Nowlan Park was the fitting setting for a major championship victory by O’Loughlin Gaels over their city rivals Dicksboro on Sunday. The St John’s Parish Boys graced HQ’s hallowed turf with distinction in this eagerly anticipated Roinn A M.H.C. final. MOTM and Captain - Huw Lawlor conducted the band from the rear but it would be Cian Loy who would strike the sweetest note of all, in the dying seconds of this nail biting match.
The Continent got into its stride early. Shane Maher made a surging run, was fouled and popped over the resultant free. The lead was then doubled by a Cian Loy special on the back of some great Ross Butler spade work. Daniel O’Connor made a great catch and Robbie Buckley was having yet another belter of a game. The Boro would have to wait all of eighteen minutes for their first score but it was no less important for all of that. Robbie Murphy goaled to give the St Canices men the lead and the St John’s Parish Boys food for thought. Conor Fitzpatrick then doubled their lead with a well taken point.
An instant response was needed and the Bolger brothers duly obliged. Sean released his older brother Danny, who fired straight and true to reduce the deficit down to a single point with seven minutes of the first half remaining. Shane Maher struck over another free before the John’s Park Boys hit the front again with one of the decisive scores of the game. A Seanie Bolger / Ben Leydon combo move, released Danny Bolger who fired without mercy to raise the green. Cul! The ‘Boro’s response to their credit was emphatic, as they saw and equalled the green flag with another three pointer of their own. Both sides shared a point apiece (Shane Maher free) before heading down the tunnel all square.
H/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 1-05, Dicksboro 2-02
The second half saw the introduction of Jack Lawlor and Luke Rafter and both substitutions would prove telling. Shane Maher’s dead ball accuracy was called on early in the second half – and he answered that call. Luke Rafter then backed himself and slalomed through the ‘Boro defence to strike a lovely point off his left hand side. Robbie Buckley can count himself terribly unlucky to have been double yellowed but remained pitch-side to his credit, urging his fourteen teammates on.
Disaster was to strike yet again in the forty second minute, in the shape of yet another ‘Boro goal! Shane Maher’s free a minute later, levelled matters once more before the St Canices boys enjoyed their most dominant period of the game. The ‘Boro hit three on the spin (the pick of these coming from Chris Kavanagh) in what appeared to be a sprint for the line. Heroes were called for now. Three times in as many minutes, Huw Lawlor emerged ball in hand to clear his lines and launch offensives. Shane Maher also kept his nerve to point two more dead balls to leave the minimum between the teams with time running out.
The ‘Boro all but sealed the deal with a beautifully struck Andrew Gaffney sixty five on the hour mark – to restore their two point advantage. But Cian Loy powered forward deep into injury time and decided to take matters into his own hands. He won possession, skipped by his man and fired emphatically to the back of the net in the sixty first minute. Cul! The referee blew the full time whistle and the Continent were crowned Minor Kings - for 2014.
F/T O'Loughlin Gaels 2-10 Dicksboro 3-06
Huw Lawlor accepted the cup on behalf of the team. He thanked the mentors and graciously called for the traditional three cheers for Dicksboro.
OLG would like to congratulate all the players on the occasion of this memorable and momentous victory and would also like to send sincere thanks to Michael Holohan (Manager) Niall Bergin, Jimmy Comerford and Martin Comerford for all their hard work.
