The U8 hurlers made their way to Ballymena for the Annual P3/P4 South West Antrim hurling blitz. Due to our high numbers we broke the kids into two evenly matched teams to ensure all kids got more hurling time. With all the teams ready and the sun shining it was time to start hurling.
Both teams got off to a winning start and won their first two games. It was fair to say that the defenses in both teams had laid the foundations for the wins; Caoimhin Rainey, Eamon Toner, Odhran Cosgrove and Conor Corr showed great heart and determination to get out first to every ball and clear their lines. This was a trend throughout the entire tournament.
We then had the “grudge match†where the two Davitts teams had to play each other. The skills shown in this game were at a very high standard and for us mentors it was the game of the tournament. Some of the catches and blocking was a joy to watch especially from Stephen Thompson and
JT Haughey. A special mention has to go to Liam Lynn who undoubtedly scored the goal of the tournament. After breaking two challenges in the middle of the park, Liam found the top corner with a rasping shot from a long way out, much to the delight of everyone on the pitch and those watching. After the game was over, the referee approached the mentors and the kids to congratulate them on their display, the bravery and the skills shown. To say that the mentors were proud would be an understatement.
After one defeat for each team (one on a count back of 45’s) we entered the last round of 
games knowing that a win would either share the trophy or win it outright. With two tight games it was the forwards that done the damage. Knowing what was at stake, Vincent McIlkerney and Kanye Curley were immense; they battled for every ball, put their bodies on the line and took some great points from a distance. Special praise has to go to our younger players in John Kennedy and Ciaran Dempsey who worked tirelessly and finished off some great moves by striking the sliotar into the back of the net on numerous occasions.
After some tallying up, the trophy was eventually shared with ourselves and Tir Na Og with both teams having 5 wins and a defeat. We would like to thank Ballymena for successfully hosting the tournament and for Thomas Mc Cann for the generous invite.
The mentors would like to congratulate the kids for all their continued hard work and it’s great to see that it’s paying off with a well-deserved trophy. This is the future of the club and we are sure there are many more trophies to come.
Everyone associated with the club (Committee, members, mentors) would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the parents for their continued support and effort. It’s great to see so many parents attend the training sessions and tournaments and we can ensure you’s that it doesn’t go unnoticed.
