Minor A team move on to Knockout stage with impressive victory over Cuala

 BBSE 3 20 Cuala 1 07

 “A very busy and sunkissed morning in Shanganagh Park was the venue for this Round 3 group match between our Minor A hurlers and their counterparts from Cuala. Both teams met in Pairc Ui Mhurchu during the League campaign, when the last strike of the ball ended up in the Cuala net giving the home team an unlikely win that day, so it is fair to say that the Dalkey club would be confident of leveraging that display and turning home advantage this time out into a reversal of fortune and put them into the shake up for inclusion in the knock-out stages. For Ballyboden,  having a win and a loss on record from their two earlier games, a victory in Shankhill would guarantee their qualification. So, it was all to play for as far as both teams were concerned, and from the minute referee Donal Ryan threw in the sliotar at 11am, it was evident from the intensity from both sides that every player knew what was at stake.

Josh Corcoran in action V Cuala 

A couple of early frees from Ballyboden settled the team and once they found their rhythm it was obvious that they weren’t going to risk having their fate decided in the final minutes this time out. The defensive unit looked solid throughout and had the measure of a lively Cuala attacking force, and displayed great discipline in the tackle and provided some purposeful ball for their own inside forwards, who likewise were causing problems for the Cuala defence with their constant movement and good decision making. Once they had established a lead by the first water break, it looked like they were in no mood to relinquish it, and for the rest of the match they built upon that start and had amassed a score of 3-20 when the referee’s whistle blew for the last time. Cuala, to their credit, kept the attack going and their return of 1-7 was not representative of their overall performance which produced some fine individual performance and mouth watering passages of play. We wish them luck in the shield.

So congratulations to Ballyboden on a good team performance, and one in which they can take great encouragement from as they move into the knock-out stages, and the management can be particularly pleased with the contribution from the bench which yielded 1-3 from the players who were introduced to finish the match. Well done all.

Next up is a Quarter-Final on Sunday 24th October, with opponents and venue to be decided.”