BRIDE ROVERS GAA NOTES.

‘TWO OUTTA THREE AINT BAD’  It was Michael Lee Aday -better known as Meatloaf, the American singer and actor, that had a huge hit back in 1977 with the classic song ‘Two Outta Three Aint bad’ and it sums up last weekends hurling championship action for the Club. Our Junior A grade and Senior A teams were both in quarter final action and our C Grade hurlers were in their semi final.  Well we ended up with two wins out of three starts -not too bad as we head for late September. Our Minor Footballers were pipped by Cobh by a point in their Final. We played a host of under age game with great wins for one of our under 13 teams and the under 16 footballers. On Tuesday of last week the Lotto Jackpot  of €16,200 was not won. This coming weekend we play Junior B Football championship v Ballinacurra and the Minor Hurling Final  against Killeagh.

 

EAST CORK JUNIOR A GRADE HURLING. Our Junior A Hurlers made the short trip to Glenville on Friday night to take on Sars in the Quarter final of the East Cork championship. The pitch was in wonderful condition despite all the rain and held up well for what became a hugely entertaining match.

We started this game in whirlwind fashion and opened a 6 point to nil lead within the first 5 minutes with a spread of 5 different scorers getting in on the action. Sars came more into the game and got their opening point in the 10th minute and when they got the first goal of the game in the 12th minute a lot of our hard work had been undone, and our shooting began to let us down. Adam Hayes got his third score and Ryan O Callaghan and Daniel Dooley both got points so we had reopened a 4 point lead, 9 points to 1-2 at the 20th minute mark.

Sars had the better of the last 10 minutes of the first half and out-scored us 6 points to 2 to leave the side level at the break, Adam Hayes and Cormac Barry got our late first-half scores.

The second half was a fiercely competitive and exciting contest with both teams going score for score for most of the half. Scores from Daniel, Adam, and 2 from Cormac were keeping us in the game and had the sides level 15 points to 1-12 in the 45th minute. Two points from Sars, were responded to a run of 3 points in a row from Cormac which had us in a one point lead in the 55th minute which was the first time we led in the second half.

Sars drew level again and Daniel responded with another point to restore our lead, but it looked like disaster had struck when Sars got their second goal in the 60th minute to take a two-point lead, 2-15 to 19 points. The lads never gave up, and we went on the attack and sub  Cian O Connor burst through the Sars defence and finished to the back of the net to give us the lead again. There was still time for one more attack and Sars went down the other end to get an equalising point from a 65 to send the game to extra time with normal time finishing 1-19 to 2-16.

Extra time was just as intense as the opening hour. Sars seem to have more in the legs than us and were making more opportunities. Our backs were defending heroically but Sars opened a 3 point lead in the opening period out scoring us 4 points to 1 with Cillian getting our only score of the half.

Cormac got two points for us at the start of the second period of Extra Time but both scores were cancelled out by Sars. Things were looking bleak, but the lads never gave up and when Cian won another ball in the square, he beat his man, got his second goal and the sides were level again 2-22 apiece with two minutes left. Cormac got two more scores to take his tally to  11 and this was enough to see us out winners on a score line of 2-24 to 2-22 after a brilliant match sportingly contested by both teams.

We now have a 2-week break before we play St Itas in our Semi final on the first weekend on October. This game has been fixed for Friday week October 3rd but this must be ratified and a venue announced.

Team & Scorers: R O’Riordan, E O’Connor, O Roche, T O’Sullivan, R Prendergast, L Collins, A Hynes (0-1), Cormac Barry (0-11), C O’Sullivan (0-1), Cillian Barry, E Cashman (0-1), R O’Callaghan (0-1), A Hayes (0-5), D Dooley (0-3), J Mannix (0-1) Subs: C O’Connor (2-0) S Ahern.

SCRAP,SCRAP, SCRAP.

Yes the Oskars are over but we still value your scrap metal. Anything from cutlery to a combine is acceptable and appreciated. We will be having a collection in the coming days -full details from 087 9538077.

 

CORK SENIOR A HURLING QUARTER FINAL.

