C’ship joy for Davis’ U16 footballers
THOMAS Davis were crowned Under 16 ‘B’ football champions after they got the better of Beann Eadir 2-9 to 0-12 on Saturday afternoon.
A dramatic late equaliser and then a winning goal in the closing minutes saw the Kiltipper boys leave Howth all smiles following a brilliant conclusion to the contest.
The swirling breezy conditions made life tricky for both teams throughout an absorbing contest with the Kiltipper boys breaking through for two crucial goals in the second half which proved crucial.
The home side had the better of the exchanges in the first half with scores coming from the boot of Eoin O’Duffy, Shane Mullarkey and Alex Dunne kept Davis in the contest.
Beann Eadair were 0-7 to 0-5 to the good at the interval following a couple of good scores and it could have been worse for the Kiltipper lads who were thankful to Jack O’Connor for an outstanding save.
With Beann Eadair seeking to drive home their advantage after the break, the visitors’ rearguard delivered a masterclass of defending throughout with Dylan Cummins, Adam Toughey and Aaron Farrelly breaking down a number of attacks.
Pat Farrelly with his grandsons Tadgh and Aaron Farrelly holding the trophy
Davis’ work rate paid off eventually in the second half when a clever run by Alex Dunne put Lee Parsons through on goal and he made no mistake firing to the back of the Beann Eadir net.
With Denis Ogbonna and Jamie Staunton winning good possession in midfield, the game hung in the balance and with minutes remaining the game was all level.
However, a late free from Shane Mullarkey saw Davis’ draw level and from the resulting kick-out, the visitors won possession and Tadgh Farrelly sent Alex Dunne on his way to coolly slot home the all-important second goal.
Beann Eadair continued to search for an equalising goal, but Davis continued to stand firm to emerge eventual winners.
“I’m delighted for the lads, they have worked so hard this year with the coaches and to win this title is brilliant,” said Thomas Davis mentor Dave Farrelly.
“This group of players have been together over 11 years and there is still five players eligible for this grade which is great for the club,” added Dave.
THOMAS DAVIS: Jack O’Connor, Callum Purdy, Dylan Cummins, Jack Connolly, Aaron Farrelly, Adam Toughey, Kyle Byrne, Denis Ogbonna, Alex Dunne, Eoin O’Duffy, Jamie Staunton, Shane Mullarkey, Lee Parsons, Adam Doyle, Tadgh Farrelly, Jake Maher, Daire Tipping, Ryan Parsons, Aaron Brown, Tyler Murray, Jack McEnaney, Nathan Sadlier
