Double Defeat for Hurlers...

It was tough auld weekend no doubt. Our under 16's lost a thrilling County Final on Saturday. Then in Blarney our Senior Hurlers exited the Senior A Championship for 2020. I suppose when a Senior team scores just 3 points from play in a championship Quarter-Final it's just impossible to win the game. To cap off a disappointing few days the under 14 hurlers travelled to Mourneabbey on Monday night for a league game v Clyda Rovers and lost by a margin of three points. On a brighter note it was just mighty to see over fifty people turn up on Monday night for a stone-picking session in Scannell's Field in preparation for reseeding on Tuesday night. 

Rebel Og County Premier 1 Under 16 Final. 

Bride Rovers 0 15 Midleton 1 15. 

We travelled in great hope to Lisgoold on Saturday morning last to contest our first ever Premier 1 Under 16 County Final against Midleton. The teams had met earlier in the season in the Group Stages and on that occasion it was the magpies came out on top in a high-scoring game when they scored 3 16 to our 1 21. Team Captain Ronan O Connell led out his team on a very special occasion for the Juvenile Club. Over the last 4 years this group of players have thrilled us in League, Feile and Championship.  Over those years our greatest rivals have been St Finbarrs and when we beat the Barrs in this years semi final we were entitled to go into the Final with confidence.  

Midleton started with two pointed frees but when Adam Hayes hit over a free and David Barry added a second we were well in the game. With Liam Collins at full back and Conor Hazlewood at No 6 very solid we went ahead. Cillian Tobin and Louis Roche put us two ahead after great work from Cillian Cotter and Denis Cashman.. Finn at centre forward for Midleton was in top form and he led Midleton in attack after attack. They reeled off seven points on the trot to go five ahead. Our boys though responded in superb fashion. We hit four great points, three from Adam Hayes and one from Cillian Tobin to leave the half time score Midleton 0 9 Bride Rovers 0 8. Midleton went a further point ahead before another free from Adam and a great score from Adam Walsh tied the scores at 0 10 apiece as we entered the last quarter. The only goal of the game came to Midleton and they stretched their lead out to six points. In fairness to our lads they never gave up and we hit three great points but just couldn’t get that goal we needed.  Midleton held out to win by a goal 1 15 to 0 15. At the final whistle our boys fell to their knees   all over the pitch in sadness and disappointment. They played their hearts out as they've done all year but came away with nothing. This team has reached so many finals and semi finals over the last four years but have won just one league Title. They have given so many great exhibitions in hurling and football and we can e so proud of them. They are a super bunch and whenever you see them on the street or in the pitch they have hurleys in their hands. Great credit to their parents and of course to the team mentors who have put in endless hours with the lads.  Our scorers were Adam Hayes 0-6 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), Louis  Roche 0-3, Adam Walsh 0-2 (0-1 f), David  Barry, Conor Hazelwood, Cillian  Tobin, Ronan  O’Connell 0-1 each. Team  R O’Riordan; C O’Sullivan, L Collins, E O’Connor; C Cotter, C Hazelwood, D Cashman; D Barry, C Tobin; N Kelleher, A Walsh, R O’Connell(Captain); A Hayes, J Ahern, L Roche. Subs: A Hynes for C O’Sullivan (ht), F O’Flynn for E O’Connor (42), E O’Connor for A Hayes (58). Conor Hazlewood got a nasty head injury and we wish him a speedy recovery.

COUNTY SENIOR HURLING QUARTER FINAL. 

 Newcestown 1 14 Bride Rovers 0 11.

