Terrific Tomacork
O’Keeffe shines as Annacurra fail to make use of wind
TOMACORK 6-9 ANNACURRA 2-2 TOMACORK’S under-13 footballers toppled both Annacurra and the very difficult conditions to Ballinakill on Monday night to lay claim to the Under-13 B Plate title.
This encounter was looking like the classic game of two halves when Ciaran Gaskin sounded the half-time whistle after the Tomacork lads had charged into a 3-6 to 0-2 lead at the break with a gusting wind at their backs.
The threat Annacurra had shown against that gale suggested strongly that the game would be decided on what they could manage to score in the second half and how well Tomacork could defend for 30 minutes.
The Annacurra side had a very dangerous looking Luke Nolan finding acres of space in behind the Tomacork full-back line and he had found the net once already in the opening half.
They also had a strong running Charlie Graham, Sammy Harpur and Adam Healy among their ranks to name but a few who would be laying siege on the Tomacork goal for the second 30.
However, the opposite proved to be the case. Annacurra sent Luke Nolan out the field from the start of the second half and although they bagged two points early on and had two shots for goal blocked and numerous wides to their credit, Tomacork absorbed the pressure and struck back with a devastating hat-trick of goals between the 43rd and 53rd minutes to kill the game as a contest and ensure that the Plate was heading for Kilcavan Gap.
An early point from the very impressive Zach Jordan (free) for the scoring up and running in this game. It’s fast becoming very unneccessary to describe the weather in Ballinakill. Readers should just take for granted that it was unpleasantly windy with driving rain joining in the fun late on.
Regardless, these young footballers played as though it were a beautiful day and a Jack Keogh point had Tomacork up by 0-2 to no score early on as they felt the benefit of that wind.
But Annacurra had some fine footballers. Charlie Graham was one such player and he blasted home to the back of Daniel Kirwan’s net to get Annacurra off the mark in style.
The stylish Killian O’Keeffe drew the sides level with a peach on 13 minutes and two superbly struck Zach Jordan frees extended Tomacork’s lead as Annacurra struggled to gain a real foothold in the game.
Things were looking even worse for Annacurra when Cillian Doyle and Jack Whelan both found the net to make it 2-5 to 1-0.
There’s something about a team scoring goals against a strong wind that can have a deflating effect on the team with the elements.
It was the impressive showings of Fionn Darcy, MacDara O’Neill, Jack Brownrigg and Callum Walsh that was driving the Tomacork lads on at this stage but a wicked Luke Nolan goal after the ball had finally been sent in to the nippy attacker gave Annacurra hope at the break as they went in trailing by 3-6 to 2-0.
Zach Jordan would point from a free into the wind early in the second half but that Annacurra dominance that was expected looked to have arrived when Sammy Harpur and Adam Healy both pointed to make it 3-8 to 2-2.
Alas for Annacurra, that would be the last time they would score as Tomacork put the boot down and drove hard against the wind with points from MacDara O’Neill and Jack Keogh arriving either side of goals from Zach Jordan, Ryan Austin and William Kenny as the Carnew/Coolboy outfit powered on to a sweet victory.
Credit to Fionn Darcy who cleared plenty of danger in the second half when Annacurra were in a position to cause damage to the scoreboard with that wind at their backs.
Scorers – Tomacork: Zach Jordan 1-5 (5f), Killian O’Keeffe 2-1, Cillian Doyle 1-0, Jack Whelan 1-0, Ryan Austin 1-0, Jack Keogh 0-2, Callum Walsh 0-1.
Annacurra: Charlie Graham 1-0, Luke Nolan 1-0, Sammy Harpur 0-1 (f), Adam Healy 0-1.
Tomacork: Harry Murphy; Ryan Austin, Kevin O’Brien, Calum Walsh, Kenneth Cullen, Jack Brownrigg, Killian O’Keeffe, Fionn Darcy, Zach Jordan, Ryan Conway, Cillian Doyle, William Kenny, MacDara O’Neill, Darragh Rawson, Jack Keogh, Freddie Swords, Jack Whelan,
Annacurra: Daniel Kirwan, Kamie Wolohan, Elliot O’Driscoll, Craig Evans, Luke Nolan, JJ Byrne, Eoin O’Connor, Oliver Doyle, Eoghan Murphy, Sammy Harpur, Paddy Horan Flynn, Michael Kavanagh, Charlie Graham, Alexander Cummins, Padraig Stafford, Adam Healy, Darragh Kennedy, Sean Carey.
Referee: Ciaran Gaskin