We had a half five throw-in in Pairc Ui Rinn on Saturday evening for the County Quarter Final against Inniscarra.  Inniscarra had won two and lost one-to Castlelyons in their Round Robin Group. They had the opening point from a free before we settled down.  Soon the points began to come as all over the field we got on top. Adam, Davy, Ronan, Paddy,  Cian, Conleith and Kieran all raised white flags. By the 20th minute we were  0 11 to 0 3 ahead.  Our backs were solid and in the middle of the park Cormac and Kieran were working hard.  Cormac flighted a lovely ball into Adam in the 21st minute, turn, wham and the green flag was waving. We were 1 11 to 3 points ahead and cruising. The last ten minutes however Inniscarra outscored us by 4 points to 2 to leave us nine ahead at the short whistle;  1 13 to 0 7.    We seemed well in control and could possibly have been further in front. Still a nine point lead looked good.  Things changed quickly on the resumption. A first minute goal followed by a string of points – 5 in a row, meant our lead was down to a mere two points. We got back a three point lead twice but only for a brilliant hook by Shane O Connor on  Padraig Holland we could have been in right trouble. We steadied the ship in the last ten minutes. Following great hurling from Conleith Brian Roche scored a great goal with twelve minutes left to make it 2 17 to 1 14.  We added a further  six points including one each from subs Conor and Louie. A winning margin of  eight points, 2 23 to 1 18 was the final tally.  Well done lads, it was a bit shaky at the start of the second half but ye pulled through to reach our fifth semi final I a row.    TEAM; C Hogan; J Peters, E Roche, D Cashman; C Hazelwood, C Tobin, S O’Connor; K Kearney, C O’Sullivan; C Ryan, B Roche, P O’Flynn; D Barry, A Walsh, R O’Connor.

Subs J Mannix for Kearney (48); L Roche for O’Connell (55); C Barry for O’Flynn (56); J Ahern for C O’Sullivan (59). Scorers; A Walsh (1-9, 0-8 frees); B Roche (1-2); D Barry (0-3); C Ryan, K Kearney, R O’Connell (0-2 each); C Hogan (free), C Barry, L Roche (0-1 each).  A great win but much to do if we are to beat red hot Carrigtwohill in the semi final. Our semi is on in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday week October 4th at 5.45 with the second semi, Blarney v Castlelyons at 7pm.

COUNTY BOARD HURLING FIXTURES.

 

LOTTO; Weekly Club Lotto Result: 16th of September -

Numbers drawn were 17, 18, 19 & 24 - No Winner
Congrats to our lucky dip €30 cash winners Paula Murphy, St Brigids Terrace, Arnold Grandchildren, Bartlemy, Gemma Johnson, Ballyreidy
 Colm McCarthy, Rathcormac,  Fionn Lynch, Monanig
This week's jackpot on Tuesday Sept 24th was an incredible €16,400.
If your ticket has expired, we would appreciate it if you would enter again via
https://brideroversgaa.clubforce.com/products/lotto/bride-rovers-gaa Thank you again for your support.

FIXTURES JBFC v Ballinacurra in Cobh on Sunday Sept 28th at 12 noon, Minor Hurling Final v Kleeagh in Lisgoold at 4 o clock on same day.

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EAST CORK JUNIOR C HURLING SEMI FINAL.We returned to Glenville on Sunday morning after the excitement of Junior A win on Friday night hoping our Junior C Hurlers could repeat the result against Carrignavar in the Semi Final of the East Cork championship.  There was a gale force wind blowing up the pitch towards the road end and Carrignavar won the toss and chose to play with it.

They started brightly and nearly straight from the throw-in they had rounded our defence and were in for an opening goal of the game. They followed this almost immediately with a point to take a four point lead. The lads didn’t panic and in our first attack Michael won a high ball and turned the full back and finished to the back of the net. Carrig were reduced to 14 men for an off the ball incident and when Frank put over the resulting free the sides were level 1-1 each.

Carrig got the next three points but when Darragh got our second goal in the 15th minute the sides were level again 2-1 to 1-4. Our defence were under constant pressure with long balls being delivered in with the aid of the wind but they were restricting Carrig to the odd point. Luke and Frank added two more points for us and when just before half time Michael got dragged down in the square Frank had a penalty which despite a great save from the Carrig keeper the ball managed to creep over the line, Carrig responded with a point and the sides went in at half time level 3-3 to 1-9.

Turning to play with the strong wind and having the man extra the lads were confident at half-time but Carrig were fitting for every ball like their lives depended on it. The sides went point for point for the first 15 minutes of the second half with both free takers being accurate from every chance they got and with 15 minutes remaining we were leading by a point 3-8 to 1-13.

Carrig broke threw our defence and after a great run by their full forward they had their second goal of the game, and all the momentum seemed to be with them. The lads never gave up but Carrig were finding a way to get scores a little easier than we were and ran out winners in the end on a score line of 2-16 to 3-9. Best of luck to Carrignavar and Lisgoold in the final.

