White’s Cross 3 – 18 Belgooly 0 – 05
From Glanmire Area News July 2015
In Junior Hurling, a decision at the end of 2014 to re-grade down a division, has meant our hurlers are now competing in the Division 2A league. This decision has proven a winning one, with the team unbeaten in their opening five encounters against: Rathpeacon, St. Vincents, Douglas, Brian Dillons and St. Finbarrs. What this decision has also opened up is inclusion in the Junior B County Hurling Championship – unlike its equivalent A grade competition that sees only divisional championship winners competing – the B competition is an open draw competition for all first teams playing at the grade across the county. This would be the first time since the late 1990s that a White’s Cross junior hurling team participated in the county championship.
Thus there was a great sense of pride and intent evident amongst the squad of players who gathered in the dressing-room in Shanbally on May 16th, under the stewardship of John Barry (Manager), Dinny McCarthy (Coach), John O Sullivan and John O Connell (Selectors). Moreover these feelings were translated into a gigantic performance that saw our opponents Belgooly blown away in the opening 20 minutes. Three goals, a pair from Kevin Buckley and the other from Eoin Murnane, left our south east opponents deflated and ensured that White’s Cross were always in command and romped home on a 3-18 to 0-5 score-line.
White’s Cross 4 – 13 Laochra Og 0 – 08
From Glanmire Area News July 2015
As reported in the last set of monthly notes White’s Cross Junior Hurlers got their 2015 championship season off to the ideal start with an emphatic win in the opening round of the County Junior B Hurling Championship. Unbeaten to date in their seven league outings in the divisional league, the hurling games have been coming thick and fast the past month. Two weeks after defeating Belgooly, White’s Cross travelled to nearby Blarney for a tussle with mid Cork opponents, Laochra Óg in the next round of the county competiton. This relatively new hurling club is made up of four football clubs consisting of Macroom, Clondrohid, Cill na Martra and Baile Bhuirne. On the night a determined White’s Cross side had too much experience and strength for Laochra Óg and won out on a 4-13 to 0-8 scoreline. The highlight here was a hatrick of goals from full-forward Kevin Buckley.
White’s Cross 2 – 12 Na Piarsaigh 0 – 14
From Glanmire Area News July 2015
One week later and the hurlers were back in championship action once again, this time the Seandún divisional championship, and a joust with more familiar opponents, and certainly a more familiar venue – Na Piarsaigh in Ballinlough! This proved a most entertaining hour of hurling with Piarsaigh’s really stretching our defence in the first half, and with the benefit of the wind, had a six point lead at the interval. If it was Kevin Buckley was the hero a week before, it was his younger brother Conor that ignited the White’s Cross comeback in the city division’s headquarters, as he proved an absolute power-house in the second period. It was his booming effort that Kevin Fennessy guided to the back of the net early in the second half that helped claw-back the Piarsaigh lead very quickly. Indeed Fennessy’s performance is another worthy of mention in this encounter, showing great leadership when it mattered most. In the end White’s Cross marched on with a 2-12 to 0-14 winning margin, but they had to dig very deep to come up tops.