Report by Martin Delahunty
Graigue Ballycallan U14s played Dicksboro in the Roinn A Hurling Championship First Round in John Locke Park last week. After having a successful year to date, winning 3 out of their 4 league games and qualifying for the County Féile semi-final, the boys were hopeful of going well in the championship proper. The management knew they were up against a formidable Dicksboro side who were hot favourites to win out this Grade.
On the lead up the panel had a few setbacks with injuries and sickness to a few key players but the team trained well in the weeks leading up and were very hopeful of a good showing.
The match started with a few smart scores from the city outfit and Graigue Ballycallan took a while to settle in and find their feet. The game was played in difficult conditions with a very overcast skyline and visibility was poor as the evening wore on. The local boys stuck to their task and from some very impressive workrate by the forwards, especially JJ Ryan, they manufactured some great scores and stayed in the game in the lead up to half time. Despite going in to the break 7 points in arrears, the management set the task of throwing everything at the Boro in the 2nd 30. Unfortunately, the Boro boys stood firm and soaked up the early pressure and from their first attack managed to find the net despite exceptional goalkeeping from Jack Walton. The game slowly slipped away and the Boro scores came more easily and more frequent but the local boys were not to give in easily and kept going to the end. Congrats to an exceptional Dicksboro team who will be very hard to beat!! Final score…. Dicksboro 5-11 to GBC 1-4.
Panel: Jack Walton, Ryan Corcoran, Dan Cahill, Billy Dowling, Shane Comerford, Eoin Delahunty, Brendan Dunne, Scott Lawlor, Oisín Egan, JJ Ryan, Paddy Brennan, Tom Brennan, John Muldowney, Mark Brennan, Jack Butler, Kevin Ging, Craig Lawlor, Liam Walsh, Conor Walton, Oisín Conway, Billy Egan, Ciarán Dowling, Patrick Foley, Eoin Egan, Liam Cleere.
This unfortunately was the end of the 2016 campaign for the U14 panel which, despite ending in a heavy defeat, they all will have gained huge experience from hurling at the top level in Kilkenny. They were dealt a tough draw meeting the Boro in the first round and the management were quick to point out to the lads that with a kinder draw there’s no doubt this team could have got a bit of momentum and went on to compete in a County Final.
So a hugely successful year in hindsight with a superb league run, losing out in just one league game, and falling just short to James Stephens in a league playoff in a fantastic game. A memorable Féile weekend, again just losing out to the Village in the Feile semi-final, an unforgettable visit to Galway to play two games in Pearse Stadium in the Regional Feile and a superb day’s hurling on a sunny Sunday in June where 35 Graigue Ballycallan boys togged out to play the memorable annual Declan Byrne Tournament against 6 Kilkenny clubs. So some huge highs with some hard hitting lows made for a great year’s hurling and the management have no doubt that this bunch of lads will have their day, one day, once they keep going forward. A special thanks to trainer Willie O’Connor, mentors Eamon Butler and Niall Egan and physios Anne Ging and Colette Walton.