It rained a lot last Friday the day of the match.I thought that it might not go ahead.But the Athboy pitch held up well and the match did take place.I thought it unfair that we were expected to play such a vital match the day after three of our starting fifteen had played minor for Meath against Kildare (and won).And Davy Mac has still not recovered from the knavish and sly punch suffered against Kilmainham in the recent A League Football match and was a big loss from our full back line.As it transpired Bruts did the business in his place.A good substitute.
We lined out thus.
Doc
Sprog Finn (C) Bruts
Demps Minor O Shea Minogue
Bomber Lukie
Demps Major Wright Gilkie
Alex Ted Johnnie (Moran)
A fair team on paper and well placed I thought.And we had good subs too,a throw back to the years of yore.And three players who are good were beside me in support in the crowd Ivo,Ownie and Red.
And we would need to be good to best Kilskyre.They are tough ,skilfull ,boisterous and fiercely competitive.But we are no daws either and NEVER shite on the traces in hurling.
Game on so.
We regisrtered a point in the first minute and the body language was good.Then Bruts hit the perfect shoulder and gained possession but was totally in the wrong blown up by the referee.Really these guys would want to up their referring game and apply the rules properly.Kilskyre scored the handy point presented to them.All told I counted4 points scored by Kilskyre from frees that were not frees at all in the first half and the usually placid Dunderry support were incensed by some of the decisions.
Maybe he umpires and linesmen spoke frankly with the referee at half time because he definitely upped his game in the second half and consistently applied the same criteria to both sides.
Then Johnnie Moran persisted in following a hopeless looking ball all the way to the net as it was fumbled by Kilskyre.A nice bonus.
Kilskyre reeled off 4 points on the trot to cancel out the goal and we replied with the next three to regain our lead.They went into the ascendancy again and scored 4 minors to our trow to leave the half time score 1-6 to us against 0-9 to the men from North Meath.
Doc is growing nicely into the goalkeeper role and was having a blinder.The full back line is that mean that they owe money to themselves and they repelled with relish the physical challenges thrown at them by a game Kilskyre unit.
They tried Finn in the shoulder department but he repelled all attempted boarders to the great delight of the Dundery support and rallied his team time and time again.Bruts and Sprog likewise.
Demps minor was showing no aftereffects from the Minor match and was the pick of the half backs in the first half/
Bomber and Lukie are fine athlete's but had their hands full with a kilskyre who had Peadar Byrne prowling with intent.
Gilkie missed one handy and maybe another but regained his focus and was in the main impeccable from placed balls.He will know that at this level EVE Ry free is vital and will work on this .Demps major and Brendan were under pressure,made more acute by persistent instructions from the sideline.
Ted was in his element and roaming far afield but Alex and Johnnie were not getting enough ball to make an impression
This was a tough ,hard and uncompromising game and extremely physical.Oer all they were more accurate than us in the first half and If eared for our guys in the second half.
O me of little faith.Johnny awoke from his temporary slumber and notched the first two points of the second half.Scores were hard to come by and the inaccuracy we were guilty of in the first half now afflicted kilskyre.
Liam Dempsey had switched to advantage to midfield and Lukie went into the half forward line.Liamie won all the puck outs directed to him.Lukie has skill aplenty but played sporadically,maybe a little tired from the previous days match.
Gilkie continued where he left off in the first half and Jordan Martin replaced Alex .who was unlucky to be hauled ashore.
With ten minutes to go we were three points up and,as I suspected it would,the Kilskyre onslaught did materialise.The last ten minutes was sailboarding stuff as they clawed back two points (one of which should have been a goal),but our duck's arse of a full line and goalkeeper manned the dyke to perfection.
We held out to win by 1-11 to 0-13.Johnnie scored 1-2,Gilky 0-7 I think,Demps minor 0-1 I think.and Lukie 0-1 .But I could be wrong.
Great manly display by two fine teams.No place for ladies.
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