical attention and had to be replaced by another former B's player, David Crosbie. Conor pointed the free, we were up by four. St. Kevins had switched their hugely talented No: 9 to full forward. He made an immediate impact, scoring two points and creating another. Brian Colclough, a supreme fullback, got on top of him after that and St. Kevin's had to bring him back out to midfield as supply had dried up thanks to our No; 3.

We had pulled away, were leading by five points. Gary Elliot & Andrew Walsh were working very hard @ midfield. Sam Thompson & Niall Crosbie were running themselves into the ground both in defense and in attack, it was frantic stuff. Then disaster struck, an inocuous ball was sent in by St. Kevin's. Adam's brave save at the feet of St. Kevin's full forward rebounded on to the shins of another player rushing in - goal - 2 points in it. What could we do ?

Heads didn't drop, these guys are fearless. Gary Elliot kicked a point way beyond his tender years from near half way. You just can't teach that, it's purely instinctive eventhough his father will say otherwise!.Thanks Mick.

St. Kevins came back again, it was end to end. Next thing we hear a voice from the dugout, Justin wanted to go back on. Against our better judgement, we took off a very hard working Conor Drury and put Justin in at corner forward. Conor Earley was working manfully at centreforward. Daniel Keane our captain, Shane Nolan & Robert Walsh had got to grips with their opponents at the back and things were looking a bit better.

St. Kevins would not go away. They kept at it, they barnstormed our goal. We defended like Trojans. They tagged on another couple of points, there was one point in it. Alan Joyce broke down another attack and worked the ball up the line to Niall Crosbie who passed inside to Conor Earley. Conor had time to pick out the onrunning Sam Thompson - pass out wide on the right to Justin who split the posts with his third point of the day. What glorious football to watch. We conceded another point before Conor Earley pointed at the end to give us a two point winning margin.St. Kevins tried one last time to breach our defense, Stephen McHugh, one of the smallest men on the pitch "rose like a phoenix from the ashes", gathered the ball got the free and the game was over.

Our nerves were truly shattered, voices gone and an intimate hug between myself and Barry. This was emotional stuff. We had just defended our title against the toughest opposition we had encountered all year but the smiles at the end meant everything. The tears and disappointment of the Bray match months beforehand were now worth it and banished forever.

This band of young men and one lady have been a pleasure to be involved with. They stuck together through thick and thin. Never complained if they did not start a particular match, always supported the guys around them. We told them that when the new clubhouse is completed, their picture will go on the wall as the first team in the history of the club to win back to back titles. They will now progress onto the tougher level of U14 next year. This will be a new challenge I know that they will meet with relish.

In parting, I think that it is only fair to acknowlegde the contribution and support offered by the countless parents who travelled to away matches, helped with setting up the pitch before and after games and volunteered in other areas as well. We could not have done it without you. Thank you to Anto Byrne of Willow Court Homes for the sponsorship of the jerseys, to Glen Fuels for the Polo Shirts for the final and a particular thank you to Tommy Mitchell for his very generous donation of minerals and confectionary for the post match celebrations.

It has been a great year for the club, in footballing terms.Every underage team from U12 to Minor level made it to the semi finals of the county championship. Watch out County Wicklow - Eire Og are coming!!!!!!

Carmel, Willie, Barry, Dermot & Kevin

Panel for 2005

Adam Manning, Shane Nolan, Brian Colclough, Robert Walsh, Stephen McHugh, Danial Keane ( Capt. ), Alan Joyce, Andrew Walshe,Gary Elliott, Sam Thompson, Justin O'Brien, Niall Crosbie, Conor Drury, Conor Earley, Ryan Horan, Niall Byrne,James Wood, Thomas Gascoigne,Andreas O'Neill, David Crosbie, Maeve Deeney, Ivan O'Shea, Darragh Browne,Jamie O'Connor, James Smullen, Eoghan Smullen

County Championship Final

Éire Óg Greystones v's St. Kevins

Venue: Pearse Park, Arklow

Date: 1st October 2005

Time: 3.00pm throw in.

Just a short note to remind all parents (as if you need reminding) that all roads lead to Pearse Park, Arklow this Saturday 1st October @ 3.00pm for the final of the Under 12 County Football Championship.

We would ask all parents to come along and cheer on this extraordinary team of young men and one lady. We want you to make as much noise as possible and bring as many blue & white flags, jerseys etc. with you to add a bit of colour to the occasion. It really will give the team a lift to see and to hear support from the sideline. They go to Arklow to hopefully defend the title that they won last year against the same opposition, St. Kevins. This has never been achieved before in the club's history.

On a personal note, we would like to thank you all for your support throughout the year in terms of lifts to away matches, having the team on time for training and supporting the team on match day. We've had great fun. They're a fine bunch of young people (can't call them kids anymore), whitty, well mannered and very talented. Coaching them has been a pleasure and is especially gratifying when you see what they do when they go out to play a game of football.

NOW FOR ST. KEVINS!!!!!!!!!!!

Barry & Kevin
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Dermot
(Down Under on a beach somewhere)