GAA, Sport

PHOTOS/REPORT: Crotta Foils Lixnaw’s Three-In-A-Row Plans To Take Minor Title

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Mike O’Halloran watched Crotta O’Neills emerge victorious over Lixnaw in the Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin Kerry County Minor Final yesterday in Austin Stack Park…

Crotta O Neills 0-11

Lixnaw 0-9

Crotta 2
Crotta O’Neills captain Thomas Quinlan with the cup. Photo by Dermot Crean

AT half-time, those of us in the commentary box were giving Lixnaw the nod to come out as the winners of this game, given that they were only two points behind with all the elements in their favour in the second half.

There was only one point from play in the first half, with both sides relying on the accuracy of their placed-ball men – Barry O’Mahony and Shane Conway – to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

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Crotta spurned three goal chances in the first half, they were behind by two points early in the second half when Lixnaw put on a burst to score four points. Darragh O’Donoghue had a point for Crotta, Colin Sheehy had two good chances for Lixnaw, but was wide.

Crotta County Champs Minor 1
The Crotta O’Neills minors before the game. Photo by Mike O’Halloran

Then came the score of the game from the man of the match, Barry O’Mahony. He put manners on the Lixnaw defence when he drove through from a long way out to blast over the bar.

On sixty minutes he pointed again. Every neutral in the stadium was on their feet to toast this Crotta victory.

Lixnaw Minor team
The Lixnaw minors. Photo by Mike O’Halloran

Huge work is being done in Crotta for the last number of years at underage and there was no prouder man in Austin Stack park than Sonny Egan as he accepted the applause of the crowd at the end.

Lixnaw were attempting to win their third final in a row, don’t be surprised if Crotta O’Neills are kingpins of minor hurling for a season or three.

Crotta O'Neills 1
Crotta players celebrate after the game. Photo by Dermot Crean

CROTTA O’NEILLS

1. Adam O’Sullivan 2. Eamonn Shanahan 3. Thomas Quinlan 4. Darragh Kennelly

5. Brandon Conway 6. Darragh Behan 7. Jeaic McKenna 8. Tomas O’Connor (0.1)

9. Sean O’Donoghue 10. Colin Browne (0.1) 11. Barry Mahony (0.8) 12. John Quilter

13. Darragh O’Donoghue (0.1) 14. Dylan McElligott 15. Donal Hunt (Darragh Stack)

16. Darragh Stack 17. Micheál Kennedy 28. Brian O’Connell 19. Paudie Dillon

20. Dominic Nolan 21. Eamonn Rohan  22. Aodhán McKenna 23. James Sheehan

24. Ryan McElligott 25. Denis Quille 26. Daniel Sheehan 27. Pairic Shanahan

LIXNAW

1. Robert Silles 2. Oran O’Connell 3. Conor O’Keeffe 4. Jack Allen 5. Daire Shannon

6. Liam Mullins 7. Shane McElligott 8. Darragh McElligott 9. Brendan Angland

10. Jamie Galvin (0.1) 11. Shane Conway (0.9) 12. Mike Dennehy (Steven Keane)

13. Brian McAulliffe 14. Thomas Molyneaux 15. Colin Sheehy

17. Sean Kelliher 18. Steven Keane 19. Killian Fitzgerald 20. Matthew Pike

21. Jack Brosnan 22. Niall Cullen 23. Colin Waltz 24. Tommy Kenny

25. David Allen 26. Rory McAulliffe 27. James King