Adamstown avail of breeze to clinch Under-14 shield honours
ADAMSTOWN MADE full use of having the breeze at their backs in the second-half to shake off the brave effort of Geraldine O’Hanrahans and capture the New Ross Standard Under-14 hurling Division 4 shield title in Bree.
Having played against the elements in the opening period, Adamstown turned around holding a onepoint lead (2-3 to 2-2), so it was always going to be an uphill struggle for the New Ross town boys.
To their credit they battled courageously until the end but a slick Adamstown outfit had just too much firepower, with their inside forwards in particular catching the eye, as the trio contributed an impressive 2-4 from play between them.
Corner-forward Adam O’Gorman got the ball rolling when he slotted over a point with less than two minutes on the clock, but Geraldine O’Hanrahans signalled their intent just a minute later by getting the green flag waving.
Midfielder Adam Fenlon floated a free into the danger zone and Andy Cash was quickest to react, gathering possession before giving goalkeeper Martin Cloney no chance.
Adamstown were celebrating a goal four minutes later though, when Rúairí O’Brien confidently found the back of the net after a neat exchange of passes with Jack Vieira.
Joshua Kehoe quickly levelled it up with a free at the other end, but the lively O’Brien edged Adamstown back in front with a point.
Craig Bradley (free) and Kody Purcell then swapped points, before Adamstown put themselves firmly in the driving seat when Jack Vieira raced through and confidently dispatched the ball beyond Ryan Gardiner and into the corner of the net.
Lying four points adrift, Geraldine O’Hanrahans desperately needed a boost, and they got just that when Andy Cash bagged his second goal, as he cleverly looped the sliothar beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to leave them just one behind at the break (2-3 to 2-2).
Adam Fenlon applied the perfect finish to a powerful run by popping the ball over the bar four minutes into the second-half to draw the sides level, and netminder Ryan Gardiner then kept them in the game with a good save from Jack Vieira within 60 seconds.
Rúairí O’Brien edged Adamstown back in front, splitting the posts after being picked out by James Dillon, and Craig Bradley then slotted over a ‘45 before Ryan Gardiner was again called into action between the posts, this time getting down well to deny O’Brien.
A Diarmuid Murphy score stretched the lead to three points and there looked to be no way back for the Geraldines when substitute Colin Stephenson fired a ground stroke to the net with seven minutes remaining. A Craig Bradley score and an audacious effort from Adam O’Gorman from wide on the right added to the Adamstown tally, and Geraldine O’Hanrahans got some reward for their battling spirit when Adam Fenlon stroked over the final point.
Adamstown: Martin Cloney; Robert O’Brien, David O’Gorman, Tomás Jackman; Conor Whelan, James Dillon (capt.), Tom Roche; Sam Dunne, William Whitney-Rothwell; Diarmuid Murphy (0-1), Craig Bradley (0-3, 1 free, 1 ‘45), Matt O’Neill; Rúairí O’Brien (1-2), Jack Vieira (1-0), Adam O’Gorman (0-2). Subs. - Kevin Dunleavy for Roche, Colin Stephenson (1-0) for O’Neill, Daniel Doyle for Vieira, Vieira for Dunne, inj., also Aidan Whelan, Tadgh McDonald, Graham O’Reilly.
Geraldine O’Hanrahans: Ryan Gardiner; Caleb Gardiner, Adam Walsh, Liam Walsh; Kyle Murray, Ian Stafford (capt.), Jack Murphy; Kody Purcell (0-1), Adam Fenlon (02); Andy Cash (2-0), Joshua Kehoe (0-1 free), Tom Connors; Jack Murray, Conor Roche, Jake Canning. Subs. - Johnny Goggins for Canning, Larry Connors for Murphy.
Referee: Nicholas Kehoe (Cloughbawn).