O'Loughlin Gaels v Oranmore GAA, Galway
On Sunday 3rd of July u10s headed off to the Leinster Final,but more importantly they had two matches to play in Maynooth GAA. ..On arrival the boys were told their two matches were to be played against Oranmore GAA of Galway…game on!!! .The boys knew it would be a tough match and with both teams after making a long journey by bus, it could be a case of which team settles the quickest. And what a start…from the throw in Luke Hanrahan worked hard to get the ball and drove it over the bar,a lovely point but more importantly it gave our lads the upper hand....Oranmore drove hard to get on the score sheet but with Sean O'Neill, Sean Morrissey and Fionn Lawlor in defence nothing was going to get through easy. Ball after ball came down on them and they cleaned up and drove it back to our forward line of Andy Comerford, Cormac Wall and Conor Farrell who wasted no time in dispatching them over the bar....mid field then got in on the act …. Jack Johnson doing all the hard work of hooking and blocking was rewarded with a lovely point from midfield....Stephen Butler ,even though a midfielder, could be seen racing up and down the pitch ,turning up where ever he was needed...with the introduction of James Holohan and Luke Quigley, O'Loughlins drove on and finished the match in style . The final whistle went and honours to OLoughlins. .....
With enough time to walk to another pitch, the second game got under way, and again our lads pushed on ,hooking, blocking and chasing down balls ,the Galway boys didn't get time to think of what to do before our lads were on them ...Luke Quigley, now working in defence was mighty, clearing ball after ball.. James Holohan took over goalkeeping duty, and sent the puck outs on to our forwards..Andy Comerford got a lovely goal by rounding the keeper and driving into the net ..Jack Johnston, Luke Hanrahan and Fionn Lawlor ran mid field working together, tackling in two's handpassing out and popping the ball over the bar ,beautiful stuff altogether..Cormac Wall took a lovely side line cut to Steven Butler who sent it high and over the bar...Conor Farrell, when not trying to score was laying the ball off to Conor Murphy....Sean Morrissey worked hard in the forward line and was rewarded with a few nice points while Sean O'Neill was at the other end of the pitch doing a great job of protecting his goal time and time again...these lads worked their socks off for each other and it was no surprise that at the end of the two matches only conceded 4 points.
Team ...Conor Murphy, Sean Morrissey, Jack Johnston, Luke Hanrahan, Sean O'Neill, Cormac Wall, Conor Farrell, Stephen Butler ,Luke Quigley, Fionn Lawlor, James Holohan, Andy Comerford....
The goalkeeper for Oranmore on the day was Michael Butler ,O'LG u12s and brother of Stephen (adding a little edge to that sibling rivalry), who played brilliantly, not giving us an inch, playing like only O'Loughlins boys do, by giving 100%...
On the bus later, as we drove into Dublin ,the bus driver was asked by the Garda where was he heading too ,he replied, to Croke Park gates, Jones Road with the team for the hurling match… and after watching the lads play that morning, maybe some day we will...
Paul Wall U10s O'LG