Our junior footballers commenced the defence of their championship crown, in an encounter with St. Finbarrs, in what was billed as tie of the round. Football has been on the up in the Togher club in recent years and underage successes are beginning to show dividends in the adult levels. Meantime White’s Cross are short a number of their 08 winning side, due to emigration and work commitments, including Conor Buckley, John Meade and Victor O Sullivan. To compound matters in the immediate lead up to the game, Conor Kelleher, Brian Murphy and captain Paddy O Brien each had to bow out due to injuries.
Nonetheless White’s Cross got off to a dream start and raced into a 1-4 to no score lead after 10 minutes, the goal coming from stand-in captain Donnacha Murnane, who had attacked from his wing-back position to capitalise on a Barrs defensive error. However the Barrs slowly broke the strangle-hold of Denis O Regan and Murt Kelleher in the midfield area and by half-time had brought the deficit back to three. In the second thirty, the boys in blue chipped away at the White’s Cross lead, and had drawn level with four minutes remaining. However Edwin Buckley stopped the rot with an excellently well worked move, and a match winning score, on a 1-8 to 0-10 margin.