Double disappointment for high-flying Bellurgan sides
JUNIOR AND SCHOOLBOY ROUND-UP
IT was disappointment on the double for Bellurgan as their great runs into the last 32 of the national schoolboy cup competition at both under 12 and 16 age level came to an end at the weekend.
However, that disappointment can be tempered for the under-12 team in that they bowed out at the hands of the favourites to lift the trophy Saint Kevin’s Boys at Flynn Park on Sunday morning.
The superiority of the foremost boys club in the country told in the closing OFFICIALS of the Dundalk Junior soccer league are to meet with their counterparts from the Leinster Football Association to clarify the position over rules, specifically pertaining to clubs changing over from leagues.
The issue came up again at a re-convened of the local league on Tuesday night last with clubs in the North East League potentially choosing to compete in the proposed revamped Dundalk league geared to cater for teams within a 35 minute radius, 15 minutes as they took advantage of a tiring Bellurgan to tack on four goals to record a decisive 6-0 win in the end.
Bellurgan will regret that four of those goals resulted from their own mistakes , and psychologically shipped a critical blow right on the stoke of half-time.
Saint Kevin’s took the lead in the first ten minutes, but Bellurgan maintained their own, and could easily have equalised shortly after when Ruari Traynor broke through and his shot from 20 yards just flew past the post.
However, the game took a big swing when Saint Kevin’s in the dying seconds of the half went two nil in front
The Bellurgan management made full use of their bench, which had a disrupting affect, and the home side also tired which Saint Kevin’s ruthlessly exploited.
Under-16s also lose also
A poor playing surface didn’t help the Peninsula club as they travelled to Kildare to also play in the last 32 of the under-16 national cup on Saturday.
They were also handicapped in that it was their first competitive game from opening the way for clubs Carrickmacross to join.
It was decided that that local league representatives go and talk with the LFA and they were due to travel to Abbotstown today (Monday) for that purpose, and revert back to the clubs at a planned meeting next Thursday
Plans to expand the Dundalk League into basically a Louth League with a longer season from March to October overlapping with the North East League were outlined in Louth and November.
They did well to limit opponents Suncroft to a single goal at the break after playing against the slop and a gale force wind.
But while they enjoyed a good opening 15 minutes in the second half they never quite clicked in the game and didn’t perform anywhere near to the level of which they are capable much as captain Cian Murphy tried to rally the side.
Suncroft broke away following the visitors good spell and made it two nil. at a meeting at which some 15 clubs were represented on Thursday, January 10 last. A total of 21 clubs were stated to have had an interest in taking part, including seven of the nine that comprised the premier division of the North East League when it ended last December.
Five of those were represented at the meeting at which questions were raised about teams transferring from the North East League.
The clubs delegated the top table to
Evan Lui scored for Bellurgan a minute later to bring them right back into the tie, but barely within a minute Suncroft restored their two nil lead.
Luis then had an even better opportunity than the one from which he scored, and couldn’t avail of it , which effectively sealed Bellurgan’s fate.
They pushed forward to try and salvage a draw, leaving themselves exposed at the back, and the home side took advantage scoring twice more in the closing five minutes to extend their winning margin to 5-2. discuss the issues with the Leinster FA. Discussions took place between a local league official and an LFA official, and following on from that the meeting between the officers and committee members of the local league and clubs took place last Tuesday. Nine clubs were represented.
The league envisage that 18 clubs will enter teams into the revamped league, providing two divisions, and intend to proceed with no problem expected in extending their normal season. DUNDALK Schoolboys League put their faith en bloc in their officers and committee to lead them into the new changed season.
The full out-going officer board and committee were re-elected at the League’s agm on Monday night last, comprising chairman, Michael Dillon, secretary, Larry Gorham, treasurer, Tony Hoban, along with Tony Carolan, Majella and Colin Watters, Terry Kelly and Barry Griffin.
The change to a calendar league season will take place in March, and the next big step towards it will be on Monday February 11 with the holding of a formation meeting.
The clubs then will be invited to submit the teams that they propose to enter in the league in the various age groups.
The committee will after that draw up a full list of fixtures for the season that will run until the end of October, with a break for the age groups affected by state examinations in May and June, and close for a period in July and July.
The League hope to avoid clashes with under-age Gaelic matches, with the League having engaged in talks with their GAA counterparts.
The league plan to continue to arrange games at the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, and leave the way clear for the GAA to stage their fixtures as normal in mid-week.
The aim is to allow young players the free choice to play both codes.