Pearses 3-9 Ballindereen 2-2, Report by Martina Donnellan. Pearses U12’s made up of a combined rich mixture of U10’s, U11’s and U12’s interlaced with some brilliant hurling skills was enough to see off Ballinderreen’s challenge in the first round of the U12 Championship played in perfect conditions in Ballymacward this morning.
Cillian Fahy went some way to settle any early nerves with a well finished point from play within a minute. Ballinderreen responded with a goal through a ground stroke after a goalmouth scramble. Jason Rabbitte scored a good goal as he cut open the oppositions defence and his low hard shot found the net. Ballindereen clawed back a point from out near the dugouts to restore parity and scored another from play to put them one up.
Pearses didn’t panic though and that was to be Ballindereens last score before the break as Pearses opened the floodgates in terms of scores. Rabbitte scored a beauty from way out the field as he latched onto a loose ball at midfield. Anthony Feeney propelled Pearses in front with a fortuitous goal which just went over the goalies head to leave the score at the break: Pearses 2-2; Ballindereen 1-2.
The 2nd half was 3 minutes old when Harry Mitchell’s free in his own half found Cillian Fahy and he stretched the lead to 4 points. Jason Rabbitte and Jonah Donnellan linked up well which culminated in Dara Scarry tapping over his first point from play and punched the air in delight as he ran back into position. David Walsh’s long range free into the danger area midway through the half resulted in a goalmouth shemozzle and young Cilly somehow picked it out of the ruck and a sweet strike over his shoulder earned him his 3rd point of the morning. A minute later he did the same again, as he picked the ball from the ruck and tapped over comfortably.
At this stage the game was opening up for Pearses as Harry Mitchell’s 65’ was taken quickly to Jonah Donnellan while Harry accepted the return pass to put Pearses well in charge with a well worked point from out the field. Pearses however, received a let-off as Ballindereen drove their goal attempt wide of an empty net. Dara Scarry scored his second from play as a Padraic Kelly free from the full back line found Cilly Fahy who passed to Scarry and he made no mistake in front of the posts.
Ballindereen scored a goal from a goalmouth scramble but the bridge was too far for them to get back into the game as the clock was ticking down. Immediately from the puck out Donnellan spotted the unmarked Fahy who rarely wastes a ball and scored his 5th point from play. Dara Scarry found a gaping hole in Ballinderren’s defence as he kicked Pearses third goal and final score to the net to stretch further daylight between the sides as a combination of Donnellan, Feeney and Fahy originated the move. Pearses dominated the game, restricting Ballindereen to just one score in the second half as the game finished with Pearses emphatic winners.
Pearses were first to the ball everywhere and lorded it in mid-field where Anthony Feeney and Jason Rabbitte were driving forward at every opportunity. Dillon Roche, Patrick O’Neill, Conor Hillary and Padraic Kelly dominated the middle third of the field. Harry Mitchell in particular linked up well and cleared a lot of good ball into the attack where David Walsh, Diarmuid Ryan, Jamie Nutley, Dara Scarry, Ross Lally and Cillian Fahy passed the ball about to great effect. Cathal Hynes had little to do in goal. A good Pearses result for the first championship day out.
Scorers: Cillian Fahy 0-5; Dara Scarry 1-2; Jason Rabbitte 1-1; Anthony Feeney 1-0; Harry Mitchell 0-1.
Panel: Cathal Hynes, Dillon Roche, Patrick O’Neill, Jonah Donnellan, Harry Mitchell, Conor Hillary, Jason Rabbitte, Anthony Feeney, David Walsh, Cillian Fahy, Dara Scarry, Diarmuid Ryan, Jamie Nutley, Ross Lally, Padraic Kelly, Conor Walsh, Keith Kitt, Ciárán Hogan, Darren Moran, James Queeney, Brían Thompson.