Premier 2 Minor Hurling League Final...

On Saturday we travelled to Pairc Ui Chaoimh to play the final of the Premier 2 Hurling league v Shandrum. This was a repeat of the County Championship Final a few weeks back when we defeated the same opposition in Mourneabbey. Our players have been very active since then,involved in Colleges games with St Colman’s and Colaise an Chraoibhin as well as our u21 Hurlers. We had to line out without or regular goalkeeper Ben Hogan and defender Eoin Roche due to injuries.

This game was played on the new 4G Astro Turf pitch which was a real novelty for most of our players. We started very well and looked to be in command in most positions and moved into an early lead with three points from Conor Barry and one from Edmond Cashman before Shandrum opened the scoring with a point on the ninth minute. Brian Roche operating at left half forward slotted over two more and another free from Conor made it 7 points to 3 on the quarter hour mark. Jordan Mannix Cian Hogan  and Paddy O Flynn added points from play before Brian Roche showed all his class to slip the ball to the net to make it 1.10 to 0.4 on the 23rd minute. Cian Hogan and Conleith Ryan added two more while Shandrum had two of their own before Crosshaven official Brian Coniry blew the half time whistle to see us in a commanding position 1-12 to 0-7. A slight breeze would favour the North Cork boys in the second half but nevertheless it was a nice lead.

Two from frees and one from play by Conor Barry along with a Brian Roche point were added early in the second half, 1-16 to 0-8 on 38 minutes an 11 point lead looked good. Two Goals from Shandrum in the 42nd and 49th minutes turned this game; they outscored us from the 42^nd to the 57^th minute by 2-4 to 0-1 and drove at us in search of the winning scores. It was now  1-17(20) to 2.12(18) . We wondered could we hold on. Brian Roche arrested the slide with a great point but was cancelled out by another Shandrum minor 1.18 (21) to 2-13 (19) two minutes to play. The concession of two frees by Shandrum left the opening for our ace free taker Conor to put valuable daylight between the teams 1-20 to 2-13 before the Crosshaven official blew the whistle and we had completed the double, a fantastic achievement by this group of players and team management. Conor Barry again captained the side and he received the cup from Rebel Og Official Terry Brady. Conor thanked the players and our opponents along with the team management and the supporters for a great year, he also remembered our departed friends Dan Quill and Jim Bob O Donovan.

Thanks to our opponents Shandrum who have been tough nuts to crack all year who have given us great games .However the day and the year belongs to these wonderful players who have given us hours of pleasure and so much more to look forward to in the years ahead. Bride Rovers Abu….Team Shaun Knox, Oisin Roche, Jordan Mannix, Ruairi O Sullivan, Matthew Quinn, Paddy O Flynn, John Buckley, Kieran Kearney, Griffin O Keeney, Conor Barry, Cian Hogan, Brian Roche, Edmond Cashman, Conleith Ryan, Seamus Ahern.