Robbie O’Driscoll, Daniel O’Driscoll, Huw Lawlor, Brian Buckley, Shane Mahony, Robbie Buckley, Gary Bryan, Thomas Gleeson, Cian Loy 1-1, Sean Bolger, Ross Butler, Ben Leydon, Danny Bolger 1-1, Daniel O’Connor, Shane Maher 0-7 (6 f’s) Replacements used: Jack Lawlor, Luke Rafter
Replacements: Thomas Wadding, Daniel O’Driscoll, Lyndon Brannigan, Eoin Croghan, Sean Kiely, Robbie Murphy, Jay Leahy, Kevin Rowe, Peter Collins, Ronan Buckley, Tervine Wallace, Eoin Kelly
Mentors: Michael Holohan, James Comerford, Niall Bergin, Martin Comerford
The Continent got into its stride early. Shane Maher made a surging run, was fouled and popped over the resultant free. The lead was then doubled by a Cian Loy special on the back of some great Ross Butler spade work. Daniel O’Connor made a great catch and Robbie Buckley was having yet another belter of a game. The Boro would have to wait all of eighteen minutes for their first score but it was no less important for all of that. Robbie Murphy goaled to give the St Canices men the lead and the St John’s Parish Boys food for thought. Conor Fitzpatrick then doubled their lead with a well taken point.
An instant response was needed and the Bolger brothers duly obliged. Sean released his older brother Danny, who fired straight and true to reduce the deficit down to a single point with seven minutes of the first half remaining. Shane Maher struck over another free before the John’s Park Boys hit the front again with one of the decisive scores of the game. A Seanie Bolger / Ben Leydon combo move, released Danny Bolger who fired without mercy to raise the green. Cul! The ‘Boro’s response to their credit was emphatic, as they saw and equalled the green flag with another three pointer of their own. Both sides shared a point apiece (Shane Maher free) before heading down the tunnel all square.
H/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 1-05, Dicksboro 2-02
The second half saw the introduction of Jack Lawlor and Luke Rafter and both substitutions would prove telling. Shane Maher’s dead ball accuracy was called on early in the second half – and he answered that call. Luke Rafter then backed himself and slalomed through the ‘Boro defence to strike a lovely point off his left hand side. Robbie Buckley can count himself terribly unlucky to have been double yellowed but remained pitch-side to his credit, urging his fourteen teammates on.
Disaster was to strike yet again in the forty second minute, in the shape of yet another ‘Boro goal! Shane Maher’s free a minute later, levelled matters once more before the St Canices boys enjoyed their most dominant period of the game. The ‘Boro hit three on the spin (the pick of these coming from Chris Kavanagh) in what appeared to be a sprint for the line. Heroes were called for now. Three times in as many minutes, Huw Lawlor emerged ball in hand to clear his lines and launch offensives. Shane Maher also kept his nerve to point two more dead balls to leave the minimum between the teams with time running out.
The ‘Boro all but sealed the deal with a beautifully struck Andrew Gaffney sixty five on the hour mark – to restore their two point advantage. But Cian Loy powered forward deep into injury time and decided to take matters into his own hands. He won possession, skipped by his man and fired emphatically to the back of the net in the sixty first minute. Cul! The referee blew the full time whistle and the Continent were crowned Minor Kings - for 2014.
F/T O'Loughlin Gaels 2-10 Dicksboro 3-06
Huw Lawlor accepted the cup on behalf of the team. He thanked the mentors and graciously called for the traditional three cheers for Dicksboro.
OLG would like to congratulate all the players on the occasion of this memorable and momentous victory and would also like to send sincere thanks to Michael Holohan (Manager) Niall Bergin, Jimmy Comerford and Martin Comerford for all their hard work.
Robbie O’Driscoll, Daniel O’Driscoll, Huw Lawlor, Brian Buckley, Shane Mahony, Robbie Buckley, Gary Bryan, Thomas Gleeson, Cian Loy 1-1, Sean Bolger, Ross Butler, Ben Leydon, Danny Bolger 1-1, Daniel O’Connor, Shane Maher 0-7 (6 f’s) Replacements used: Jack Lawlor, Luke Rafter
Replacements: Thomas Wadding, Daniel O’Driscoll, Lyndon Brannigan, Eoin Croghan, Sean Kiely, Robbie Murphy, Jay Leahy, Kevin Rowe, Peter Collins, Ronan Buckley, Tervine Wallace, Eoin Kelly
Mentors: Michael Holohan, James Comerford, Niall Bergin, Martin Comerford