Castlewellan Club Notes - Week Ending 18th August 2007
Naomh Maolmhoig Caislean A Mhuilinn
(St Malachy’s GAC Castlewellan)
Club Notes for week-ending August 18th
Games: The main talking point
last week among local GAA fans was of course
the County Championship and in particular the
fortunes or misfortunes of the local clubs.
Happily Castlewellan were among the former more
fortunate clubs to have made it through to the
quarterfinals, and any doubt among the more
skeptical town supporters about the capability
of their own team were quickly put to bed by
an outstanding first half Castlewellan performance
at St Patrick’s Park Newcastle last Saturday
evening. The town lads wasted no time in getting
down to business with two great points from
Cahal Crilly and Finbar Rice in the first couple
of minutes. An Riocht replied with a point but
further points from Finty McGreevy and Greg
McCartan stetched the town lead and by the middle
of the first half the town led by 5 points following
a vintage Aidian Burns point and another point
from Crilly. Finbar Rice was always dangerous
on the edge of the square and when he received
a brilliant pass from Cahal Crilly distributed
from a great McCartan fielding at the center
of the pitch there was only one way the ball
was heading and Finbar duly slammed it into
the back of the neck. An Riocht replied with
two further points before the half time whistle,
but points from Daniel Morgan who replaced an
injured Paul Hanna and further points from Burns
McCartan and Crilly left the half time score
Castlewellan 1.10 to An Riocht’s 3 points.
The inevitable happened of
course in the second half when the town lads
went into one of their grey periods were they
just seemed to have stopped playing allowing
An Riocht back into the game with 5 points in
the first 15 minutes of the second half to only
2 points from the town, one brilliantly taken
by Colm Flanagan who substituted injured Finbar
Rice and the other from a free taken by Finty
McGreevy.
The only other Castlewellan
scores in the second half were a further 3 points
all taken from frees and all accurately put
away by Finty McGreevy. However a further two
An Riocht points followed by a well placed goal
had brought the two sides to only four points
apart before Finty converted his final free.
An Riocht battled valiantly to the final whistle
and put in a great second half performance but
the town had built up too many scores in the
first half for An Riocht to catch up in the
time remaining but they give the town a few
scary moments especially when a second An Riocht
goal opportunity ricocheted off the town upright.
The final score was Castlewellan 1.15 An Riocht
1.10. It would be impossible to pick out one
outstanding player in the town team as every
player did his job in every sector of the field
and there is no doubt that if Castlewellan played
for 60 minutes to the standard they displayed
in the first half of this game they would seriously
contest the senior championship. Belated happy
birthday to Gregory McCartan who celebrated
his birthday after the game and showed that
at 37 years of age he can still field a ball
with the best in the County
Castlewellan team and scorerers.
Mickey McVeigh, Liam Lennon, Ruairi McArdle,
Stephen Trainor, Bernard McAleenan, Aidian Brogan,
Kevin Duffin, Fintan McGreevy (0.5), Mark Statton,
Aidian Burns(0.2), Gregory McCartan (0.2), Damian
McGrady, Finbar Rice (1.1), Paul Hanna, Cahal
Crilly (0.3) Subs used Caolan O’Hare for
Aidian Brogan, Barry Travers for Mark Stratton,Luke
Toner for Aidian Burns, Colm Flanagan (0.1)
for Finbar Rice, Daniel Morgan( 0.1) for Paul
Hanna.
Castlewellan had 4 wides to An Riocht’s
9.
Good luck to both our Seconds
and Third’s teams who will both contest
Reserve and Premiere Researve Championships
on Sunday. The Seconds will meet Kilclief and
the Thirds Liatroim. Well done to our U14’s
who had a great win over Downpatrick in St Malachy’s
park on Thursday night beating the Hoops 7.24
to 3.6. Not so fortunate our U16’s who
were well beaten by Carryduff on Tuesday night
and our Minors who were also beaten by Burren
3.11 to 1.8. No such luck either for our Minor
Hurlers who also lost to Carryduff during the
week. However our U12 hurlers did very well
to draw against Balella 6.1 to 5.4 and our U12
footballers did very well in the GO Games on
Sunay beating neighbours Bryansford by 4 points.
Our 28th annual men’s
O’Neill’s Sportswear senior invitation
sevens which will be held on Saturday 1st September
in St Malachy’s Park commencing 10.30am
with Final scheduled for 5.00pm. The top teams
in the County and from throughout the Country
have been invited and replies presently awaited.
Always a great day’s football and a great
evenings craic with the fabulous Granite Folk.
Keep this date free.
Social Club Entertainment –
Saturday August 18th – Nuala McEvoy.
Weekly Club Development Lotto
– Jackpot now £4,200. Available
in local shops, bars and from Club. Please support
development of GAA facilities in the town.
Bingo as usual every Friday
at 9.00pm – visitors welcome
For all the latest Club News
updated daily log on to our website www.castlewellangac.com
If
you have any stories or information relating to
Castlewellan that you would
like to appear on this website please email them
to: website@down.gaa.ie
