Last weekend saw a really busy couple of days for our young hurlers with both u8 and u10 hurling fixtures.
Saturday morning at Andersonstown Leisure Centre was the first run-out for the counties new P3/P4 format of games. We entered 2 teams as we are blessed with good numbers at this age group even though we have lost a few players who would have been eligible at the old u8 limit but it has allowed us to add more from the u6 category.
We had six 8 minute games to play in all against St John’s, Lamh Dhearg, McDermott’s, Ardoyne, Carryduff and St Agnes’. For the first round of games we started with the older kids, using the younger kids as subs and won our first 2 games against St John’s and Carryduff easily racking up plenty of quality scores. The next game was tougher against Lamh Dhearg and for the first 5 or 6 minutes it was nip and tuck but they scored a few late goals to edge it in a hard fought battle.
We then entered the last group of games and for these games we played all the younger kids with only 2 of the 6 starters for each game coming from P4 with 1 of the starters still being in P2. Even with all the changes the wins kept coming as we swept aside St Agnes’ and Ardoyne and it was great to see all the new players get on the score sheet several times each in a few cases scoring from their own half.
The last game saw us pitted against our old rivals McDermott’s and again was a hard fought battle, as it usually is between the two but this time the older kids of McDermott’s had a bit too much for their younger opponents and won through in the end.
On a whole, the day was a big success performance wise, the new kids have integrated brilliantly and the P4’s have stepped up as the older members and proved what the management have known for a while that the future looks bright for underage hurling in the club.
Well done to all the kids involved and more of the same next week for the footballers.
Saturday afternoon was also the first run-out for the P5/P6 hurlers in their new format of indoor matches. Although the games were indoor they were to be 6-a-side under full rules and again the age changes meant we would lose five players who would have been eligible at u10 level but we were able to include two who missed out at the earlier games due to age changes.
Our first game on paper was a big challenge as it seen us play Rossa who have been fielding championship winning under age teams for decades. The game was fast and furious and they took an early lead but rather than dropping our heads we clicked into gear and scored 3 quick goals in response and took complete control dominating in all areas. They then responded with a goal of their own but again this just spurred our kids on and they put 2 more onto their account to run out comfortable 5-2 winners.
After a short break our next game was against Brid Og (an amalgamation of St Brigid’s and Eire Og) this was a tighter game and hotly contested in all areas of the pitch and in turn scores were at a premium. We took the lead with a long range effort but was cancelled out later to level the game but in the closing stages we were able to tag on a few more to make sure of the victory.
The last game was against Ardoyne and based on previous results we should have run out easy winners however we didn’t really click and left it late before scoring the only goal of the game to run-out unbeaten winners.
In summary more great results for a vastly improved team but results aside the work ethic and tackling displayed by all 8 players was first class and with an attitude like that this young team will go far.
The last piece of the weekend’s action took part at 11am at MacRory Park and featured the u10 hurlers playing for the O’Donnell’s memorial trophy.
This was a replay of a fixture which controversially ended in a draw a few weeks previous. The game was 11-a-side and was to be played over 3 periods of 10 minutes. Although it was miserable before hand the rain stopped and at times the sun even came out and the hurling on the pitch matched the changes in weather.
Both teams were well up for the game and played some wonderful clean hurling; we took the lead in the first period with a well worked goal and towards the end followed up with a great point but the highlight of this period was a late save by Davitt’s goal keeper to keep the score line at 1-1 to 0-0.
The second period was more of the same with every one of our kids busting a gut to make tackles, get in hooks or blocks or win 50/50’s all over the pitch although the hosts did manage to score a goal of their own late in the period.The last period carried on in the same vein and at times the level of play defied the age group on display and culminated with our boys tagging on another goal to run out deserved winners 2-1 to 1-0.
This team has really surprised everyone involved in the juvenile development team with the speed at which they have taken to a physically demanding technical sport and can now consider themselves as some of the best players on display at that age anywhere in Belfast. The physical strength, skill and determination shown by all 11 players was a credit to both themselves and their parents; well done lads and keep up the good work if you do there will be more silverware to follow in the not too distant future.
