Poc Fada Competition

As it is the week leading up to the All-Ireland Hurling Final, UCC Staff GAA Club is running a Poc Fada (long strike*) Competition for all staff members.

UCC STAFF GAA CLUB

POC FADA

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 3rd

12.30 – 2pm

THE MARDYKE GAA GROUNDS

The aim of the competition is simply to hit the ball as far as you can up the length of the field. It will only take a few minutes to come down and hit a few pocs. People are welcome to come down and try their hand at any stage between the times above. All equipment (hurleys and balls) will be provided.

The competition is open to all staff members (except the organising commitee!) and there will be categories run for all levels. There will be an overall category for all-comers but separate categories will also be held providing everyone with the opportunity to compete and enjoy the event.

• Hurling (male) and Camogie (female)
• National and International
• Colleges and Departments
• Absolute Beginners, Novices and Masters

For those who are unfamiliar with Hurling and would like to understand the game a quick tutorial will be provided on the basics. Further categories may be added on the day and categories between groups who wish to have their own competition can be quickly organised.

Entry to the competition is FREE. Tickets to a raffle with a first prize of Two All-Ireland Football Final Tickets will be available.

We look forward to seeing you in The Mardyke this Friday lunchtime.

UCC fall to The Bailey Pubs

UCC’s second championship outing in three days saw them fall to The Bailey Pubs in the semi-final of the Junior A Football Championship on Monday evening in the magnificent setting of the Mardyke GAA Grounds.  UCC could not follow up their excellent win in the hurling championship from Monday with victory in this game.

UCC began the game brightly and had most of the early possession as The Bailey Pubs had to wait a few minutes before getting their 15th man onto the field.  The first score of the game was an excellent left foot effort from full forward Declan O’Connell.  UCC spurned a number of other chances for scores.

At the other end The Bailey Pubs were far more efficient in front of goal and kicked a number of fine points to move into the lead.  UCC responded with a pointed free from Don O’Connell and a fine point from midfielder Tom Byrne.

As The Bailey Pubs withdrew one forward as a seventh defender, UCC goalkeeper Diarmaid Hallissey was able to find loose players with well-placed kick-outs.  However, UCC struggled to move the ball down the field and a number of turnovers saw chances created for The Bailey Pubs inside line, which in the most were converted.  For the remainder of the game UCC went to the long kick-out which paid greater dividends as Dave Stafford and Olan Casey dominated the aerial battle for possession.

After fifteen minutes the score was 0-04 to 0-03 in favour of The Bailey Pubs the next five minutes was to prove decisive.  An attack right through the UCC defence saw Hallissey pull off a point blank save.  The rebound broke to another on rushing attacker who drove hard straight into the UCC square.  Although stopped, these efforts were deemed to be illegal and The Bailey Pubs were awarded the game’s first penalty.  This was duly dispatched low and hard down to Diarmaid Hallissey’s left.

This stirred UCC into life and a period of sustained pressure saw Don Brosnan and Don O’Connell narrow the gap.  The Bailey Pubs were not out of the game for long and a series of excellent foot-passes the length of the field saw their full forward through on goal and he made no mistake with only the keeper to beat.  In fact, over the next few minutes The Bailey Pubs could have put the game beyond all doubt but a number of further goal chances were spurned or denied by fine saves by the UCC goal minder.

The closing minutes of the half saw the teams exchange points to leave the half-time score 2-05 to 0-06 in favour of The Bailey Pubs.  UCC began the second half with a much improved work rate and through points from Declan O’Connell and Michael Byrne they had narrowed the gap to two points.  This was to be as close as UCC got as The Bailey Pubs dominated possession for the large periods of the second half.  Their continued excellent use of the foot-pass, created the opportunities for their inside line who duly obliged by kicking the points that restored their five point lead.

These scores included one superb right-foot effort from deep in the right corner – the wrong side for such an effort.  UCC replied with Don O’Connell kicking over a close-range free, but these were more than matched by two excellent long range frees from The Bailey Pubs free-taker when frustrated UCC defenders fouled as The Bailey Pubs were continually able to create an unmarked player on the overlap.

With 12 minutes remaining UCC were granted a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty.  A defender for The Bailey Pubs swung back with his arm to strike Don O’Connell as he burst out of the square with the ball following an excellent high catch.  O’Connell dusted himself off and struck the ball to the exact same spot as The Bailey Pub’s first half penalty.  This goal brought UCC right back into game as the score stood 2-09 1-09 in favour of The Bailey Pubs

Although UCC were granted the lifeline it was The Bailey Pubs who responded best.  They now switched to maintaining possession and denied UCC the opportunity to further narrow the gap.  As UCC funnelled back to try and regain possession they found they had few players in an attacking position and generally gave the ball back as quick as they got it.

With five minutes left the game was killed off when a cross-field ball from right to left saw two from The Bailey Pubs unmarked and their left half back side-stepped Diarmaid Hallissey to finish easily to the net.  UCC did manage one more score through Don Brosnan but the final score of the game belonged to The Bailey Pubs.  When the final whistle blew it was they who progressed to the final of the Junior A Football Championship against County Council.

