U14 Hurling Championship Final: Trim vs Kiltale
U14 Hurling Championship
Final (16/09/12)
Trim 2-07 Kiltale 2-06
Back row left to right: Patrick Dinan, Barry Heffernan, Dan Cleary, Mark Murray, Pierce Darby, Karl Keating, Seán Kelly, Nathan Costello, Seán McSweeney, David Murtagh, Peter Farrell, Gerard Dwane, Brian Dowling, Evan Buckley, Mikey Cullen, Seán Thornton, Fearghal O’Keane.
Front row left to right: Craig Gaynor, Cian Healy, Dylan Farrell, Tom Doyle, Robbie Finnegan, Davide Tersigni, Conor Cook, Eoghan Thompson, Ruairí Shortt, Zak McGowan, Charlie Ennis, Cian Lee, Ben Gibney, Cian Walsh.
In the most dramatic fashion imaginable, Trim overcame Kiltale by a point to win the U14 Hurling Championship Final on Sunday evening in Boardsmill. This action packed final was high on intensity and skill, contained some brilliant displays, drama galore and the Hollywood finish to match.
The wind blew straight down the pitch heading towards the town with a low hanging sun to boot both in Trim’s favour in the first half but it was Kiltale who struck the first blow. Breaking up the initial Trim attack, Kiltale cleared the ball and eventually worked it inside the Trim 14 meter line. After two failed attempts to clear the sliotar it broke kindly for a Kiltale forward who put it in the Trim net with a groundstroke.
The concession of an early goal was worrying but not nearly as alarming as the problems Trim were having converting their chances at the other end. By the half way stage, between stray shots and overhit passes, Trim had tallied six wides and dropped four balls into the goalkeeper’s hand. They had wasted four of these chances by the time they hit their first score in the eighth minute. The point came courtesy of a Brian Dowling free after a foul on Evan Buckley.
The second score was a real beauty and arrived only a minute later. Peter Farrell drove a free long into the corner where Mikey Cullen raced onto the sliotar. Carrying the ball away from goal, Cullen popped it over the bar from a tight angle out on the sideline. By the end of the first quarter, Trim were back on level terms. Zak McGowan had to work hard to make room to swing his hurl before knocking the sliotar over to tie the game at 0-03 to 1-00.
Trim had enjoyed marginal superiority thus far but Kiltale would have the better of the next fifteen minutes. A pointed free for Kiltale in the eighteenth was cancelled out by a Dowling free after McGowan was fouled. Kiltale regained the lead in the twenty second and consolidated their position with two further points to take a three point lead in at half time.
However things could have been worse for Trim had it not been for a few powerhouse displays at the back. Eoghan Thompson was solid in goal dealing with any dropping balls. Indeed on two occasions Thompson proved his skill by batting a dropping ball further than the shooter had hit it. Peter Farrell was outstanding at full back giving a performance which was equal to, and possibly greater than, the performances he gave at Féile na nGael. Farrell dominated all around him regularly winning possession, driving out past any tackles and clearing it. The same could be said of centre back Gerard Dwane who broke up a lot of attacks and hovered up much loose ball. Half time Trim 0-04 Kiltale 1-04.
The second half began with a mixed bag. Dowling was on target with a free in the first minute but Trim then had a mini meltdown in front of the posts missing some point chances which they would have been expected to score. They fared no better with a goal chance; a nice team move in the eight finished with Mikey Cullen forcing a great save from the Kiltale keeper.
Kiltale reopened the three point lead from a free in the ninth minute. Mikey Cullen, who was lively all evening and caused many problems, was alert to grab hold of Dowling’s free, spin and put it over the bar in the twelfth. However Kiltale then did serious damage to the scoreboard. Their second goal arrived in the fifteenth minute. A shot for a point hit the post and came back into play where a Kiltale forward was quickest to react and deftly lobbed the sliotar into the far corner of the net. A pointed free minutes later left Trim in a perilous situation; Trim 0-06 Kiltale 2-06 and twelve minutes to go.
