The Graigue Ballycallan Minor team faced Thomastown in Thomastown on Wednesday evening, 1st September in the preliminary round of the Roinn B Championship.
On what was a perfect evening for hurling, Thomastown got off to a quick start going 2 points up in the first few minutes after a few uncharacteristic wides from the Graigue Ballycallan forwards were driven before that at the opposite end.
From then on Graigue Ballycallan backs got on top and it wasn’t long before the locals got their noses in front. Late into the first half Graigue Ballycallan started to widen the gap slightly with a brilliant point by Aaron McEvoy and a goal created by Patrick Foley and magnificently finished to the net by Ryan Corcoran who had also put put over some very impressive scores of his own.
Thomastown, although trailing by 5 points at half time weren’t giving anything away easy and came out all guns blazing and fought hard, hitting the crossbar with an attempt at goal in the early stages. Again, the Graigue backs got on top with a brilliant individual performance from Billy Dowling on the night and all backs hurling well as a unit. The forwards picked off their scores from this point onwards to see off the Thomastown challenge and take the result on a score of 1-15 to 0-10 after a hard fought championship match.
The team was: Sean McGrath, Dean O’Brien, Sean Roberts, Ryan Cody, Billy Dowling, Conor Walton, Jack Guiry, Jeff Neary, Billy O’Neill, Eoin Egan, Aaron McEvoy, Billy Egan, Jake O’Brien, Ryan Corcoran, Patrick Foley
Eoin Cahill (on for Ryan Corcoran 40 mins), Dylan Teehan (on for Billy Egan 45 mins), Martin Brennan, Paidí Egan, Micheal Harrison, James Casey, Aidan Comerford, Ben Young, Pat Purcell, Aidan Cahill, James Brennan, Tony Butler, Frank McCluskey, Ciaran Murphy
Report by Alan O’Shea