The senior hurling panel started this year’s campaign with a convincing win against a Drimnagh Castle side. A panel of 25 players ranging from veteran hurlers to hurling rookies captained by Eoin Gleeson travelled to Drimnagh. After loosing in the first round of the competition last year, this fresh team had every intention of redeeming themselves this year. The game started and almost immediately the ball was sent up into the big full forward Eoin Gleeson who smashed into the back of the net. As the first half continued, points from Paul Lynch, Michael Meehan, Ben Watson and Eoin gleeson along side another goal from Eoin, and three goals between our midfield partnership of Ben Watson (1) and young Michael Meehan (2). After a strong defensive display led by fullback Conor ‘Big Mac and Chips’ McPartlin saw Drimnagh’s only point of the game come from an avoidable free, which was put over the bar by the Drimnagh wing forward, saw the first half end at 0-1 to 5-5.
At half time, Mr Keogh expressed his disappointment with the score insisting that we would learn nothing from scoring goals against a young, inexperienced Drimnagh Goalkeeper and asked in the second half that we take our points instead of going for goals.
The second half begun and ofcourse like 95% of secondary school students in Ireland, we did not listen to our teachers instructions and the first ball was sent high and long into the forward line and was won by Conor Wilson, who sent the sliotar across the Goal for an easy finish by Seán Skelly. This goal was closely followed by another goal from Cillian Teeling who tackled his own teammate to win the ball and put it past the keeper. Despite making 10 substitutions, Hartstown’s dominance continued with a man of the match display from Michael Meehan in the second half saw the score ticking over along with points from many players from different positions across the field. Our last goal of the game of the game came from Lee McEntee, who pulled on the sliotar on the ground into the back of the net then showed his soccer skills with a knee slide celebration. Late in the game after all 10 of our substitutes had been put on drimnagh started to get on the ball more and looked threatening a times but their only other goal of the game came from a world-class finish from their full forward, who took the sliotar at his feet, took a fake shot on his left foot which sent our goalkeeper, Adam O’Connor, diving to his right hand side, then the number 14 brought the sliotar to his right foot which he used to lob the ball over Adam into the back of the net. Shortly after the referee blew the full time whistle bringing an end to an all-round solid team display from the team with a score line of 8-? to 1-1.
Conor Wilson
