30 Aug 2020

Minor ‘D’ Hurling Championship Semi-Final – Castleknock ‘C’ 1-12 Cuala ‘B’ 7-19

Forget about the scoreline because it simply doesn’t do justice to Castleknock’s efforts in this Minor ‘D’ Hurling Championship Semi-Final against physically dominant Cuala in Somerton this morning (Aug.30).

Ninety seconds after the interval when Alex Conroy won the ball out on the right and sent over a fine score Castleknock trailed by just 6 points and with the wind at their backs there was still everything to play for.

However no sooner had that white flag been waved than Cuala broke up field to score two goals in the space of sixty seconds and effectively end the game as a serious contest.

In spite of an early Oisin Dillon point from play Cuala quickly hit their stride and by the first Water-Break lead by 1-7 0-1. In contrast, the second quarter produced Castleknock’s best spell.

With wing-back Adam Quinlan sweeping up a lot of loose possession midfielder Kieran Mullen pointed two 65’s before Alex Conroy fired over on the run and when the same player ended the home team’s purple patch with a well taken goal on 22 minutes there was only 5 points between the sides Castleknock 1-4 Cuala 1-9.

Things could have got even better had not Harry Melia’s ‘sizzling’ shot gone under rather than just over the Cuala crossbar but even so trailing by 1-5 1-11 at half-time, there was still some hope for Castleknock.

Those quick-fire Cuala goals ended all that however. Kieran Mullen did hit four points in-a-row, added to by another from substitute Jake Lyons who battled well after coming on and the final say was left to centre-half-forward Michael Heveran who pointed from a difficult angle.

It was a huge achievement for this team, fielding 4 of the U-16 side who were in successful Championship action only yesterday, to go so far in the Championship and everyone of them can be proud of having reached this stage of the competition against all the odds.

Castleknock: Enda Slevin; Tyrone Kelly; Aidan Duffy; Killian Buckley; David Powell; Matthew Byrne; Adam Quinlan; Oisin Dillon (0-1); Kieran Mullen (0-6); Joshua Guinane; Michael Heveran (0-1); Keith Murray; Harry Melia (0-1); P.J. Campbell; Alex Conroy (1-2). Subs; Jake Lyons (0-1); Sean Quinlan; Adam Diffney; (Tom Lally).

Manager: Kevin McCambridge.

Minor ‘A’ Hurling Championship Quarter-Final – Castleknock 1-13 Naomh Barrog 1-12 (1 point win)

Minor ‘C’ Hurling Championship Quarter-Final – Castleknock 2-9 St. Peregrines 1-11 (1 point win)

Close calls in both away matches and congratulations to everyone involved on reaching their respective Championship Semi-Finals.

Castleknock Abú