Club Notes: 28th August 2016

Club Lotto
Last week’s winning lotto numbers were 14-19-24-26, and there was no winner. €20 winners were Ina Goulding, Alan Long, Ann O’ Keeffe, Micheál Collins, and Frank Corcoran. Next week’s jackpot will be €16,800.

IHC, Shamrocks 1-20, Brickey Rangers 1-18.
After a wait of 15 weeks, Shamrocks hurlers finally played round two of the Western championship last Sunday in Lismore against the Brickeys. Joe Leahy opened our account with a fine point after just a few seconds, Brickeys replied with a point, and then were awarded the first of two penalties they were to receive in the match, from which they goaled. Colm Roche scored from the puckout, and then Stevie Lucey took the game by the scruff of the neck with a goal and a point in quick succession, and with Colm scoring from frees we were 1-4 to1-2 ahead. It was score for score for the rest of the half, with Colm scoring from frees and from play, and at half time, just a single point separated the teams, 1-11 to 1-10 in Shamrocks’ favour. The second half was similar to the first, with Colm scoring three of the first four scores of the second half to give us a three point lead, but then Brickeys took a hold on the game and turned it around with points from play and frees to lead by two points with time running out. But Colm, who had one of his best games ever in the Shamrock colours scored two points from play and one from a free to leave us with a slender one point lead. Referee Tom Mansfield then awarded Brickeys a very dubious penalty after the Brickey player clearly picked the ball off the ground with his hand. Despite his own umpires pointing out this fact to him, he wasn’t for turning, but justice was done when the penalty was saved by Shane Roche. The ball was cleared up the field where Stevie Lucey made a super catch and tapped over the bar to leave Shamrocks the winners by two points. By my reckoning, Colm Roche scored 17 points, nine from play, and eight from frees, and I think he was 100% from frees. That’s a serious shift from any player. However we can consider ourselves very lucky to have won this game, as we were outhurled for large stretches of the second half, and in truth we had quite a few players who were well below average. Only three players got on the scoresheet, and that won’t be good enough to threaten the western title. But a win is a win, and we can only improve. Also we had to line out without Eoin Murphy who was a serious loss to us. Panel; Ciarán O’ Keeffe, Padraig Roche, John O’ Donovan, Brian Harnedy, Cathal Herlihy, Shane Roche, Adam Crawford, Padraig Ahearne, John Paul Lucey, Joe Leahy (0-1), Colm Roche (0-17), Kelvyn O’ Farrell, Edward Hynes, Stephen Lucey (1-2), Edward Lonergan, Tomás O’ Neill, Sean Murphy, Tom O’ Donovan, Alan Kelly, Mike O’ Neill, Liam Murphy, Bernie Kelleher, Martin Delaney, Edward O’ Neill, Nat Smith.

Hurling Tournament
Shamrocks have been invited to play in the inaugural Michael “Bonzo” Tobin Hurling Tournament in Midleton next Saturday at 7.30pm. Bonzo passed away last December, and the esteem he is held in both the Shamrocks and in Midleton is evident with the playing of this tournament, which we are delighted to take part in. Come along for a great evening’s hurling in Midleton next Saturday.

Tony Forristal Cup.
Well done to young Padraig Hynes, Rhincrew, who played on the Waterford team in the Tony Forristal tournament last Saturday. Waterford beat Offaly, but lost narrowly to Wexford, and so were out. Cork were the winners of both that and the Sonny Walsh Cup, so looks like they are on the way back…..