U-12’s bring home the silverware!
Oldcastle 0-17 Inny Gaels 0-12
The curse of the Oldcastle U-12’s was laid to rest tonight (Thursday, 1 June 2017) as the lads put on a brave display to bring the Spring League cup home for the first time in 28 years, or so they say! A big crowd of supporters were in Páirc Tailteann to cheer on the team against Inny Gaels, in the knowledge that it would be a tough match, and so it proved.
Paul Hennessey bagged the first score for Oldcastle within 30 seconds, soon followed by one from Rian Mulvanny. Inny Gaels retaliated with three in a row, before a lovely Tomas Kizelis free found Eoin Smith who took a great score. Rian fisted over the next. A good James Gibney block fed on to Cormac O’Connell, to Eoin Smith and then Rory Crawley was our next score. Paul Hennessy did a lot of work to get the next ball to Eoin Smith who made no mistake and slotted it between the posts. Oldcastle were cruising now, and the period of dominance resulted in another lovely score from Paul. Jack Kellett and Ciaran Connell were dominating the back line, and a great catch by Jack, fed on to Rory, Paul and then Rian led to the last score of the half, leaving it Oldcastle 8 and Inny Gaels 3 at the break.
Inny Gaels took the first few scores of the second-half, before a lovely catch by Fionn McCabe found Rory Crawley who hoofed it all the way upfield to Rian who hammered home the score. Paul took the next, but for the next 10 minutes for every score Oldcastle got, Inny Gaels took two.
Tomas Kizelis took a nice score, and a Rian free fed to the box was pounced on by Lucas Skelly for the next. It was now Oldcastle 13, Inny Gaels 9, but the next few scores from the superb Eoin Smith settled them down and from there on it was Oldcastle’s match. A good James Gibney catch fed upfield by way of Rory, Karolis, back to Rory and on to Rian resulted in the final score to leave it Oldcastle 17 and Inny Gaels 12.
Well done to all these lads who have trained hard all year. Each and every one of them played their socks off tonight. Congratulations to their coaches Ronan Crawley, Vera Connell, Barry O’Connell and Stephen Skelly. To all the parents and supporters who travel to every match. And well done to Inny Gaels who put on a great display of football tonight. Many of them are friends, school-mates and even cousins of our lads, and no doubt they will meet again.
The drive over the mountain is never so sweet as with a Cup in your possession, and a feed of pizza in the Show Hall rounded off a great campaign. Apart from a blitz in Gowna on June 10th, these lads have a well-deserved competitive break until July. Anyone with photos from tonight you can message them to the page and we will stick them up, and tag and share away!
Oldcastle: Prionsias O’Reilly (Captain), Cormac O’Connell, Ciaran Connell, Jack Kellett, James Gibney, Fionn McCabe, Paul Hennessey (4), Rory Crawley (1), Tomas Kizelis (1), Eoin Smith (4), Rian Mulvanny (6), Nojus Domarkas, Adam Smith. Subs: Jamie Keatinge, Colm Gibson, Karolis Abratis, Lucas Skelly (1), Jamie Pakenham.