Éire Óg Greystones
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Weekly Notes - 4th July 2007

U14 Féile

Home are the heroes! The Roman welcome for their triumphant armies had nothing on the Greystones reception for our u-14 footballers on their return from Sligo - they were hosted by the Owenmore Gaels club in Collooney - with the Division 4 Féile trophy in a nglaic. A welcoming party awaited them at the graveyard (incongruity of incongruities) and the combined gathering then travelled through the town to the clubhouse. Mo ghreidhin sibh, a bhuachaillí! You did us proud.

For the Diary

To-morrow, Thurs, in Rathnew, in their 2nd game in the championship the Intermediates play Carnew.

Sunday at 6.30pm in Valleymount the ladies oppose Baltinglass in the 2nd round of the Junior A

Minor Hurling

Our minor hurlers reached the final of the "A" championship by beating Bray Emmets on a scoreline of 3-10 to 2-12 in Wicklow on Sunday morning. 3-10 to 2-12 - a score worth repeating as Emmets are current county champions and have been the kingpins at this grade for a number of years. Éire Óg's whirlwind start knocked Emmets back on their heels and allowed us to build up a 7 point lead by the break. Ma n of the Match, centre-back Scott Smullen, gave a performance that Cork stalwart Diarmaid 'the Rock' O'Sullivan would have been proud of. His unerring striking of the sliothar from 65s and frees, five in total, was crucial to the outcome. He complemented his stonewall defending with accurate deliveries to the inside line. It was fitting that he also supplied the winning score. Shane Mulford was a trojan in the engine room of mid-field in a faultless first half. He was ably assisted by the bustling Daniel Salmon. Jack Tanner and Fintan Donnelly were slickness personified in a tight back six. The blocking was key to the performance. The pace of the game reached its zenith 10 minutes into the 2nd half as the Bray men rallied. They carded some excellent scores from play. The 2nd Éire Óg goal came from a great drive through the middle from Salmon. He passed into Paulie Sutton who flicked over his head to the inrunning Marty Byrne who struck first time to the net. The 3rd goal was a masterpiece from the 'magician' Paulie Sutton who doubled, D.J.Carey style, on a Smullen drive from a free to finish to the net. Indeed the score of the game came from Sutton who, eventhough surrounded by three Bray men and on his knees with his back to the goal, contrived to flick the ball over the bar. The introduction of Phelim Byrne as a sub (Phelim did not start due to a wrist injury sustained by falling off a horse the previous night) into the forward line was crucial to the consolidation of the Éire Óg lead. He hustled and harried the Emmets backs into error and was instrumental in greatly reducing the quality of the ball out of their defence. ;Team manager Gerry Walsh summed it up eloquently at the conclusion "they did it the hard way, it was heart-stopping stuff. I certainly didn't enjoy it, it was too close for comfort". The final is provisionally listed for July 15th.

U14 Hurling

It was well into the game when the u-14 hurlers and their mentors arrived in Newtown to lend their support to our Intermediates against Kilcoole in the championship. Their lateness, however, had no need for excuses, no need of self-justifying phrases such as "is fearr go déanach ná go brách" (better late than never). Rather did they earn themselves plaudits for this show of solidarity which involved no little inconvenience. Their 11.30 am date with Carnew in Carnew in the championship had required their being on the road shortly after 9 and no one would have blamed them for going straight home after the game. Their smiling countenances told it all. Smiles of satisfaction at a job well done for it is not every day that hurling neophytes like Éire Óg can go into one of the games fortresses and come away with a 4-7 to 2-5 victory. This was a triumph of heart and commitment and a team effort extending beyond the fifteen - 3 players were sprung from the bench. Spectators were treated to an exciting game exemplary in its sportsmanship and replete with the best in hurling skills.