Minor Hurlers reach Co.Final

16 October 2017

The Dunnamaggin Minor team contested the county semi-final against Gowran in a wet and windy Thomastown on Sunday morning last. Dunnamaggin played against the wind in the first half. Eddie Dunne scored in the opening minute but Gowran bounced back strongly with five points on the trot. Dunnamaggin were extremely competitive at this stage with Harry Walsh plucking balls out of the air as Gowran continue to press. Robbie McCauley pointed a free as we hit the halfway point to steady the ship. Then came a big break for Dunnamaggin when Harry Walsh took a clever free which eventually found Dylan Crehan who raced up the town side-line and lobby in a ball hoping for a point but it dipped suddenly to deceive the keeper and level the game. Robbie McCauley added a free to put Dunnamaggin in front but Gowran pointed from play to send the sides in level at half time. Now in the second half playing with the wind Dunnamaggin expected to let rip and although Gowran scored the opening point of the half with a free that is exactly what they did when they hit Gowran for 2:03 in 7 minutes. The first goal came from Robbie McCauley after a great ball in by Eddie Dunne. Conor Hoban immediately scored a point from play. Then Luke Fitzpatrick found himself in a great position to let fly on the ground to hit the net again. Robbie McCauley added 2 frees to further push out the lead Dunnamaggin 3:06 Gowran 0:07 with 10 minutes on the clock in the second half, a long way to go yet. Gowran got a point from a free which dipped and Harry Walsh had to be alert to tip over the post but straight away Darragh Fitzpatrick went for the point and it came off the posts and over. It all seemed to be going the Dunamaggin way. The effort and work-rate however continued despite the lead with Alex Moore, Ian Walsh and Jamie McLoughlin in mean form across the half back line no score was going to come easy for the Gowran lads, especially when Adam Fitzpatrick, Harry Walsh and Kieran Buckley were hovering up balls in the full back line. Both sides traded frees as we headed into the last 10 minutes and if possible the Dunnamaggin lads worked even harder with Darragh O'Keeffe and Dylan Crehan covering immense ground to help their team out wherever it was needed. Luke Fitzpatrick lobbed in a ball into Eddie Dunne who was continuing to cause havoc in the inside forward line and he managed to bag another goal and Harry Walsh had the final say with a well taken point. Dunnamaggin 4:09 Gowran 0:11. They now progress to the Co. Final Next weekend against Mullinavat.