Adam the ’town star
O’Gorman hits three goals in big win
ADAMSTOWN 5-22
GER. O’HANRAHANS 1-4
A HAT-TRICK of goals from Adam O’Gorman helped Adamstown to a comfortable victory in the Wexford People Under-17 hurling Roinn 2 shield final in Oylegate recently.
Graham O’Reilly and Aidan Whelan also hit the back of the net for the impressive victors, who were winning their first Minor hurling title since 1991.
Adamstown were always in complete control, building up a 2-10 to nil advantage by the interval, and although Geraldine O’Hanrahans managed to get a few scores on the board after the change of ends, there was no letup from their opponents.
They hit the ground running, with the stylish Rúairí O’Brien splitting the posts after just 30 seconds, and Adam O’Gorman plundering his first goal inside three minutes.
O’Brien was the provider, picking out the corner-forward with a precision pass, and O’Gorman confidently struck the ball past goalkeeper Ryan Gardiner.
The black and amber crew were well on top, with O’Brien and Craig Bradley picking off scores almost at will, while Dean Kehoe also chipped in with an eye-catching effort from the left wing.
They copper-fastened their supremacy with 23 minutes on the clock when Jack Vieira was unlucky to see his shot on goal come back off the post, but ace poacher Adam O’Gorman was on hand to pick up the pieces and finish to the net to make it 2-8 without reply.
When Craig Bradley pointed three minutes after the half-time break, it stretched the lead to 2-13 to no score, but mercifully Geraldine O’Hanrahans stopped the rot when Josh Kehoe split the posts with a placed ball.
However, it was business as usual for Adamstown and they registered the next five points, with the impressive Craig Bradley adding three to his tally, and Tadhg McDonald and James Dillon also doing the needful.
To their credit, Geraldine O’Hanrahans never stopped trying and garnered a small crumb of comfort midway through the half when a speculative Josh Kehoe delivery went all the way to the net, while Andy Cash contributed a couple of frees.
Adamstown were in no mood for sentiment though, and O’Gorman grabbed his third goal moments later, when he was fed by Rúairí O’Brien and buried to the net.
Graham O’Reilly ensured O’Gorman didn’t have the monopoly in the goal scoring stakes, when he burst through with menace in the 50th minute and sent a rasper past the netminder from 20 yards.
It was then high fives all round in the final minute of the one-sided contest when substitute Adrian Whelan squeezed the ball to the net, before referee Seamus Whelan’s final whistle signalled the beginning of the celebrations for Adamstown.
Adamstown: Martin Cloney; Tom Roche (capt.), Conor Whelan, Tomás Jackman; Colin Stephenson, David
O’Gorman, Dean Kehoe (0-1); William Whitney-Rothwell, Graham O’Reilly (1-0); Rúairí O’Brien (0-5), Craig Bradley (0-11, 6 frees, 1 ‘65), Tadhg McDonald (0-1); Jack Vieira, James Dillon (0-3), Adam O’Gorman (3-0). Subs. - Aidan Whelan (1-0) for Vieira (44), Dara Furlong (0-1) for McDonald (44), Vieira for O’Reilly (50), McDonald for O’Brien (53), Kevin Dunleavy for Whitney-Rothwell (55), also Matthew O’Neill, Diarmuid Murphy.
Geraldine O’Hanrahans: Ryan Gardiner; Liam Walsh, Caleb Gardiner, Adam Walsh; Michael Richardson, Adam Fenlon (capt., 0-1), Ryan Bolger; Josh Kehoe (1-1, 0-1 free), Cillian Murphy; Johnny Goggins, Conor Roche, Andy Cash (0-2 frees); Jack Murray, Tom Conway, Jake Canning.
Referee: Seamus Whelan (Oylegate-Glenbrien).