Lotto:
There was no winner of our Club Lotto Jackpot on Sunday night last. The numbers drawn were 08, 15, 22 & 25.
The five €30 consolation prizes went to Jim Savage Curraheen, Rory Denn c/o Christy Murphy, Nora Williams c/o Rock St. PO, Carmel O Connor c/o Tony Casey and Cian Denn Blackrock, Cork.
Next week’s Lotto will have a jackpot of €5,100 and the draw will take place this Sunday night April 12th in Skelper Quane’s Bar. Lotto tickets are available from the usual outlets or any club officer.
Juvenile Academy:
U6’s: Our u6’s put in a great training session last Friday evening with Jack Maguire, Sarah Greaney and Polly Jones showing great skill and determination. A big welcome to James Riordan who participated very well.
u8’s: The St. Pats under 8’s Boys & Girls had a good turnout at training last Friday on our fantastic Astro Turf pitch. Everyone put in a great effort practicing their kicking skills at training with Michael Enright, Jack Costello, Ben Jones and Caoilainn Culloo giving it their all during the session.
It is important with the evenings getting longer and the weather improving that ye all keep practicing yer skills at home during the week. We hope to see ye all at training Sunday.
U10’s: Our u10’s had a challenge match against Castlegregory last Wednesday and they gave a good account of themselves despite it being the first competitive match for some of the players. Their effort and enthusiasm was fantastic.
Paddy Moran was brilliant in goals in the first half and the whole team performed better in the second half overall with Caoimhe Dairo, Gearoid O’Shea and Daragh Murphy showing tremendous commitment.
We also had our training Friday evening with James Dowling and Diarmuid Waugh shining brilliantly. Our next training is on Sunday the 12th due to the Easter holidays.
U-12’s:
U12 Challenge Match: St Pat’s, 3-8; Kerins O’Rahillys, 3-11
This was our first match of the season and it showed in how slow we were to knit together as a team in the first half. Strand Road had a deserved lead of 2-9 to 1-1 at half-time, having played with the breeze and a lot of composure and teamwork.
Things would have been a great deal worse were it not for some heroic defence, particularly by Michael Doody and Molly O’Neill, supported by Danny Greaney, Aaron Murphy and Cillian Lynch. Tomás O’Sullivan (goal) and Danny (point) were our first half scorers.
A couple of changes to the formation at half-time paid instant dividends as our centre three of Tomás, Danny and Daniel Moriarty started to dominate possession. While Strand Road were limited to just 2 points for much of the half, we had scores from Tomás (1-3), Danny (1-2), Jade Harkin and Cillian (a point each), bringing our total to 3-8.
Strand Road were finding it difficult to clear their lines under strong pressure from Jade, and Colin Doody. However, they found a little more and despite great defensive work by Michael Doody and Liam O’Sullivan, they got the break they needed and fired home a last minute goal to win by three points. For a first game out, this was a great performance full of promise for a good season ahead. That the players stuck at it and never lost belief in their ability to take the game was a credit to them all. Roll on the County League.
Man of the match for his great defensive work was Michael Doody.
U-14’s:
County League Round 1:
Cordal/Scartaglin 1-7 St Pats 4-15
Our Under 14’s travelled out to Cordal last Wednesday evening to take on Cordal/Scartaglin in the first round of the CountyLeague.
The team welcomed back Ali Gardezi and Martin Savage after their school tour and they came away with a comprehensive victory. Captain Fergal O’Brien won the toss and chose to play with a strong breeze.
The opening exchanges were dominated by Cordal/Scartaglin who had the majority of possession but the strong breeze coupled with some wayward kicks kept them scoreless. Patrick Dowling, who had a fantastic game on the “40”, opened St Pats account in the 4th minute with a point from out far.
Cordal/Scartaglin struggled to deal with the mobility of the St Pats midfield of Ali Gardezi and Fergal O’Brien who in turn fed Dowling and he punished the home side every time. Patrick added a further 7 points (6 from play) before the short whistle along with 4 from Fergal and one from a very acute angle by the ever industrious Cormac Lynch.
Cordal/Scart never gave up into the strong breeze and they were rewarded themselves with 3 points in the first half.
However, 3 minutes before the interval, St Pats struck the net which put some serious daylight between the teams. Cathal Fitzgibbon, who was outstanding in the half back line along with Brian Teahan, dispossessed his man and played a good ball up the right wing to O’Brien.
Fergal made an incisive run through the opposition rearguard, drew the cover and fed it superbly to Dowling who finished to the net.
It was a long way back for the home side after this goal but with the winds are their back, the game was certainly not over as a contest. HT Score St Pat 1-13 Cordal/Scart 0-3. The home side needed a quick goal and some fortune at the start of the second half to get back into the game.
But Fortune favours the brave and this was epitomised by James O’Sullivan who fought hard to win back a ball for St Pat. He fed it superbly into his younger brother Tomas and he drilled it past the keeper.
It left an insurmountable task for the home side and further goals from Tomas (after good work from Niall McCarthy) and Fergal O’Brien in the 39th and 42nd minute killed the game as a contest.
Ali Gardezi scored a lovely point from out far into the breeze and Tomas added a further point in the 45th minute to finish St Pats scoring. Cordal/Scart kept plugging away and kicked 4 further points in the second half.
They had some goal chances in that second half but were held out by some resolute defending by the full backs Damien Quirke and Ciaran O’Donoghue in particular and also some great saves by Gavin Doody in goals.
