Saul Notes - Feb 5th 2006

Saul GAC Club Notes for week of Feb 26th 2006

Business Sponsors
- Thanks to MGFS (Medical & General Financial Solutions Ltd) and Ciaran Russell Motors for becoming the first business sponsors of the club for 2006. Club members are urged to support our sponsors.

Table Quiz
- Thanks to all who attended a great quiz night at the Slaney on Friday night last - the first of a monthly series of 'Saul Fridays'. The general feedback has been that it was a great success with 'The Crafty Three' taking the top prize and 'The Chancers' narrowly missing out in a runaway top 2. Congratulations to the winners and runners up and thanks to all the 12 teams that took part and made it a great night. At an interval break, a novel 'Who wants to be a millionaire' took place with Paul Holland winning Ł16 for successfully getting half-way on the 10 step path to a Ł500 jackpot. Well done to Stevie Shields who organised the event, Brian Curran (quizmaster extraordinaire) and Paul Craig (the millionaire man) for getting the Saul Fridays off to a great start.

Scor Sinsear - County Finals - Saul take 3 titles
- Saul's excellent run in Scor competitions continued in St Aquinas Hall, Dundrum on Sunday night when they came out as joint top club (with Clonduff) in the county finals of Scor Sinsear with 3 titles. Saul came out tops in Ceili Dancing (Joanne Carson, Yvonne McDonald, Ciara Morgan, Emma Traynor, Fiona O'Prey, Olivia Kennedy, Niamh McPolin and Michelle Walsh), Solo Singing (Carol Deegan) and Recitation (Gareth McGreevy). Disappointment came in the Instrumental Music and Ballad Group categories with the loss in the Ballad Group being announced to a stunned hall (and if anything it was almost more disappointing to hear how the winning club responded to their success wrt to the excellent Saul group). Well done to Phil Stratton again on the huge Saul success on the night and the winners go forward to represent Down in the Ulster semi-final on Saturday night (8pm) in Slaughtneil, Derry against the Derry and Antrim champions - the best wishes of the club go with them.

Minors get off the mark
- Darragh Cross 1-6 Saul 2-6
  
  After throwing away the points from their first three matches, Saul made the trip to Darragh Cross more in hope than intent. There had been increasing positive signs in the last few weeks that a positive turn to their season could be made and on the reduced size Darragh pitch what a turnaround that was. A blustery wind and difficult surface made fluent play almost impossible but in complete contrast to their previous games Saul finished very strongly to claim their first league points.
  
  Darragh opened the scoring virtually from the throw-in but following that, scores proved hard to come by as the teams scrapped for midfield possession. 5 mins in, Saul had their reply as a long ball tactic into the Darragh defense resulted in a hurried clearance from the home defence for a sideline ball. Quick thinking Brian Gaffney delivered an excellent pass to the heart of the Darragh backline where Callum Laverty gathered, side stepped the keeper and netted to grab the lead for Saul. Darragh had an immediate chance to reply when they were awarded a penalty on the next attack but opted to take a point instead. The scores stayed with Saul holding a 1 point lead until 5 minutes from the break when following 3 wides in succession from Saul attacks from Gaffney and Tumelty, Darragh levelled things from a pointed free. With the Saul backline obviously looking to the half-time break, they were caught napping in the closing minutes of the half with first a point from Mark McMahon and then a goal from the same player as he was allowed to solo half the length of the field on a brekaway and grab a goal for what seemed a critical lead of 1-4 to 1-0 on the whistle.
  
  On the restart, it didn't appear to be Saul's day as in the 3rd quarter they hit the post twice and exchanged wides with their hosts but 2 bursts of scores in the final quarter were to prove the path to victory. Conor Shields pushing forward took a short free from Chris Fitzsimons for driven point and then 2 futher minor scores from Callum Laverty brought Saul back to a point behind with 8 mins to go. 2 quick points in reply from McMahon for Darragh seemed put the game out of reach but a heart rarely noted in the season to date not only brought the blue and golds back into it but claimed a great win. With 4 mins remaining, Sauls tactic of using the first time direct ball paid off as Gaffney drove a high ball into the Darragh defence and following a goalmouth scramble, Chris Laverty stabbed the ball home for the leveller. Darragh were shaken and when Conor Shields collected a pass from Callum Laverty to point for the lead, there was only 1 winner. Further points from Brian Gaffney and a fisted effort from Callum Laverty after great work from Stephen Polly put the seal on a great Saul win.
  
  This was a team effort with great performances from Callum Laverty, Brian Gaffney, Conor Shields, Chris Fitz throughout. Chris Laverty took his goal well at a critical time and Conor Tummely, Stephen Polly, Finbarr Hamill, Daniel Little, Peter Russell, Thomas McGuinness and Danny Curran all played their part in a win that gives new hope to the season. Training continues on Friday night at Dunleath with a 7pm sharp start.
Ladies Football
- Training continues at St Patricks Park for Saul ladies on Mondays and Fridays at 7pm for the senior ladies (15 years and older) and on Sundays at 12.30pm for the U12 and U14 girls. Its great to see the growing numbers at these sessions. Keep it up girls.
  
  county-solosinging-carol deegan - Saul
  
  county-recitation-gareth mcgreevy - Saul

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