Soccer successes
Three county finals staged indoors
THE INDOOR soccer Community Games finals for boys (Under-10 and Under-13) and girls Under-13 took place recently in Good Counsel College, New Ross.
Grateful thanks from Wexford Community Games to the management and staff for the use of their fine premises, to the teams which competed, and to Adrian Carr and Steven Carr who refereed. Well done to all participants.
Glynn-Barntown took on Rathgarogue-Cushinstown in the Under-10 boys’ final.
Glynn-Barntown got off to a good start with a fine goal in the third minute after great play from both sides. Rathgargoue-Cushinstown then scored from a penalty in the fifth minute.
After a very entertaining first-half performance from both sides, the interval score was 1-1.
The second-half began as the first had finished with a fast-flowing game. The first goal on two minutes went to Glynn-Barntown and they were on a roll, scoring a further four goals before Rathgarogue-Cushinstown got their first goal in this half and their second in the game.
It was a great game of soccer played by both sides, with Glynn-Barntown the county winners on a 6-2 scoreline.
The victors were served by Shane Laffan, Conor Doyle, Tom Hilliard, Cillian McCarthy, David Brophy, Elliott Ramsey and Paddy Brazil, while Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had Liam Mooney, Aidan Blyth, Jack Mythen, Niall Kinsella, James Cleere, James Doran, Pádraig Murphy and Charlie Byrne on their panel.
Tintern were the only entrants in the Under-10 girls’ event, and they also had a team in the Under-13 girls’ final where they faced Rathgarogue-Cushinstown.
Despite giving it their all, Tintern were finding it difficult against rivals who performed very well.
After just three minutes in the first-half, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had scored three goals, followed by their fourth in the fourth minute, and it was 8-0 by half-time.
Tintern kept their heads up, though, and upped their game in the second-half, scoring from a penalty after two minutes.
However, their opponents were not finished yet and they clocked up four more goals to see them take the county title on a very impressive 12-1 scoreline.
The winners had Clara O’Farrell, Eimear Porter, Caitlin Gaffney, Grace Walsh, Millie Sutton, Keelin Barron, Isabel Walsh and Julie Morrissey on their panel, while the gallant runners-up were served by Caoilainn Scott, Lilyann Egan, Courtney Whelan, Abbie Power, Emma Jenkins, Holly O’Loughlin, Brooke Whitty and Cathy Dillon.
The Under-13 boys’ final featured Tintern and Craanford-Monaseed. The game started off at a fast pace with nothing between the well-matched teams.
Just two minutes in, Craanford sent home their first goal. In the eleventh minute, they doubled their lead but this was followed by a goal from Tintern from the kickoff, to see the first-half finish 2-1 to the north county team.
There was a very lively start to the second-half. Tintern missed a penalty in the tenth minute and Craanford replied in the eleventh minute with their third goal.
Tintern were awarded another penalty right at the end of the match and scored, but it was too late as the whistle went and Craanford were declared the winners on a 3-2 scoreline.
Craanford had Cormac Kinsella, Alex Carton, Shane Purcell, Hughie Doyle, Patrick Finn, Tom Waugh, Adam Furlong and Noah James on their panel, while the runners-up from Tintern were served well by Davy Murphy, Anthony McCillen, Jason Ryan, Mitch Cullen, Neil Gallagher, Seán Og Moore, Jonathan Jenkins and Darren Rossiter.