This ended our Junior Cs season on a disappointing note as we probably didn’t give our best performance of the year, but great credit must go to this bunch who have provided some brilliant entertainment and results for the club throughout the season. During both East Cork League and Championship they have been a joy to watch -well done lads.

Team & Scorers: S O’Flynn, C O’Dowd ©, B Collins, J Kearney, J O’Sullivan, J Mannix, N Kelleher, L Harrington(0-1), B Knox, F O’Flynn (1-6), D O’Sullivan (1-0), C Swalbe-O’Sullivan, J Powell, L Forde, M Collins (1-1) Subs: K Obi, C O’Callaghan (0-1), J Tobin, G Gubbins, S Boyce, Jamie Buckley, John Buckley, D Kelleher, C Howard.

 

 PLAY IN BARTLEMY. On Friday October 17th the KIlmeen Dramatic Society will stage their play ‘The Weir’ in Bartlemy Hall at 8pm. Tickets (including refreshments) are just €15. To book for this great night phone 0087 9538077.

 

SPONSORS. The Bride Rovers GAA Club sponsors are Fermoy  Print & Design, Rathcormac Tyres, Gerard Gubbins Construction and Veoila -please support our sponsors whenever you can.

BRIDE ROVERS JUVENILE NOTES.

It might be the end of September but it’s a really busy time on all fronts. Someone said that between hurling, football, ladies football and camogie we had a total of twelve games last weekend.  With everyone back to School now Sciath na Scoil and Colleges games are also coming down the line -isn’t it mighty!

 

UNDER 13’s BUSY. It was a week  of mixed fortunes for the U13s with a very hectic schedule and some injuries which led to managing a lot of player game time rather than playing our strongest teams.

 

On a windy Wednesday night, this semi-final of the league got away from Rovers very early with Bandon getting 4 early goals, 5 overall in the first half. The loss of some key players along with some injuries didn't help but Bandon were also excellent on the night. Despite being 15 points down at half-time, the lads ran themselves into the ground in the second half. Noah Collins and Conor Healy got goals but it was damage limitation in the end with some players coming off to prevent further injuries for the games ahead.

 

The lads were disappointed with this game and never really got going in this one, with Colmcilles going 1-3 to 0-0 up before Theo Byrd added two points from frees. Rovers were under pressure for most of the half but were working well to keep Colmcilles out, with only 5 points between the teams on 28 minutes. However, in the 2 mins before half-time, Colmcilles got 1-2 to make it a 10 point lead which we never recovered from. As we chased the game, we got punished on the counter attack which made the scoreboard look much worse than the game looked. Congratulations to St. Colmcilles who were the better team on the day.

 

The Under-13s played out the Division 2 League Final in Páirc na Bríde last Sunday, producing a superb display of skill, teamwork, and determination from start to finish.

Rovers got off to the perfect start when Alex McCarthy, playing through injury, fired over a point inside the opening minute to give his side the lead – a lead they would never relinquish. Alex, despite being clearly hampered, showed incredible grit and flair. On six minutes, he weaved past his marker and drove the ball to the net, sending the Rovers crowd into early celebrations. Youghal registered their first score from a free on seven minutes and followed with another on nine, but Rovers were already motoring. At centre-forward, Adam Hackett was causing endless problems and on 12 minutes produced a moment of magic – gliding past three defenders before blasting a stunning shot into the top corner from the 20-metre line.

Momentum firmly stayed with Rovers. Alex clipped another point on 13 minutes, while Adam added two frees (15 and 16 minutes) as the lead stretched further. Alex again raised the white flag on 19 minutes with a tidy finish from a tight angle.

As the first half wore on, Rovers really began to turn the screw. On 21 minutes, Patrick O’Regan was alert at the back post to steer home a well-taken goal. Just minutes later, he added his second, reacting quickest after Liam Harrington’s shot was saved by the keeper and forced the ball over the line.

Youghal struck back just before the break, their midfielder firing in a much-needed goal. But by half-time, the scoreboard told the story of Rovers’ dominance:

The second half continued in the same vein, with Rovers showing incredible determination and relentless work rate that denied the opposition any real foothold in the game. Two minutes after the restart, Adam Hackett fired over another fine point from play. To their credit, the opposition began to enjoy more possession, but the Rovers’ tackling and pressure ensured they never truly threatened.

