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Eastern Harps 3-19 v 1-09 Tubbercurry/Cloonacool

Eastern Harps captured the U14B1 Championship when defeating Tubbercurry/Cloonacool, played in Ballinalack Community Park Bunninadden, on Thursday evening Sept 8th.  Harps played with a two man full forward line of Matt Henry and Dylan Walsh and they destroyed the Tubber/Cloonacool rearguard by scoring an astonishing 3-14 between them.

The first half was a cagey affair and the winners led by 4 points at half time on a score line of 2-07 to 1-06. In that half the losers had their fair share of chances but saw a goal bound effort from Conor Matthews come back off the crossbar which was gratefully gathered by Matthew Tansey who averted the danger.  They also had an effort by David Burke cleared off the line by a vigilant Caelan Hunt.  But the best chance of all produced a brilliant fingertip save by Jamie Mc Coy, the Harps net minder, from an effort from the excellent Sean Kerrigan.  Harps had their goal chances too and Kacper Bednarski in the Tubbercurry/Cloonacool goal had to be at his best to punch an effort from Michael Kielty McMenamy over the crossbar.

On the resumption of the second half the industrious Finn Bruen immediately pointed and then Harps got their third goal to give Tubbercurry/Cloonacool a mountain to climb.  They fought back valiantly but it was as if Diarmuid Higgins and James Kiernan had erected a 'No Entry' sign in the Harps backline as all the losers had to show for their second half efforts was a miserly 3 points. The wing backs of Robin Richardson and Darragh Cogan initiated numerous attacks which led to scores for Harps.
 
The Harps team possessed a high level of skill throughout with a notable feature of this well drilled team being the ability to kick pass accurately with either foot.  Padraig Taheny had a great game at wing forward and along with Cormac Kielty provided a lot of the ammunition for the deadly duo in the inside line.  Cormac Kielty rounded off the scoring in the last minute when he pointed from play after receiving a pass from Eoghan O'Gara who came on in the closing minutes, having missed the earlier part of the year through injury.

Tubbercurry/Cloonacool, who beat the same opposition at the same venue last year to win Feile which ultimately saw them representing their club and county at the National Feile Final in Kerry earlier this year, can have no complaints about being beaten by a better team on this occasion.  Sean Kerrigan tried his best to stem the tide in the second half and he was well supported by Liam Carty, Conor Mathews and Jamie Burke.
 
A notable feature of this game was the willingness of the referee Gus Chapman to tell these young players what they were doing wrong when they conceded frees.  It led to a very enjoyable game of football.

Afterwards the Secretary of Coiste Na nÓg, Sean Scott, ironically an Eastern Harps man, presented the cup to the Harps captain Diarmuid Higgins who, despite his young age, gave an accomplished acceptance speech.

Eastern Harps: Jamie Mc Coy, Matthew Tansey, James Kiernan, Daragh Cogan, Diarmuid Higgins, Robin Richardson, Caelan Hunt, Michael Kielty McManemy, Padraig Taheny, Cormac Kielty, Finn Bruen, Matt Henry, Dylan Walsh, Eoghan O'Gara, Donal Mitchell, Sean Higgins, Sean Conheady.

Tubbercurry/Cloonacool: Kacper Bednarski, Jimmy Mc Donagh, Adam O'Donnell, James Kim, Sean Kerrigan, Eoin O'Donnell, Eoin Carty, David Burke, Colin Brennan, Conor Matthews, Joshua Flynn, Liam Carty, Jamie Burke.