Easter Sunday was a grand day.My car failed the test in Kells that morning and I mosied to Martry on the way home to see our third football team take on Drumbarragh at noon.The people of Bohermeen are great Gaels and the pitch was immaculate.
Dunderry Team.
Brendan Farrell
Russell Kellaghan Davy Stephens Stephen O Donnell
Kenny Patterson Eric Murray Owen Fagan
Eddie Maguire Joey Farrell
Damian Bruton Shane Mooney Conor Daly
Darragh Scannell Christopher Harrington Bugle
In a way the GAA is like the Catholic Church in that while you might stray away for a while you will eventually return to your true home.I had the pleasure to mentor as children and young men the two Farrells,Russell,Ownie, Bruts and Harrow .Even Bugle had tried to pass himself as a Camogie player at 16 years of age when I found him hiding amongst the other girls at the back of a bus when we were leaving Dunderry for an away game many moons ago. When rumbled he got off no problem.I have since figured that he was smuggled aboard by a certain player,who shall be nameless, he was trying to get off with .He has definitely proved since that he had no desire to be a closet female Camogie player .
Anyhow the aforementioned players,Bruts and Harrow excepted have tried their feet at the garrison game and it was great to see them back in the bosom of the Gaels.
I had skin in the game with Sprog at full back and Eddie at centre field.
Eddie and Bugle are similar physically and are the senior members of the team .Rumour has it that they the only place they will see 40 again is on a door.
Seriously they are great credit to themselves and are a bit like good wine ,improving with age.And a shining example to other players of the benefit of regular training.And abstemious habits.
We were playing their second team and were hoping to acquit ourselves well and not make a show of ourselves.And we are training as a team and under serious management and here for the long haul.
From the start we were under severe pressure.
Most of us don't do coward but it was clear that Sprog was a tad rusty,Russell and Ownie although brave needed more football,Eric definitely was off the pace,Darragh ,who has great potential ,needs an amount of football to get his eye in and Bugle hadn't yet brushed off the cobwebs.Farrell senior and Junior .Patterson ,Bruton ,Daly , Mooney and Harrow kept us ticking over while the excellent Maguire aided well by Joey put their fingers in the dyke to avoid an early whitewash.
But we settled somewhat after a while as Sprog ,Bugle and Bruts got more into their stride.My father used say in a different context that you can,t win.And I thought of this when Bruton was blown for a textbook perfect shoulder charge to the utter amazement of all the attendance and of myself in particular who had a bird's view of it as had the ref.
I am beginning to wonder whether there is a conspiracy to take the physicality out of football entirely and re brand it as a kind of basketball with foot passes allowed.
This sort of nonsense does have an adverse effect on the player wrongly penalised and is just not good enough.Will the player shoulder charge again and such bad decisions do no service to the game and its promotion.In fairness to the ref,he improved as the game progressed.
Any how ,by half time they led by 0-7 to 0-2,ours coming from Harrow from play and Bugle from a free.To be fair the score reflected their superiority.
We made a much better fist of it in the second half with Bomber in goals having a blinder,Sprog attacking to advantage ,Eddie playing like a man half his age,Joey winning impossible ball,Bruts ,Daly ,Scanno and a web free Bugle taking the game to the opposition.
We gave it diddy ,Bugle tacking on 4 points,Scanno 2 points and Bruts a single point.
Daly sprayed the ball around to advantage while all the backs did their damnest to stem the Dumbarragh flow and contained it to 1-4..
I would love to see Daly giving it a serious lash in training to see where it would lead.
Mooney had his moments too.
Mitchell,Casey,Cooke,Dowdall and Brennan made somewhat brief appearance's in the second half and made wholehearted and valuable contributions.
Were I in charge of the Intermediate team I would be inviting both Farrells,Sprog and Bruts to join the panel.
Eddie and Bugle too were father time on their side.
This team has a good spirit
I will watch them again.
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