Van Morrison had a hit song a few years ago called 'There'll Be Days Like This' and one line in it ran "When you don't need an answer there'll be days like this", well last Sunday in Blarney when we needed an answer to the problem of winning the game  we had no answer at all. Since we won the County Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2003 we have played a lot of games. In Championship tussles with the best of them we've  won and lost great games, some high-scoring, some low-scoring but on last Sunday our total of just three points from play was the lowest we ever recorded. At Senior level teams have to convert chances into white and green flags. What makes Sunday's defeat even more disappointing was that I felt we were steadily improving over the last six weeks. Our display against Kilworth was nervy but that's to be expected in a local derby game. Against Fr O Neills we were beaten but it was a good performance overall. We were entitled to approach last Sunday's game with confidence despite the fact that our opponents were going well in both Senior Hurling and Senior Football. We were against the strong breeze in the first half and under pressure from early on. They used the wind to lob in high ball to their full forward line who looked very threatening. As the half went on we got into it more with Brian Murphy and Eoin Roche steadying our defence. Up front we just couldn't get scores. It was William Finnegan's accuracy with three frees and a 65 kept us in contention. W got no score from play in the 33 minutes of the first half. Behind by 1 7 to 0 4 didn’t'  still look like an insurmountable task with the aid of the breeze. An early point from Kieran Kearney and a William Finnegan free gave us great hope. Then we struck several wides - 12 in total in the game, and these misses sucked the confidence out of the team. Newcestown never looked like pulling away but we were chasing the game all the time. A few points could have narrowed the gap but we just were not on song. Shane Walsh did send over a beauty in the 8th minute but we could never get a few scores together. Conor Barry added two-one from play and Cian O Connor had two late pointed frees. Twice we tried for goals from frees towards the end but their defence held firm. The final score was Newcestown 1 14 Bride Rovers 0 11. It was bitter defeat after a promising start to this short Club hurling season. In four Championship games we've scored just one goal and while we had a few 'half chances' of goals last Sunday their keeper was never threatened. Last year over in Castletownroche the day we should have beaten Ballyhea Kanturk destroyed Erins Own in the opening game and now twelve months later Erins Own are in the County Semi Final against the Glen and we are out of the championship. For all the players on the panel and the backroom team last Sunday was an awful defeat as a savage amount of preparation had gone in with the last six weeks.Team & Scorers; C. Hogan, F. Collins, B. Murphy, T. O Sullivan, S. O Connor, E. Roche, S. Walsh 0 1, D. Dooley (Captain), K. Kearney 0 1 , W. Finnegan 0 5 , 4frees, 1 65,), R. Prendergast, P O  Flynn ,J. Mannix, C. O Connor 0 2 frees, B. Roche,  M. Quinn, M. Collins, C. Ryan, C. Barry 0 2, 1 free. Newcestown now play Fr O Neills in the semi final on Sunday week. Next Sunday they play 2018 County Champions in the Senior Football Quarter Final with 13 of their hurlers on the Football team.

 WELL DONE LISGOOLD.

They say it's a long, long road that has no turning and for Lisgoold GAA Club that 'turning'  came last Sunday in Midleton. The East Cork GAA Board was formed in 1924 and for the last 96 years the Junior A Grade Hurling Championship has been run. For the first time in their history Lisgoold reached the final last Sunday. They had a superb victory by - 17 to 0 11 over Carrignavar to captured the Jamesy Kelleher Cup for the first time ever. Team Captain John Cronin gave a brilliant speech which was full of passion, emotion and the pride of the little parish. John has won three Cork County Senior Hurling Medals with Imokilly but last Sunday surpassed all those wins for him. Well done to all concerned and especially to that great Gael John Joe O Regan who ha always kept the flame of hope burning. Hopefully in a few weeks time the Johnny Quirke Cup for the Cork County Junior Hurling Championship will find it's way to rest with the Jamesy Kelleher cup on the Banks of the Owenacurra river.

JUVENILE PITCH.

With several months now work has gone on developing what we call Scannell's field into a Juvenile Pitch Under the 2020 Committee this project is now nearing completion. On Saturday afternoon last the light poles were erected and on Monday night a Meitheail of stone picking was organised. We had over 50 volunteers on duty which was just mighty. They were there from New Zealand, Kerry, Waterford, Tipperary, Galway, Limerick, Clare, Cork city and all parts of Bartlemy, Rathcormac and Kildinan. Well done and thanks to everyone. Back in 1981 a huge ground fall happened in this field. The owner at the time, Donal Scannell RIP, appealed for 'contributions' and these included a caravan, a Ford Anglia car, a large boat,  the 'remains' of 50  bicycles, two prams, three mowing bars, several wheelbarrows and other bits and pieces. The pitch looks magnificent. The seeding was planned for last Tuesday evening. This pitch will be a great asset to the Club in the future. Thanks to all who subscribe to our Club 100 fundraiser as it's the finances raised by the Club 100 have made this development possible.

CLUB LOTTO. 

The numbers drawn on September  the 8th were 13, 19, 26 and 31 ad there was no winner. The prizes of €30 each went to Jennifer Lane, Denis Ahern, Fintan Lawlor Leamlara, Vincent Hollestelle, Monanig  and William Barry Kilshannig. Please support our weekly Lotto by buying a ticket from Club Members, in local business outlets or online at http;//briderovers.ie

Bride Rovers Club Gear.  

Now that we are back in action on all fronts it's important to wear the Green, White and Gold of the Club whenever possible. We have negotiated to have a full range of our Club Gear available to purchase from ONeills Sportswear. At present all sizes of jersies, t-shirts, shorts, jackets, polo shirts and tracksuits are in stock at reasonable prices.  Go to Oneills.ie and then search in the list of club names for 'Bride Rovers' and you'll see the full range.

FIXTURES.

Saturday Sept 19th Junior C Hurling C.ship v Carrignavar in Watergrasshill at 5.30

Sunday September 20th Junior B HC v Erins Own -venue tbc

 BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS are; Rathcormac Tyres  Fermoy Print & Design, Veolia