Minor B Footballers Triumphant Winners of Minor E Championship - Retain Title
Words by Ernie Brenner:
And so the 2018 football season ends not with a whimper but with a bang! We retain the Championship we won last season. This group of players have a resilience, heart and fight so despite the disappointment of losing a late lead to draw last Sunday they went at Raheny right from the start and were never led.
Right from the throw in Syls got on top. A great point from Callum Clarke after a flowing move set the tone and this was followed quickly by a green flag from Ronan Furlong. David Deneher, Paul Downey and Pearse Clyne knocked over points. Raheny started to get in to the game but our full back line of Cillian Quinn, Matthew Brenner and Aaron Walsh locked up the shop. The physicality of Krishna Joyce along with the darting runs of Tom Bennett kept us on top. Disaster struck right on the half time whistle when a long ranger point attempt cannoned high off the post and fell kindly to the opposition player who goaled .
So despite being vet on top we turned only leading by 3, 1-06 to 1-03. But this team was not to be bested. A fantastic Tom Killeen goal following a length of the pitch move on 45 minutes gave us a cushion. With Ronan Furlong emptying the tank in midfield, Alan McKenna Byrne lording the skies and Luke Muldoons direct running we were always a threat going forward. Sean Downey came up from the juvenile ranks to man the goal following from Luke Darcy’s unfortunate injury in the drawn game and his kick outs and shot stopping were excellent, Syls have a great prospect there.
Raheny kept coming at us right to the death but Joe Shannon seemed to get his hand to everything and calmly cleared. Matthew Brenner and Cillian Quinn snuffed out everything that came at us and with Cian Smith and Sean Curran on to give us fresh legs we saw it out.
Congratulations to team manager Mike Mulcahy, Paul Curran and everyone involved. It was great to see some many club members and the extended minor panel supporting us on a cold December morning.
More photos by Peter Hickey:
