Report by Bill Cuddihy
Graigue Ballycallan’s U-16 team recently returned to winning ways over a stern Slieverue side in Tom Ryall Park, Kilmanagh. A determined G.B.C began in good form following a number of tough training sessions and challenge matches. The teams started trading scores from the throw-in before G.B.C began to take control scoring 1-3 without reply with Geordan Davis scoring a fine goal and a point to leave the scoreline standing at 1-6 to 0-3 in favour of the Kilmanagh side.
Sean Ryan was proving to be very reliable on the frees, scoring some fine long-range points both from play and from frees throughout the match. However, following a lapse in concentration at the back, Slieverue pounced to notch a goal just before half-time to leave just a goal between the teams at the break. From the start of the second half G.B.C showed great resilience to keep out the Slieverue attack, with Evan Walsh and Conor Flynn marshalling the defence and proving to be an impenetrable barrier at full-back and centre-back respectively.
Scores would prove hard to come by in the second half, but when they did, centre-forward Dylan Lanigan showed great composure to score two fine goals. Full forward Jamie Lawlor also showing no mercy to the Slieverue goalkeeper to bag another G.B.C goal to cap off a fine display. In the closing stages more resilience was shown with goalkeeper Bill Cuddihy and a combination of defenders stopping a late 21 yard free to finish the match with a victory for the Ballycallan lads. The full-time scoreline read: G.B.C 4-7 Slieverue 1-8
Overall this was a solid performance with the team now playing in a league quarter-final in the near future. However the team will need to up their performance more if they are to progress further in the league. The team was: Bill Cuddihy, Luke O’Brien, Evan Walsh, Ger Doheny, Tom Dunphy, Conor Flynn, Davy Hoyne, Tommy Ronan, Jesse Roberts, Sean Ryan(0-4), Dylan Lanigan(2-1), Geordan Davis(1-1), Ciaran Hogan, Jamie Lawlor(1-1), James Everard, George Murphy, Adam O’Brien.