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Weekly Notes - 23rd August 2006If you have a thing about physical comfort, Roundwood was not the place for you to be on Thursday night. A cold damp penetrating mist enveloped the pitch and called for attire more appropriate to a less benign season. That the accompanying atmospheric gloom had a dampening effect on spectators' spirit was manifest in the absence of the customary pre-match buzz. This environmentally generated depression was rapidly dispelled as events unfolded on the field of play.The more sophisticated among you who might be inclined to pooh-pooh the thought that one could get enjoyment out of watching a B-grade championship match would be pleasantly surprised by the entertainment they offer. Admittedly many of the players might not have the highly honed skills or experience of the professionals or county players but, a la the "News of the World", all football life is here and what they lack in these areas is often made up for in the enthusiasm of the players and the excitement (not the preserve of sport at the higher levels) of the games. And then these games often throw up nuggets of football gold. Thursday night had many such nuggets - instance the two first-half goals of Johnny Groome. You would travel far to see their equal. Johnny is noted for his dashing runs which invariably cause a murmur of expectation among supporters. But, at times, his speed outpaces the motion of the ball and a frustrating confusion results. However, on Thursday night, man and ball were in perfect sync and Johnny bagged himself a sublime 2-1. Then you had the delightful balanced, evasive, ball-retaining solo runs of Jamie McDonnell and his uncanningly accurate shooting which accounted for 1-3 of the Éire Óg total. Leon Browne was excellent under the dropping ball and his deliveries generally found their way to the intended target. Seán Horan combined limpet-like marking of Laragh's full-forward with the seemingly contradictory ability to be first to the ball. It was remarked to me coming from the game that Keith Monaghan was 'man of the match' on the basis of some full length saves and his last-second concession of the equalising point when a goal seemed inevitable. Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach - we live to fight another day, but there is much room for improvement. The u-14 juggernaut rolls on - not a wholly appropriate metaphor when one considers the size of some of our high scoring forward division. Last Wednesday in Greystones they completed a significant double over arch rivals Emmets in the league section of the all-county championship. In the away game they had been restricted to a 9 point victory but they greatly increased the gap in the home game. These wins set them up nicely for the knock-out stages of the competition. Last week there was a distinct improvement in their play. They were a lot sharper in their anticipation, quicker to the ball and less dilatory in its transfer and were scrooge-like at the back. Indeed the performance in this division of Daniel Keane, Carl Manahan, Alan Joyce, Peter Burke and Conor Earley are deserving of mention. Over the 60 minutes they conceded a paltry 3 points. Donal Minogue showed a welcome return to his best form while Paul Dunne and Justin O'Brien were ever busy and effective in the forwards. Mentors Barry O'Reilly, Ronan Sweeney and Kevin Keyes were delighted with this near-to-their-best performance and are quietly optimistic about their progress through the latter stages of the competition. Congratulations to team member Gary Elliot on winning the O2 Irish Junior Masters Golf title recently. Meanwhile, the underage hurlers have not been letting the grass grow under their feet. The u-8s and u-10s, boys and girls, with their mentors Christina Browne, Katie McDonnell, Ronan Delahunt and Ciarán Gaskin travelled to Hollywood and Glenealy to take part in very enjoyable and well-organised blitzes. Well done to all concerned The hugely successful VHI Cúl Camp ended on Friday with Girl of the Camp being awarded to Erin Horan and Boy of the Camp to Christopher Boylan. At the weekend the u-14s were out against St.Pats in preparation for their upcoming championship. On the County front, our u-15 representatives Marty Byrne, Leon Hargan, Michael Walsh, Mark Doran and Robert Martin performed well. Indeed, an impressive Marty Byrne was top scorer for Wicklow. And this weekend, u-14s Hughie O'Neill, Karl Devin and Owen Byrne are heading off to Waterford as part of the county team to take part in the Tony Forristal competition. Whew! Think of the huge commitment, preparation and organisation involved in all that! |
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