Éire Óg Greystones
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Weekly Notes - 12th September 2007

With the club catering for three codes in a wide range of age groups and happily having teams which are there or thereabout at most levels, it is inevitable that there will be week-ends like last week-end. A plethora of significant games vying for attention which had their supporters chasing their tails in a frenzy of venue hopping. On Saturday the u-14s and minors played in the semi-finals of their respective championships and on Monday the Junior Bs faced ARB in the 2nd replay of their quarter-final. Sunday morning our intermediates were at home to Kilcoole in the league - local rivalry creates its own importance - and on Sunday evening our ladies travelled to play St. Pats in Wicklow. And then, also on Sunday, there was that series of hurling games involving 50 or 60 of our younger players and their peers from Camolin. All this activity does not occur of itself but is down to the hard work of many people, and the club can count itself extremely fortunate at this time in having enthusiastic mentors and workers at all levels.

Minor Football

Our Minor footballers have brought the Club to the "A" Championship County final for the first time since Centenary year 1984, five years before most of these young men were born. This is a competition we have never won. After a tough group stage within which the seven top sides competed we eventually qualified in third place with just two losses, Baltinglass and Blessington. The semi-final paired us off with Baltinglass who had beaten us by four points in Baltinglass earlier in the season. Undoubtedly, they held the advantage in the head to head on this occasion. They had beaten this team four years ago in the Under 14 County Final and two years ago in the Under 16 semi-final by one point. The match last Saturday was played in glorious sunshine in Pearse Park, Arklow. The historic victory margin was 3-07 (16) to1-12 (15) again just one point separating the sides. The foundation for success was laid in a blistering opening twenty minutes with two goals and a point from full forward Andrew Kealy. Andrew's father Barry played Minor football for Dublin and in a schools' Rugby Senior Cup final in the one year. Andrew having played on the winning St Michaels Leinster schools Senior Cup winning team this year and now looks forward to the County Minor final is certainly following in his fathers footsteps. Shane Thompson at corner forward contributed a total of 1 -04 and is having the season of his life. Daniel Webb, the final cog in the tricky trio of the inside line, scored a point. The winning point of the game came from midfield giant Adam Merriman. We led at half time but faced an onslaught of a fightback from a Baltinglass side laced with stars. Their full forward Ciaran Walsh is a scoring machine. He came into this game with a deserved awesome reputation. It is a great tribute to our determined "Captain fantastic" Ronan Hanaway at full back ably assisted by Goalkeeper Lorcan Treanor and his corners Sean Horan and Lee Mc Donald that they managed to somewhat spancil him. Our half back line were led by the powerful Adam O'Shea one of the young warriors on the team. Wing backs Gavin Magee and Dermot O'Rourke exhausted themselves with brilliant linking. The midfield pairing of Adam Merriman and Intermediate star Oran Bambrick were swift and accurate with rapid deliveries all day. The half forward line was led by the "General" Roddy Carroll whose quick-witted reading of the game was the catalyst for the explosive opening. He was supported by the nimble Peter Keane and the robust Jonathan O'Brien. Two men with big hearts, Scott Smullen and Michael Cawley, came on as substitutes and played their part. There is a strong panel of substitutes who have been very committed to the cause and have contributed immensely in the training environment to the development of the team. They await their chance with baited breath. Unquestionably, the moment of the match arose when a disagreement!!! broke out involving players from both sides. All eyes and attention were focused on the "barney". All that is except the ref and one Roddy Carroll. Everyone expected the game to stop but there was no whistle. Roddy sprinted around the mill, raced into the 40, whipped the ball into Shane and Andrew - Goal. A salutary lesson for the protagonists. The side now face Blessington in the Final provisionally listed for Arklow on Saturday the 6th October 2007. Lets hope the side remains dedicated to its work ethic in training and goes on to realise a long cherished ambition for the Club.