 

On 15 minutes, Adam again split the posts with a well-taken score, before Youghal finally registered their first point from play. Almost immediately, Rovers replied in style: Thomas Hagerty surged out of defence on a powerful solo run, drove at the heart of their attack, and struck his own point from play to cap a brilliant individual moment.

 

Youghal added a goal but J
ack Fitzgerald added a point from a free before Adam Hackett, who finished with an outstanding 1-5 from play, added his final point on 17 minutes – which also proved to be the last score of the contest. From there, Rovers controlled the game right to the final whistle, their collective effort snuffing out any chance of a late revival.

 

This was a superb team performance where every player on the pitch won his individual battle and worked to the maximum. On this occasion, there was no “Man of the Match” – instead, it was a “Team of the Match.” All 19 players who took to the field not only competed ferociously but also played with courage and skill to deliver a memorable victory and secure the Division 2 League Title.

MINOR FOOTBALL EAST REGION FINAL. We have had a very good year in Minor Football reaching the Football League Final earlier and on Sunday 21st we were in the Minor Football East Cork Championship Final v Cobh.
The match threw in at 1pm in Caherlag on a dry but breezy day. We were hampered with injuries to 4 of our starting players including Captain Conor O Riordan, however we had a panel of players and that gave opportunities to others to start and play in a Championship Final.
Cobh won the toss and played with the breeze, it was a really good competitive game with both sides scoring 2 goals each in the first half, one of ours was scored by Finn from the penalty spot and the second goal was scored by Denis just before the short whistle on a half time score or Rovers 2-2 to Cobh 2-4.
We felt we were playing well and as always in the game, into the second half we had it level after 5 minutes and took the lead a few minutes later. Cobh got a run on us and finished with a goal and scored their 4th goal five minutes later. We threatened a few times but didn't convert to goals, but the lads kept topping up the points from play & frees.
We were struggling in a few positions and were tiring for energy, However as always they kept playing and had it down to a point at the start of injury time, the lads as always gave it their all and tried for that 3rd goal or the equalizer point but time caught up and lost the game by the narrowest of margins of 1 point.
They are a fantastic bunch of young men and management thanked them for their commitment all through the last 2 years and wish them all the best for the Minor Hurling Championship Final next Sunday.
Team & Panel; David O Connell Jamie Walsh Denis Fitzgerald Ronan Barry Adam Cronin Cathal Barry Gearoid O Connell Cormac Barry Finn O Driscoll Matty Kenny Sean Dowling
Conor O Riordan (Captain) Jack Mannix Rudi Gharib Michael Walshe Jack Lynch Oliver Harris
Shane O Dowd Garry Quirke Mark Hynes Con Mc Cormack Darragh Farrell Eanna Lyons James Larkin Shane Prendergast Darragh Delaney Adam Kelleher Jack Hynes. The Minor Hurling Final on next Sunday is against Killeagh. In the Round Robin series our only defeat was to Killeagh. Next Sunday’s Final in Lisgoold at 4 o clock is a chance to reverse the earlier defeat. Our big worry is the injuries to a few players in the run up to this fame. Go for it lads.

UNDEER 16 hurling. Our Under16 D4 hurlers had a great success in their hurling championship with a tight victory against St. Finbarrs. Played in great conditions in Pynes on Saturday last we started well to lead by 2 points to 1 after 6 minutes with Nathan scoring both. The Barrs then scored a goal against the run of play but credit to the lads who kept the scoreboard ticking over with pints from Darragh, Fionn, Darragh again, Cormac and Dylan with the final strike to leave the half time score 1-3 to 7. The Barrs had the opening 2 points of the second half before a scoring blitz from the 44th minute to the 48th saw us scoring 1-3...Fionn with 1-2 and Darragh with a point. The Barrs again had a purple patch with 4 points but a final point from Fionn saw us hold on.

This was a great performance from the lads with a defence holding very strong and forwards showing great skill. Zach pulled off some great saves keeping us in the game with Danny as captain holding a full back line of Jack and Alex together. Euan was outstanding centre back (against his moms former club!!) with Dazzler running quicker than his big brother later that day!! Cormac at wing back had a great point and struck great ball into the forwards. Sam and Evan were outstanding at midfield with Fionn, Sean and Dylan industrious in the half forward line. Ethan, Darragh and Nathan showed great tenacity in the full forward line with some great scores throughout. Daniel G and Daniel D came on to add legs with Support from Luke, Sean and Paddy. Cathal and Evan were carrying injuries but supported on the line.