They eventually rattled the St Pats net with 3 minutes to go after an overlap from out the field. Final Score: Cordal/Scart 1-7 St Pats 4-15.
Credit goes to everyone in the team for playing their part in a comprehensive victory away from home. The team is developing nicely and is improving game by game. However, stiffer challenges lay ahead and the team must continue to improve to meet them head on.
Team: G Doody, C O’Donoghue, D Quirke, I McCarthy, B Teahan, C Fitzgibbon, F O’Brien (1-4), A Gardezi (0-1), C Lynch (0-1), P Dowling (1-8), M Savage, N McCarthy, J O’Sullivan, T O’Sullivan (2-1), M Everett, P Murphy, A O’Brien. Next Game in the County League is at home to Ballyheigue this Wednesday evening at 7pm. The team is also entering the Feile competition which will be held over Saturday April 11th and 18th. The Feile this year will be held in Wexford. Fixtures to be published later next week.
U-16’s:
Austin Stacks 3-03, St Pats 1-03
Our under 16s played a strong Austin Stacks team on Monday last in difficult conditions in Connolly park. This was a low scoring affair, with both defences on top throughout, with each team finding scores difficult to come by.
St Pats defended stoutly throughout, with Mikey Cahill, Eoghan Murphy and Brian Murphy, in particular, excelling. Eoin Greaney and Shane Jordan worked very hard at midfield, where they did trojan work carrying the ball forward, especially against the wind. Up front, Gearoid Dillane stood out again, constantly showing for and using the ball effectively.
Overall it was a good performance but not the result we were looking for. Hopefully we can get our first win very soon.
Seniors:
St Brendan’s League Final 2015
St Pats 0-05 John Mitchel’s 1-07
This game proved to be a complete non-event with the only good to be taken from the whole evening was the fact the final was played on Good Friday. Football was the big loser in a match that was devoid of passion excitement and quality football.
The first half is best summed up by the match statistics 0-03 a piece at the short whistle 3 wide’s each and one yellow card for both teams.
The game was 12 minutes old before Mitchel’s registered the first score of the game with a point from Ciaran Singleton, Breandean Savage equalised two minutes later for St Pats. Both teams scored two points each in the second quarter Alan O’Donoughue and Shane O’Connor for Mitchel’s, Brendan Poff and Willie Hurley for St Pats. Half time score St Pats 0-03 John Mitchel’s 0-03
Both teams made changes for the start of the second half Joe Costello came in for Eoin Sayers (St Pats) Oliver Coffey on for J O’Halloran (Mitchel’s). St Pats deployed a more orthodox set up for the second half and this allowed Mitchel’s the space needed to take control of the game.
Alan O’Donoughue hit a purple patch for Mitchel’s in the first ten minutes scoring one point himself and setting up two more for Oliver Coffey and a Sean O’Mahoney free.
The Game was settled as contest on the three quarter mark when Mike Deane hit a well taken goal for Mitchel’s to leave the score St Pats 0-03 Mitchel’s 1-06.
It took St Pats all of 18 minutes to register their first point of the second half with a Joe Costello point, Kieran Hurley scored his first point of the hour three minutes later but the game was over as a contest at this stage. John Mitchel’s scored the final point of the game from a Sean Moloney free to leave the final score St Pats 0-05 John Mitchel’s 1-07
This was a dour game of football but this won’t bother John Mitchel’s as they collect the first piece of silverware of the year.
John Mitchel’s were deserving winners simply because they were fitter more organised and held their nerve. St Pats yielded very little in the first half and were very tight defensively, however a change of tactics for the second half proved fatal and allowed John Mitchel’s the space needed to take control of the game
Best for St Pats on the night were Jordan Conway, Tommy O’Connor, Michael O’Sullivan, Eoin Sayers and substitutes Joe Costello and Conor Moore
Man of the Match was Alan O’Donoughue John Mitchel’s
We wish Paudi Bailey a speedy recovery from a shoulder injury he picked up during the pre-match warm up
St Pats- J Fitzgerald,T O’Connor, P Mc Mahon, J Conway, L Poff, L O’Sullivan, A Byrne, M O’Sullivan, S Hayes, B Poff(0-01), E Sayers, K Hurley(0-01), B Savage(0-01), W Hurley(0-01), D Kerins Subs – J Costello(0-01) for E Sayers, C Rohan For D Kerins, C Moore for S Hayes, Sean Dowling for K Hurley, K Quirke for A Byrne, E Dillane for W Hurley
Feile 2015:
Our u 14s have entered the Feile competition after a lapse of many years. We have been drawn in the group involving An Gaeltacht, Ballymac and Listowel Emmets. Best of luck to all involved.
Sympathy:
The club would like to extend its sympathy to the families and friends of Danny Allman Listrim The Spa and formerly of Curraheen,Mary O Mahony Boherbee, Martin Enright The Bronx, New York and formerly of Derrymore East, Paddy Goggin Castlegregory and Timothy O Riordan Ballyrickard Close. May they rest in peace.
THE annual St Pat’s GAA Club Dingle Way Challenge will return this year and whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a first-timer looking for a challenge, it promises to be an unforgettable journey through the rugged beauty of the West Kerry peninsula.
ST Pats GAA Club in Blennerville will use the Club Lotto draw to raise funds this weekend to donate to UNICEF Humanitarian Aid appeal for Ukraine.
