The Nire v Austin Stacks - Route To Munster Club Final

The Nire

Scores For: 14-120
Scores Against: 7-64
Top Scorer: Shane Ryan (6-32)

Waterford SFC Round 1
The Nire 3-22 Ballinameela 0-2

Waterford SFC Round 2
The Nire 2-10 St Saviours 1-3

Waterford SFC Round 3
The Nire 3-11 Stradbally 3-6

Waterford SFC Round 4
The Nire 2-15 De La Salle 0-8

Waterford SFC Round 5
The Nire 1-9 Gaultier 1-7

Waterford SFC Quarter Final
The Nire 1-8 Rathgormack 0-8

Waterford SFC Semi Final
The Nire 0-10 An Rinn 0-9

Waterford SFC Final
The Nire 0-11 Stradbally 0-6

Munster Quarter Final
The Nire 1-11 Ballylanders 0-7

Munster Semi Final
The Nire 1-13 Cratloe 2-8 (AET)

Austin Stacks

Scores For: 5-99
Scores Against: 7-56
Top Scorer: Shane Carroll (0-40)

Kerry SFC Round 1
Austin Stacks 0-14 Feale Rangers 0-9

Kerry SFC Round 3
Austin Stacks 0-17 Rathmore 2-5

Kerry SFC Quarter Final
Austin Stacks 0-14 West Kerry 0-7

Kerry SFC Semi Final
Austin Stacks 2-13 Dingle 1-9

Kerry SFC Final
Austin Stacks 1-13 Mid Kerry 2-10

Kerry SFC Final Replay
Austin Stacks 2-13 Mid Kerry 1-7

Munster Semi Final
Austin Stacks 0-15 Ballincollig 1-9 (AET)

O’Connor shakes up Cappoquin confidence

 

Imprisoned in the intermediate grade from 1990 onwards, Cappoquin regularly threatened an escape. In recent memory, they lost to Tourin and An Rinn in close run Western finals. They carried plenty of baggage when Fintan O’Connor arrived as team trainer at the start of the season.

Ahead of another wrestle for honours up West, he felt that they just needed a gentle shove to attain their goal. “Like every team that have been close or knocking at the door, confidence is a huge thing. To get them to believe that they were good enough was the big thing. When I saw them playing, I always thought that they were good enough. It was just getting them to believe in themselves.”

The campaign has thrown up complications for the Cornerstone boys. They were reduced to fourteen with twenty minutes remaining of the Western semi final against An Rinn and then fell five points behind in the final. The type of obstructions they struggled to cope with in the past. They worked out solutions to these problems however and reclaimed the Raymond O’Brien Memorial Cup for the first time in 19 years.

Down by seven points a long way from home against Feakle, that confidence seemed shaken. O’Connor was an animated presence along the sideline as he roused the troops to retaliate. For the third time in their last four championship games, they managed to eke out a single score win. “It was very easy to give up and throw in the towel when you are down and out and away from home. They kept going. That was thing I was most proud of: their attitude and the way they didn’t give up. That’s a great sign of any team. It’s very easy to be good when you are winning but when you are down, it’s hard to keep going. That’s what I was most happy with.”

They also shrugged off the absence of three first choice players which feeds further into the good vibes at present. “The team showed a lot of character. We were down seven points at one stage playing with the breeze. It was great to turn it around. Hopefully we will have a couple of the lads back the next day which is adding to the positivity around the camp. It’s a first for everyone. It’s the first time the club have been in the Munster championship and it’s a great experience for the boys.”

Not for the first time this season they retrieved a rather grim situation but O’Connor recognises the need to eradicate those slow starts. They very nearly got cut off completely in Sixmilebridge. “It’s not something we are encouraging! We warmed up in a different venue and we only arrived twenty minutes beforehand. I think it kind of threw out the lads. We started nervously and slowly. It’s something we will have to try and look at. We can’t afford to give teams a four or five point start. It’s not going to keep happening for us.”

Prolific captain Shane O’Rourke never allowed his standards dip and O’Connor also praised the perseverance of the players around him. “He has been very good all year that way. He has been a reliable score getter from placed balls and from play. He kept us in it in the first half. The boys around him worked hard too and maybe didn’t get scores but set up scores for him and won vital frees when we weren’t in the game.”

Centre back Conor Murray also intervened at the death. “He had a great second half and he made one crucial flick with about thirty seconds to go. The Feakle midfielder Shane McGrath was running through and he just flicked the ball off the hurley. It was an unbelievable tackle. Those are the small margins.”

Last week, O’Connor was ratified as Waterford senior hurling selector for 2015. His impressive body of work includes stints with Fourmilewater, WIT and Blackwater Community School. Cappoquin’s promotion gave him pause for thought before he made his mind up. Ultimately, it was an offer too good to refuse. “When Derek approached me, I was delighted to be asked to do it. I had a hard decision to make with Cappoquin going up senior and they are a really nice bunch of lads. I have enjoyed my time and it was a really hard decision to make. I just couldn’t turn it down either. A lot of the lads playing with Waterford I know from schools and from WIT last year. I’m really excited by it. I know there’s huge changes in it but it’s an exciting time for Waterford when you are bringing through young players onto a team and hopefully it will go well for them.”

