SENIOR TEAMS BACK IN ACTION: Last week-end marked the opening of the competitive season for our senior footballers and hurlers and one is happy to report both came away with victories. The footballers defeated Blessington in Div 1A of the Campus Oil League while the hurlers had the upper hand against Corra Choill of Kildare in Div 3 of the Leinster League. Our lads won by 5 points in the football and 1 point in the hurling. Both games were played in Greystones.
On the basis of possession and trend of play, particularly in the football, the margins could have, and indeed should have, been somewhat bigger. Yet the practitioners of the big ball, by the system of play they adopted, contrived on occasion to almost bring about their own downfall. Euclid, not to-day or yesterday, defined the straight line as the shortest distance between two points, a fact which seems never to have entered the minds of our players on Friday night. While somewhat limited as a tactic there are times in a game when it is a far better option than an intricate passing movement. Let's not forget that this ploy was the basis of Jack Charlton's successful “put them under pressure “ philosophy. A nearly opposite tactic prevailed against Blessington. Thus the ball spent as much time going backwards and across the field as it did gaining territory. Passing sequences frequently ended in cul-de-sac breakdowns and often involved some high risk goalmouth movements which threatened cardiac arrest among Éire Óg supporters. The passage of the ball to our forwards was so laboured and fractured that it gave rise to the suspicion that the full-forwards had been given their P 45s.
That the team's modus operandi could have led to its own defeat was epitomised in a particular passage of play at a vital period deep into the 2ndhalf. Greystones were awarded a 13m free in a position from which a shot at goal was a worthwhile choice. The taker, however, chose to pass the ball to a colleague out the field and thus it eventually found its way into our own half where a hurried offload was intercepted and before we knew it Lorcan Traynor was making a full length dive to touch the ball around the post for a 45.
Despite these jeremiad utterings the game had its positives. Most importantly we won and it was quite enjoyable as a spectacle.
IOMÁINT Greystones' opponents by coincidence also included Éire Óg in their appellation. The seasiders knew beforehand that the visitors would be no pushover as they had Martin Storey as tutor. And so it proved. During the match an accuracy inhibiting wind accompanied by spluttering rain blew across the field. Not conditions for fancy hurling.
The visitors burst out of the traps and after 10 minutes the locals found themselves 1-2 to 0-1 in arrears. Éire Óg's efforts to get into the game were being thwarted all the while by the wind with many well directed shots being carried off course. Supporters' frustrations were relieved just before the break by a well taken goal from Anto Byrne at the end of an excellent three phase movement. This saw the hosts in front for the 1st time in the match. A short while into the 2nd half the Kildare men attained parity with a goal which originated way out the field and which could be described as of the soft variety. This was followed by tit-for-tat scoring which now had Greystones, now the visitors, in front. A free from the 'Pooch Cranley' (0-4) and 2 excellent long distance points from Anto (1-6) ensured victory. Other scorers were Phelim Byrne (0-2), Danny Nolan and Leon Browne (0-1 each). Billy Cuddihy, Seán Hughes and Paul Gaskin were prominent in the backs while Shane Nolan picked up a lot of breaking ball around the middle. Leon Browne and Michael Walsh provided excellent ball to the forwards and Danny Nolan and James Cranley were constructive in their running off the ball.
As the team is likely to be without many of its established players (county duty, work and sickness) it will be more in hope than with confidence that they will travel on Saturday to Ringtown to play the locals whom we beat some years ago in the Club Championship.
Seachtain na Gaeilge: If you have a cúpla focal don't forget iad a úsáid during the period to Lá 'le Pádraig.
