Ruan 1:20 Newmarket 1:20 AET. Our U15 Hurlers have always been a group that show great grit and determination. Those qualities were dialled up to the absolute maximum in Ruan yesterday when they produced one of the best team displays by any Newmarket outfit this year. On paper, the task was daunting, knockout championship V a team that contained 5 starters from the Corofin/Ruan combo which recently won the 16A. These same five lads are also on the county development panel. Indeed so it proved as Ruan played some excellent hurling over the 80 plus minutes of this titanic battle.
Our lads were up for the challenge however and tore into this game like ravenous dogs. Making tackles, breaking tackles, you could not but be inspired by the bravery on display and the spectators responded, making this the noisiest, most intense game I’ve witnessed in a long while. As well as the blood and thunder however, Newmarket’s play was characterised by some fabulous interplay; looking up, short stick passes, flicks, reverse handpasses and bang it’s over the bar. It was all happening and all coming off. Our key players were shining brightly and every other player was contributing to the cause and beginning to realize just how good they can be. Personally I have watched these lads since their first U8 blitz and it was truly fantastic to see.
At halftime the sides were level at Ruan 0:11 to Newmarket 1:8. Approaching fulltime we trailed by a point but somehow conjured up the equalizer. Ruan 0:17 Newmarket 1:14. That meant extra time and it continued to be end to end stuff all the way to an enthralling finish. Once more we trailed by a point, it was injury time and the evening closing in. There was no way as a spectator that you could see the sliothar at the far end. Presumably our players still could. They worked it up the field patiently and slung it over. The final whistle blew and we walked off the field, bruised, battered but knowing something we had hoped but hadn’t known two hours earlier. Our guys are capable of amazing things.
Newmarket: Adam Enright; Darragh Jones, Dylan Crowe, Brian Morrissey; Daniel McDarby, Jamie Power, Aaron Moroney; Sol Frost (0:12(4f)), Mark Delaney; Lochlan Gregson (0:1), Seadhna Liddy, Brian Molloy (0:1); Jack Moloney (1:0), Michael Costello, Conor Meehan (0:5(2f)). Substitutes Lee Cregan (0:1), Josh Ryan, Robert Hanton, Declan Howard, Eamonn Cavanagh, Seamus Quinn, Conor Crowe