Connolly Cup 2016 – W-S Match Reports
First of all let me say a huge thanks you to the Charlotte GAA for organizing another great Connolly Cup. It was very well organized and we were very well treated. I also want to say a Huge THANK YOU to all the supports who travelled to Charlotte to see us play. This include but is not limited to the Vellani’s, Jacobs & the Ashby families among others. We heard you, saw you and really appreciate you presence at our games.
GAME #1
So at 10.45am so began our first of a two leg Southeast divisional game. Like always we started reasonably well but Charlotte were starting to take the lead and we just seemed to be following for a while. Once we got on the score board we seem to string some good passes together and get some good shots. Charlotte had pulled down some players in key shooting spots but the Wolfhounds free kick taker (Timmy Cronin) must have left his shooting boots in his other bag. One of the most exciting moments came from a side line ball about half way through the first half when after Timmy had kick the ball into the Charlotte square he was hit in the back and knocked over by a flying tent…the funny part is the game was not stopped by the referee…the must not be in the rule book :D
So like a tired boxer we took a few late head shoots and were down 6 or 7 points at the half. This was more if a mole hill than a mountain and we still had a chance. There were some choice words spoken at half time and we all know what we needed to do and how deep we need to dig.
The second half start well with the Wolfhounds winning the throw up and putting together a string of passes that resulted in an early score. However, that seemed to be the top of our mountain and as they say it was mainly downhill from there. Charlotte started moving the ball very well and got some very well earned team scores. The final blow came about half way through the second half when Charlotte scored 2 goals in quick succession and we felt deflated. We battled valiantly as a solid unit and even though we got some late score it was not enough to halt the green and white of Charlotte.
Final Score: Charlotte B 6-10(28) v Winston-Salem 1-06(9)
Referee: Tommy
Wolfhounds (22): Erik Freeman, George Sullivan, Joe Fogarty, Tim Cronin, Josh Monk, Nick Bennett, Jim Keegan, Adam Pendlebury, Cormac “the Bomber” O’Donovan, Hunter Klein, Shawn Small, Jeff Reichard, Mike Jacobs, John O’Brien, Trevor Shelton, Dave Moore, Kyle Judkins, Taylor Ashby, Drew McGowan, Lindsey Cole, Nick Sgrignoli, Rob Faulkner
GAME #2
Around 12.30pm the Wolfhounds took the field again against a fresh Raleigh team. Raleigh were missing a lot of players and so their B team was bolstered by some A players and couple that with the fact it was their first game and our 2nd and we were already starting on the back foot. On the ref’s whistle the ball was thrown up and it was game on. The Wolfhounds had a game under their belt and had watched some great football been played between Charlotte A & Atlanta and we thought we had ironed out some of the mistakes we had made in the first game. We thought we had done just that when we opened the score early on in the first half but Raleigh were marking very tightly and they moved the ball with easy. They missed some easy scores early on which keep the teams tight. We battled hard and had some great individual and team moments. Nick S. & Nick B. played very well and were key people to move the ball from the back to the forwards. The first half saw us behind but only by 5 points so it was still for the taking.
Half time during the Raleigh game was very different with players having more of a positive attitude and a confidence of a team that had the guts to gout out and play their hearts out…and that’s exactly what we did.
The second half started again very well for the Wolfhounds with us wining the ball and working the ball down the field to get an early score. Our forwards of Cormac O’D. and Erik F. combined well at times but failed to get on the score board. Josh M. had a great game on the right wing but as a team we failed to pass enough ball to our forwards to allow our forwards to be affective. Raleigh’s skill game out more and more, especially when the Wolfhound legs were getting tired from their second game in a few hours and playing in such HOT conditions. Raleigh moved the ball with Purpose and they were reward handsomely at the end of the game having out 7 balls into our net.
Final Score: Raleigh B 7-10(31) v Winston-Salem 1-09(12)
Referee: Bill
Wolfhounds (21): Erik Freeman, George Sullivan, Joe Fogarty, Tim Cronin, Josh Monk, Nick Bennett, Jim Keegan, Adam Pendlebury, Cormac “the Bomber” O’Donovan, Hunter Klein, Shawn Small, Jeff Reichard, Mike Jacobs, John O’Brien, Trevor Shelton, Dave Moore, Kyle Judkins, Taylor Ashby, Lindsey Cole, Nick Sgrignoli, Rob Faulkner
GAME #3
The last game the Wolfhounds were involved in was a surprise game. After all was said and done both Charlotte teams (Charlotte 1 & Charlotte 2) got to the final, so they proposed that instead of having and all Charlotte Final that the Charlotte team with combine their players and Winston-Salem, Raleigh & Atlanta could also combine their teams and this is how we would play our final game. Once we had found a ref, confirm we would play 15 minute halves and the Southeast All-Stars had secured a great Kerryman to manage from the sideline the they were all set.
The game started brilliantly for the southeast getting some early scores but Charlotte came back gallantly and show the southeast team what they are the best in the Southeast right now. There was a lot of great offense and defense from both sides. With Jim Keegan (W-S) causing the Charlotte forwards a lot of trouble by stopping everything that came near his side of the field. The teams were very close at half time with only 2 points separating the teams in favour of Charlotte. Two other players holding their own and chasing and stopping the green tide of Charlotte in their own aeras of the field were our very own Trevor Shelton and John O’Brien (W-S).
So with some changes made at half time and some “fresh-ish” legs going on we were all set to bring the game to charlotte. Even though this was the first time all three clubs from the Southeast had played together like this you would not have been able to tell. Great passing from all Southeast players and having players like Dara (Raleigh), Chris & Mark (Atlanta) and Joe & Cormac (Winston-Salem) the scores finally started to come. So the game remained tight throughout the second have with Charlotte always a point or two ahead. Dara (Raleigh) was running around like a mad thing and was key to keeping the ball away from the Southeast goal and Chris (Atlanta) was excellent at spreading the forwards with is lightning speed and quick turns.
However, the final play of the game didn’t start on the field but on the side line. That great Kerryman turned Southeast Manager made a strategic change that saw Trevor (Winston-Salem) taken off and Mike (Winston-Salem) brought in. Nick (aka Ed from Raleigh) was moved from full forward to wing forward to replace Trevor’s position and Mike was put in near the goal line. With only 3 or 4 mins left in the game Mike only saw the ball one time BUT that one time was enough. With a super pass from the Dara to the half forward line, we saw a last minute shot from the Southeast forwards curl to the right and miss the goal BUT it didn’t go wide. Mike (W-S) was there to catch, Sheppard it past an oncoming Charlotte defender and quickly pass it to the oncoming Chris Kendrick (Atlanta) who buried a shot to the bottom of the Charlotte net.
By the time the goalkeeper kicked the ball out the ref had blown the whistle and the Southeast had beaten the combined Charlotte team. It was a scrimmage game essentially but still the victor felt good J
Final Score: Combo Charlotte v Southeast All Stars (Southeast wins by 2 points)
Ref: Dave
Wolfhound representatives: Joe Fogarty, John O’Brien, Mike Jacobs, Jim Keegan, Trevor Shelton, Cormac “the Bomber” O’Donovan
no images were found
Cú Faoil Abú!
(Up the Wolfhounds!)