Future looks bright
Joy for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy
D’TOWN/C’CUDDY BAILE DUBH TIRE
EVERYONE associated with Davidstown-Courtnacuddy must be optimistic of a bright future as their talented crop of minor ladies footballers overturned a five-point half-time deficit to take home the Division 3 Cup with a 3-10 to 2-8 victory over Baile Dubh Tire in Saturday evening’s entertaining county final played at a wind-battered St.Patrick’s Park.
The win sees the all-conquering girls from Boolabawn complete a remarkable championship double, two weeks after claiming the Roinn 2B Minor camogie title at Rapparees expense, quite the feat for one of the most progressive underage set-ups in the entire county.
And they were certainly made to do it the hard way, as the Duffry Rovers/Marshalstown combination had first use of the near gale-force wind blowing towards the dressing-rooms, and forged as far ahead as 1-6 to 0-2 in the second quarter.
The Roban cousins, Lauren and Ciara, done most of their scoring, with the former registering their opening point 35 seconds in, and the latter adding three more by the twelfth minute, and also assisting Laura Conroy soon after.
Anna Roche kicked Davidstown’s two points in that period, but a punt at the posts from Aoife Darcy carried in the wind and dropped to the net as the gap stretched to 1-5 to 0-2 by 15 minutes.
The power of the elements was illustrated again a minute later when it assisted in Niamh McHugh from pointing from near the corner flag. Davidstown had a fortunate goal of their own on nineteen minutes when Donna Delahunty’s free landed in the net after meeting resistance from the wind en route, and in hindsight that bit of luck had a huge bearing on the result given what transpired after the break.
Lauren Roban and McHugh had opened a 1-8 to 1-3 lead for Baile Dubh Tire at half-time, but they scored only once more as instead Davidstown completely transformed proceedings.
Just as a shower swept in to make conditions even more gruelling at the resumption, Katie Whelan made immediate inroads towards goal and emphatically finished across Aoife Dunne for an inspired goal.
Ava O’Connor and Delahunty (free) restored parity after 35 min- utes, while O’Connor became the latest beneficiary of the breeze as her shot flew all the way to the net to make it 3-5 to 1-8 four minutes later.
Two Whelan points and another from O’Connor had Davidstown in relative comfort, but Baile Dubh signposted their latent threat when Darcy whistled just wide of the post eleven minutes from time.
They did pull a goal back on 55 minutes when McHugh expertly tucked away a penalty after she was denied by a foot-block in the initial attack (3-8 to 2-8).
But O’Connor chipped over a nerve-settler for the victors two minutes from the end, while her shot came back off the post for Delahunty to seal the deal from the rebound as they hung on to cap a remarkable year.
IRELAND INTERNATIONAL snooker player Rodney Goggins from Liam Mellows Park in Wexford town recorded a famous win recently, and he now receives a place at the Irish Masters in Goffs against one of the legends of the game, our very own Ken Doherty, on January 5, 2019.
The Wexford man had won the Republic of Ireland Billiards & Snooker Association Top 16 R.I.B.S.A. play-off on December 1 in Roadstone S.C. in Dublin.
In the final Rodney beat former professional player Joe Delaney from The Classic S.C. in Dublin. Rodney also recorded the highest break with a stunning 133 clearance.
The draw for the Irish Masters was made last week, and Rodney will play Ken Doherty on January 5 at 1 p.m. in Goffs in County Kildare. The other players in this event include Dennis Taylor, Jimmy White, Willie Thorne and Joe Johnson.
It promises to be a fantastic event, so get to Goffs to cheer on Rodney. Tickets may be purchased from www.tickmaster.ie
ATRIP to a book store is inevitable for most shoppers in the lead-up to Christmas, and there’s usually something to suit all tastes. The ‘Seen and Heard’ team are of the opinion that dedicated voluntary effort from people in the locality should always be commended.
And in that regard, browsers won’t find a more suitable book than ‘October
2000’, the weighty history of St. Anne’s
G.A.A. Club that was penned with loving care and attention to detail earlier this year by one of its best-known sons,
Jim Berry.
The title refers to the greatest month in an illustrious history when the Wexford District outfit completed a sensational double of Senior championship titles.
However, there’s so much more to get through in this fine publication, and it’s important to stress that an involvement with St. Anne’s or an attachment to the parish isn’t a pre-requisite to enjoy this book.
On the contrary, if you’re a G.A.A. fan from any part of the county, there’s a strong chance that you will relate to the contents and also read about people you know, because detailed accounts are given of the hundreds of games played by St. Anne’s teams over the years.
Our writers have reviewed a lot of books from various sporting genres, and this is one we would highly recommend.
Don’t leave it behind you when you spot it on a bookshelf over the next couple of weeks!