1. Diarmaid Hallissey 2. Fergus Reen 3. Rory Rice 4. Kevin O'Mahony 5. Rob Phelan 6. Olan Casey 7. Eoin Barrett 8. Dave Stafford 9. Tom Byrne (0-02) 10. Anthony Walsh 11. Michael Byrne  (0-01) 12. Don Brosnan (0-02) 13. Ronan Spillane 14. Declan O'Connell (0-02) 15. Don O'Connell (1-03, 1-02f). Subs: Neil Hanley, Denis Lynch, Seamus Coffey

UCC make winning start to Hurling Championship

In a high-scoring encounter played in Bishopstown on Monday evening UCC advanced to the semi-finals of the Junior A Hurling Championship with a 2-24 to 2-11 win over Teagasc/Cattle Breeders.  Although there was a wide gap at the end it was only in the last ten minutes that UCC pulled clear.

Teagasc played with the aid of the strong breeze in the first half but it was UCC who started the brighter.  Top scorer Eanna Martin fired over a smart point with UCC’s first attack after 30 seconds.  He followed this a minute later with a batted goal, after being set up by a Ronan Spillane solo run from the left corner.  Martin continued to dominate proceedings, and after four minutes, fired over another point, on this occasion of his own making.

Teagasc were not about to let UCC completely dictate proceedings, and with their half back line getting on top, began to provide possession for their attack.  Aided by the strong breeze Teagasc hit over a number of excellent long-range efforts, but they also saw a number of other efforts drift wide.  The Teagasc defence continued to dominate their UCC opponents and a huge clearance turned defence into immediate attack with the Teagasc full-forward first-timing an excellent shot to the back of the UCC net.

The game was now being controlled by Teagasc and they added two more white flags to open up a three point lead at the mid-way stage of the first half.  The UCC attack were struggling to make inroads and it was midfielder Pa Cronin’s brace of points which kept the scoreboard ticking over.

An attack down the right hand side put the Teagasc corner forward through on goal and he struck the ball past the onrushing Seamus Cronin. A small bit of commotion ensued about the legitimacy of score but referee Donal Kickham quickly put umpire Diarmaid Hallissey right and the green flag was duly raised.

Teagasc were now four points to the fore, 2-5 to 1-04, but a couple of well-placed puck-outs saw UCC gain some much needed primary possession which led to half-forward Brendan Keohane and impressive midfielder Pa Cronin scoring, to narrow the gap to two points.  With half time approaching the teams traded points to leave UCC two points in arrears at the break, 1-06 to 2-07, though they would have the benefit of the strong breeze in the second half.

UCC’s start to the second half meant the breeze was of little use as they did not have the ball.  Teagasc once again extended their lead to four points with a point from play and a huge free from their own half against the wind by their centre back.  UCC finally settled to their task and began to chip into the Teagasc lead.  Points from Eanna Martin, Ronan Spillane, Pa Cronin and Leo Sexton narrowed the gap but Teagasc kept their noses in front with a couple of their own.

The UCC half back line of Timmy Geaney, Fergal Moloney and Michael O’Donoghue provided an avalanche of possession for UCC’s attacking sextet and as the half wore on they finally began to make inroads.  An excellent cross-field ball from Tomas Murray saw full-forward Seamus Coffey flash a shot over the bar from 20m when a shot for goal could have paid more dividends.  With the game entering the final quarter this score saw UCC take the lead for the first time since Eanna Martin’s quick-fire scoring burst at the start of the game.

The goal UCC sought wasn’t long in coming and with their next attack, a strong run through the middle from Eanna Martin drew the last defender, and a well placed pass saw Coffey finish to the Teagasc net.  UCC were now in firm control of the game and this goal pushed them four points clear 2-10 to 2-14 with just over ten minutes left.

UCC pressed home this advantage to the full and in the last ten minutes UCC outscored Teagasc by ten points to one.  Pa Cronin added to his impressive haul from midfield with three fine points in this period.  His midfield partner Tomas Murray also struck over a couple of excellent long range efforts.  The closing minutes saw UCC’s full forward line of Martin, Coffey and Spillane hit over points as those further out the field created a host of opportunities.

In the end UCC ran out comfortable winners, 2-24 to 2-11 and now move on to play the winners of North Cork Garda and Bank of New York in the semi-finals of the championship.

1. Seamus Cronin 2. Sean O'Leary 3. Rory Rice 4. Denis Murphy
5. Timmy Geaney 6. Fergal Moloney 7. Michael O'Donoghue 8. Patrick Cronin (0-07, 1f) 9. Thomas Murray (0-02) 10. Brendan Keohane  (0-01) 11.Ger McGlacken (0-01) 12. Leo Sexton (0-01)13. Ronan Spillane  (0-03) 14. Seamus Coffey (1-02) 15. Eanna Martin (1-07)