Our Junior football panel got back onto the playing field last Sunday morning when they faced a strong Glenville side in a challenge game played at the Glenville club grounds. As the result shows, things did not go our way on the day. Nonetheless it was still a very useful work out with 23 players getting some game action. Among them, there were four young lads; graduates from last year’s under 17 team, that made their debuts at this level. One of them , Luke Kelleher, scored a fine point from play after 11 minutes. It was very good finish and came after the same player had won back possession from the homeside before kicking over for his first ever score at this level. It was also his side’s first score of the game. Glenville had already amassed an unassailable 1-04 by this point.
Conor Buckley had a goal chance to bring White’s Cross back into the game but this effort was saved by the homekeeper. Dylan Burke kicked White’s Cross next point of the game in the 18th minute but this effort was sandwiched by two Glenville points in as many minutes leaving the score reading 1-06 to 0-02 after 20 minutes. Glenville could have stretched their lead even further had it not been for a super save from Ruairi Teehan who has kept up his good form from last year.
Another big positive for White’s Cross on the day was the availability of Max Philpott who missed all of last year’s football games due to injury. He showed very well in this game and was a very useful outlet for kickouts and had a couple of marks to his name in the opening 20 minutes. He got his team’s second point of the day from play after 22 minutes. This followed a turnover by center back Ethan Ryan. Ryan was another of last year’s under 17s making his debut at adult level. His performance belied his years however as he showed great maturity for his age and looked as if had been playing for years.
Glenville added the final two points of the half; one from play and one from a free on the stroke of half time as they punished White’s Cross for the concession of a soft free in front of the goals. The score at the interval was 1-08 to 0-03.
The home team kicked the first point of the second half before the aforementioned Max Philpott added two points from play in succession in the 5th and 6th minutes. This was the only time in the game that White’s Cross kicked back-to-back points. A whole host of substitutions started to come on at this point. Sean O’Donnell saw plenty of action at corner back while Fionnan Quinlan was lively at wing forward. Luke Murphy and Adam Kent were also two players coming up from underage to make their debut. Both were very comfortable in possession and game time as the season goes on will bring them and all the players along.
The remaining scores of the game from our perspective was a second from Dylan Burke from play and Conor Buckley kicked his only point of the game and his sides only point from a free with 4 minutes remain. White’s Cross also conceded another free close to goal that was converted by the home side who also added a 45 and two further points from play to complete the scoring on the day.
Team: Ruairi Teehan, Gearoid Flemming, Bryan O’Sullivan, Sean O’Gorman, Martin Reid, Ethan Ryan, Killian Ryan, Barry Prendergast, Seamus Quinlan, Max Philpott, Kevin Buckley, Luke Kelleher, Dylan Burke, Conor Buckley, Shane Cahill. Subs Used: Richie Sherlock, Adam Kent, Luke Murphy, Sean O’Donnell, Fergal Reid, Fionnan Quinlan