The junior A football team are also out of the championship having exited to Passage in a game played in Ballinlough on Tuesday 18th of August. There can be no complaints about this result as the best team on the night won. What is particularly disappointing from a White’s Cross perspective is that, despite only really starting to play the football that the team is capable of playing in the last 10 minutes, we could have snatched something from the game. The opening quarter of this game was free-flowing and high scoring. Passage full forward Niall McCarthy (son of form Cork dual player Teddy) scored immediately from the throw in after he ‘marked’ in the small square. This lead was double shortly afterwards as White’s Cross struggled to get the ball out of their defence. Conor Buckley brought some composure as he got our first score with a point from a free. The next 10 minutes was a very even contest as both sides swapped two scores each with Sean Kelly and Conor Buckley accounting for White’s Cross’ points; both from play. The score at the water break was 0-04 to 0-03.

It seemed only one team came back out after the water break. From this point to the water break in the second half saw Passage completely dominate the game. This was reflected on the scoreboard as in this 30 minute period they scored 1-07 to White’s Cross 0-02. The goal from James Kind, though well taken, saw White’s Cross defenders not tuned in to a short, quick free. A simple error that would prove costly. With the damage done and trailing 1-11 to 0-05 with ten minutes remaining, White’s Cross started to take the game to Passage. Breandán Murnane scored from play in the 25th minute, Conor Buckley added two frees and then Seán Kelly added a goal and all of a sudden there was only a goal in it and now we are in total ascendency and pushing hard for an equaliser against a rattled Passage side. This did not come, alas, and we are

now out of the championship. The team had trained extremely well and played some very good football in the challenge games up to that point. Unfortunately, they were not able to translate that on to the field of play on championship day. The side does feel like they are improving and hopefully the management team of Diarmuid McDonnell (coach), Michael Coleman, Glenn Arrigan and Seán Murnane stay on for another year.

Team. Ronan Aherne, Cormac Dervin, Robert McElhinney, Eoin Whooley, Donncha Murnane, Kevin Buckley, Fiachra O’Connell, Murt Kelleher, Barry Prendergast, Killian Ryan, Conor Buckley (0-05 – 4 frees), Colin Sisk, Dylan Burke (0-01), Sean Kelly (1-01), Billy O’Hara. Subs: Breandan Murnane (0-01) for Billy O’Hara