Leinster joy for Drogheda
DROGHEDA Water Polo’s Under-16s clinched the Leinster title following their 7-3 win against Sandycove in the NAC on Thursday last.
With both teams perched on 24 points prior to the game, this was always going to be a tense affair, and indeed the Drogheda lads seemed to take a little longer to settle into their stride.
After falling 1-0 behind in a very cagey first quarter, the lads went two behind early in the second quarter when Boris Swazarchuk struck for the second time.
This stung Drogheda into action and a quick-fire hat-trick from Man of the Match Andrew Healy and an Aidan Mullaney strike saw Drogheda take a 4-2 lead into half-time.
Both teams continued to play attacking water polo and a Ronan Kirby goal early in the third quarter cut the deficit to a single goal, but following the exclusion of Max Connolly a well-worked Drogheda set play led to a fourth goal of the night for Healy to make it 5-3 entering the last quarter.
Drogheda’s drop defence limited Sandycove to long-range shots which keeper and Irish captain Sean Gul dealt with comfortably. Now in full control, the Boynesiders added to their tally with a perfectly flighted lob shot from Telmo Jiminez, before Conor Clarke made absolutely sure of victory with Drogheda’s seventh goal of the game, beating the Dubliners’ keeper Fergal Kirby on his near post.
The club is delighted to have finally landed some silverware after finishing runners-up in so many competitions this year, and they congratulate coach James Healy and his assistant Conor Mullaney on bringing this group of players so far this season.