His immediate focus remains fixed on the Munster final. Gary Kirby’s Bruff defeated Lixnaw by three points in the semi final and are regarded as red hot 2/9 favourites. “They have Paul Browne at midfield and Sean Finn who was a Limerick minor last year. He scored 1-3 from play the last day. They have two very good wing forwards also. They are a serious team and they are firm favourites for the match. We will have our homework done on them, worry about ourselves and see where that takes us.”

Waterford Division 1B Hurling Fixtures 2015

14 February
Limerick v Waterford (7.00 at Gaelic Grounds)

21 February
Waterford v Laois (7.00 at Fraher Field)

8 March
Offaly v Waterford (2.30 at O’Connor Park)

15 March
Waterford v Antrim (12.45 at Walsh Park)

22 March
Wexford v Waterford (2.00 at Wexford Park)

Waterford Division 4 Football Fixtures 2015

31 January
Waterford v Wicklow (7.00 at Fraher Field)

8 February
Offaly v Waterford (2.00 at O’Connor Park)

28 February
Waterford v Carlow (7.00 at Fraher Field)

8 March
Longford v Waterford (2.00 at Pearse Park)

15 March
Waterford v Antrim (2.30 at Walsh Park)

29 March
London v Waterford (3.00 at Ruislip)

5 April
Leitrim v Waterford (2.00 at Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada)

Midleton CBS 3-12 Dungarvan CBS 1-11 - Harty Cup Round 3

 

Midleton CBS secured their second win of the Harty Cup campaign at a sunny Ardmore as second half strikes from John Looney and Jack McDonnell preserved their unbeaten status against Dungarvan CBS.

In a topsy turvy contest, a couple of shrewd tactical moves helped the Cork school come from two points back in the third quarter. Gary Leahy dropped out around midfield with substitutes Ed Leahy and Cillian Treacy also curtailing Dungarvan’s forward momentum. All six forwards and both midfielders recorded scores. Leahy, Looney and McDonnell caused trouble all afternoon. For Dungarvan, 15 year old corner forward Sean Crotty snapped five stunning points and put them in a good position at the start of the second period. Michael Cronin, Carthach Barry and Glen Waters also made an impression.

The red and white raced seven points away after 19 minutes. Captain Gary Leahy pulled to the net in the first minute following an initial burst from Josh Beausang. Kevin O’Sullivan raided three points (two frees) with Billy Dunne, Cillian Broderick and John Looney also supplying singles. Dungarvan picked themselves up from a rusty start. Four Mike Kearns frees and a hat trick of Crotty points left them trailing by just three at the break (1-8 to 0-8).

Dungarvan stayed on the front foot at the start of the second half but struck four wides in a row. On 35 minutes, Darragh Lyons launched a free from inside his own half and the ball hopped to the back of the net (1-8 to 1-8). A pair of points from the unerring Crotty deservedly put them in the driving seat for the very first time. The pace of the contest increased and Midleton reacted to the challenge. Brendan McCarthy and Jack McDonnell levelled. The changes were making a difference as Dungarvan started to struggle up front against the extra defender.

With twelve minutes to go, Gary Leahy’s crossfield ball dropped behind the Dungarvan defence and John Looney was alert to whip first time past Sean Murray (2-10 to 1-10). The three time champions never looked back from there. Josh Beausang teed up McDonnell for their third green flag on 54 minutes as they ran out seven point winners.

Midleton top the standings in Group 4 while Dungarvan slumped to their second defeat in three outings.

Scorers for Midleton CBS: J Looney, G Leahy, J McDonnell 1-1 each; K O’Sullivan 0-4 (3fs); J Beausang (f), B Dunne, C Broderick, B McCarthy, C Treacy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Dungarvan CBS: S Crotty 0-5; M Kearns 0-4 (4fs); D Lyons 1-0; P Curran 0-2.

Midleton CBS: S O’Flynn; B Cashman, I Cahill, C Beausang; S Smith, L Dineen, S O’Connor; C Broderick, B McCarthy; K O’Sullivan, J McDonnell, J Looney; B Dunne, G Leahy, J Beausang.

Subs: E Leahy for O’Connor; C Treacy for O’Sullivan; J Sherlock for Cashman.

Dungarvan CBS: S Murray; TJ Veale, M Cronin, C Whelan; C Barry, D Lyons, J Curran; A Donnelly, G Waters; M Culloo, M Phelan, M Kearns; J Lacey, P Curran, S Crotty.

Subs: E Crotty for Kearns; D Booth for Lacey; A Kirwan for J Curran. 

Referee: M O’Brien (Waterford)