U13 Hurling Championship – Trim vs Ratoath
U13 Hurling Championship
Round 5 (21/05/12)
Trim 4-09 Ratoath 2-03
Trim U13 Hurlers opened their Championship campaign with two straight loses and their chances of qualification looked precarious to say the least. However after two strong wins over local rivals Navan O’Mahony’s and the amalgamated Drumree/Blackhall Gaels, Trim faced into a game against Ratoath knowing a win would book their place in the Semi Finals. On a sunny evening in Trim, a quick spurt of goals at the beginning of the second half were key to the home side picking up the win they needed.
The game had a lively start with Garry Kelly making a good save in the opening minute. The game was end to end with Trim taking the first score in the third minute. Brian Dowling pointed a 65’. Indeed Dowling’s accuracy from placed balls played a big part as Trim opened a first half lead. He was on target again in the fourth from a free.
The home team then hit the first goal of the game in the fifth minute. Darby played the sliotar in and Birmingham pulled on the ground first time to rattle the net. This was followed by an exchange of points with Ratoath scoring in the eight and Dowling responding for Trim after catching a Ratoath clearance and breaking a few tackles in the eleventh minute.
Ratoath then pulled themselves right back into the game with a goal in the fifteenth; Kelly did well to save the initial shot but could do nothing about the rebound. This left the score at 1-03 to 1-01. Trim continued to dominate and won the second quarter by three points to one. All of the Trim scores came from frees by Brian Dowling. Half time Trim 1-06 Ratoath 1-02.
The crucial scores came early in the second half as three Trim goals in the opening seven minutes left Ratoath with a mountain to climb. The first came when Trim were awarded a thirteen free. Dowling sent a pile-driver to the roof of the net. It was soon followed by Trim’s second. The shot began with Dinan on the edge of the area and supersub Robbie Finnegan deflected the sliotar into the net. The setting sun played a part in the final Trim goal as Finnegan’s shot evaded the goalkeeper and nestled in the net.
4-06 to 1-02 the game was effectively over but goals are easy to come by in underage hurling. Trim had a number of close escapes as the sliotar rolled tantalisingly across the Trim goal on more than one occasion. With Trim intent on not conceding, Cian ‘Rambo’ Lee also made a spectacular diving save late on.
Trim pushed on following the early goals with a Buckley point in the fifteenth minute. Ratoath answered immediately from a 65’. A Ratoath goal in the twenty ninth minute was sandwiched in between two points from Dowling as Trim finished out winners by 4-09 to 2-03. It took a solid sixty minutes of effort from the full fifteen Trim players and the subs to get the job done.
Trim team: Garry Kelly, Pádraig Payne, Barry Heffernan, Cian Walsh, Dylan Farrell, Cian Healy, Conor Quigley, Cian Lee, Pierce Darby, Conor Cook, Evan Buckley (0-1), Brian Dowling (1-8), Ian Birmingham (1-0), Patrick Dinan, Seán Thornton, Craig Gaynor, Robbie Finnegan (2-0), Mickey Cole, Mark Murray, Pádraig McIntyre, Fergal O’Keane, Karl Keating, Ben Gibney, Ben Holden, Kevin Lennon, Ciarán Kelly.
Come on Trim!!