At times there was more than a slight suggestion in the body language of some of the Trim players that they were about to pack in. They were striking the ball a good ten meters shorter than they had been doing only minutes beforehand and the Kiltale sweeper was like a magnet to any long ball played into the forwards. With much encouragement and the inspirational defensive displays of Dwane, Rambo Lee and Farrell in particular Trim remained in with a chance and eventually snapped back into life.
As well as his defensive heroics, Cian Lee played his part in attack moving to wing forward late on. Just as is the case with his alias
Rambo, Lee made light work of charging into enemy territory on a smash and grab mission winning a free. Dowling drove the free hard for goal but it rose too high and went over the bar. Nevertheless it boosted his teammates.
The goal did come eventually. It began with another Dowling free from 21 meters to the right of the goal. The shot was blocked off the line but Mikey Cullen, ever the predator, reacted quick as a flash to bat the ball into the net. With thirty minutes played, Trim were now down by two points (1-07 to 2-06) and the scene was set for a grandstand finish.
The injury time was bad for the heart and nerves. It looked like the
chance wouldn’t come as time seeped by. Kiltale repelled three or four attacks before the sliotar had made it as far as the ‘D’ and indeed had managed to launch some attacks of their own. With three and a half minutes of injury time played the sliotar was driven towards the Trim goal and fielded by Peter Farrell. As he did on countless occasions, Farrell grabbed a hold of the sliotar and went charging up the field before clearing. The sliotar eventually broke to Zak McGowan who for one of very few times in the game, due to the tight making he had been subjected to, had an open road in front of him to charge into. McGowan carried the sliotar as far as the forty five and lofted it goalwards. Trotting backwards, Dowling caught the sliotar in the square, spun towards goal and set his shot low hard and just inside the near post. Pandemonium broke out on the sideline as the score was registered.
As it happens Trim held the lead for all of about three seconds of this match but as it turns out they were the important three seconds. Trim were still celebrating the goal as the puckout was taken and the fulltime whistle was sounded. Full time Trim 2-07 Kiltale 2-06.
Many people often wonder why athletes bother with sport with all the personal sacrifices and hardwork it entails but the elation after winning a final in this style would inspire anyone to carry on playing for years. They say a picture is worth a thousand words but the image of Éanna and Brian captured moments after the full time whistle shows exactly what it means and how important it is.
Aside from the players and management it was a very important evening for another beloved clubman. There was none happier or more exhausted at full time than Ted Murtagh who presented the cup named in his honour to his grandson David and to the team captain Zak McGowan.
It was a special ending to what has been a special year for this squad of players. Trim won the 2011 U13 Hurling Championship Final in 
April of this year and then proudly represented Meath at Féile na nGael 2012 in Dublin in July where they were beaten in a Semi Final. It has been a long hard season but the dedication and desire of players and management alike received its just reward.
Finally we would like to thank the parents for their support throughout the year and Martin Costello for taking some magnificent photographs of the game.
Trim team: Eoghan Thompson, Cian Lee, Peter Farrell, Dan Cleary, Seán McSweeney, Gerard Dwane, Ruairí Shortt, Brian Dowling (1-4), David Murtagh, Nathan Costello, Zak McGowan (0-1), Pierce Darby, Charlie Ennis, Evan Buckley, Mikey Cullen (1-2), Dylan Farrell, Craig Gaynor, Seán Thornton, Robbie Finnegan, Conor Cook, Ben Gibney, Davide Tersigni, Cian Healy, Karl Keating, Seán Kelly, Barry Heffernan, Patrick Dinan, Mark Murray, Tom Doyle, Fearghal O’Keane, Cian Walsh.
2 Responses to U14 Hurling Championship Final: Trim vs Kiltale
-
-
peter farrell says:
Thanks Susan.I love <3
-
Well done Trim U14′s from all in Upper Tullig, Killorglin Co Kerry where Peter Farrell gets his sporting blood. So again CONGRADS from all in Kerry.