Éire Óg Greystones
GAA Club

Boys Under 14 Football

Training: Wednesdays 7:30 - 8:30pm

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Championship Final Match Report

Éire Óg Greystones V Bray Emmetts

30th September 2006

Bray started this game like the inclement weather at Dunbur Park on Saturday evening - down the field like a gale force wind.Before we could settle, we were down by a well taken goal and a point. The free flowing football that has been served up all year by our team was absent for the first quarter of the game. Bray had done their homework and we were in for a battle.

Justin O'Brien was given a roaming role and scored our first point after very hard work by Paul Dunne & Gary Elliott. This settled the nerves a little but Bray's tactic of playing first time football was causing some anxious moments for our overworked backline of Daniel Keane, Man of the Match Karl Manahan and Alan Joyce. Bray had tagged on another point when Gary Elliott broke through, his effort on goal dropped onto the crossbar but was bravely scooped to the net by Sean Ryder. We were back in it but then disaster struck within minutes when a speculative sideline ball dipped under the crossbar of a helpless Conor Madigan in the Eire Og goal. We got straight back in to it and earned a two point deficit at half time.That situation could have been far worse had it not been for an incredibly brave block by Donal Minogue to save what would have been a certain goal.

With the very strong wind at our backs for the second half, there was reason for optimism but Bray started stronger and went a point further ahead.A number of astute changes were made. Gary Elliott went to Full Forward, Paul Dunne switched with Niall Crosbie. Enter Sam Thompson, a dimunitive character with great heart and an abundance of skill,who would have felt harshly treated at not getting a starting position for this match but who took that decision on the chin and went onto the pitch and caused absolute terror on the left side of our attack with Simon Sweeney.We got stronger and the whole game changed. Before you knew it we were level through Sam & Simon.

Bray tried their best to stem the flow but Donal Minogue,Peter Burke, John Deeney and Karl Manahan repelled everything that was thrown at them. Indeed Alan Joyce started an attack from his own end line which resulted in a race between Paul Dunne and Bray's keeper which ended up in the Bray net.Gary Dunne and Rory Doyle worked like men possessed in the midfield sector and further points from Sam Thompson, Gary Elliott and Simon Sweeney and a consolation score for Bray meant a final score of 2-11 to 2-4 to Eire Og. The scenes of joy at the end of a fine sporting game played in very difficult conditions meant that Eire Og were County U14 Champions for the first time in our history.

It was a fabulous gesture to have our injured Captain Daniel Wood receive the trophy with captain of the day Donal Minogue. The managment team of Barry O'Reilly, Bobby Daly, Kevin Keyes and Ronan Sweeney would like to convey their thanks to the huge support on the day, it meant so much to the team and extreme gratitude to team sponsors Jim Wood of J Wood & Co and to Anto Byrne of Willowcourt Homes. One last piece of unfinished business for this team is the remaining league match against Rathnew which if won will add the North East League title to the trophy cabinet and finish the season in style for an incredibly talented bunch of young men.