Three weeks ago on this website, we questioned whether St Brendan’s Hurlers next Championship game against Round Towers Lusk would go ahead, on the evening the Hurlers defeated Thomas Davis, Lusk gave a walkover to Na Gaeil Óga. However, after a few phone calls and WhatsApp messages, former St Brendan’s dual player and current Lusk player manager, Graham Barrett assembled a team and a few subs to Longmeadows for this Round 3 Go Ahead Junior C Championship fixture. The St Brendan’s Hurlers, sponsored by Bodibro, had a game this morning rather than training.
Lusk opened the scoring after three minutes with a free in and we thought we had a game on our hands, but that was as good as it got as The Dark Force would hit 2-8 in the next 15 minutes before Lusk hit their 2nd point. Ciaran Ludden, fresh from his exploits in South America with both goals and a brace of points and the other points from Pa Lambe, Liam Kennedy, Declan Lee, Cathal Kelly *2 and the Wexican Oisin Carley from a free in.
After Lusk’s 2nd point, another short distance free in from Oisin Carley made it 2-9 and a long distance free from Ludden made it 2-10, Lee made it a 2nd point for himself to make it 2-11 after Cian ‘The 1500-meter Man’ Ó Lionaird made a super catch off Eoin Ryan’s puckout. Another Carley’s puckout made it 2-12.
Three more points followed by the away side from their midfielder who really was carrying his team throughout and scored 4 of his sides 6 points in the first half, another Pa Lambe point and a Carley 65 which went wide was the last action of the first half.
The Hungry Boba Pizzeria Half Time Score: St Brendan’s 2-13 Round Towers Lusk 0-6. Cian Walsh only said four words during the half time team talk “No Actin’ the Bollix” In other words don’t to idiotic things that would get you sent off and suspended for the latter stages of the Championship.
Shane ‘Harry Styles’ Nolan tried to end the game as a contest when his goal bound shot hit off the rear end of the Lusk goalkeeper, but made amends a few seconds later with a point after Rob Hanrahan won a turnover, then made it a brace a minute later.
Ciaran Ludden completed his hat trick after collecting Hanrahan’s long ball, and hit a low shot into the net. With his parents travelling to Longmeadows from Craughwell Co Galway to support their son, The Craughwell Charger Eanna Larkin turned over possession, played a good ball to Michael Harte and finally onto Ludden to make it a four timer for the Sylane man. 4-15 to 0-6.
With Carley*2 and Nolan making it 4-18 with 15 minutes to go, Cian Walsh decided to take off Carley and Ludden as well as Eanna Larkin and Liam Kennedy to give Big Bad Barry Larkin, Sean Whyte, Jack ‘The Relegator’ McCarron and Conor Madden game time and make a statement for inclusion in the Starting XV against Raheny in two weeks time.
And it was Big Bad Barry Larkin with the biggest impact with a point with his first touch, and with his second touch supplying Nolan for a point to make it 4-20.
More points from Ó Lionaird and Kenny, from a free made it 4-22, Shane Nolan finally got the goal he craved to make it 5-22. A Hat Trick of points from Lee, the first after catching Eoin Ryan’s puckout made it 5-25, Shane Nolan went for power rather than placement when netting his second goal of the morning. Liam Kennedy came back on after an injury to Sean Whyte and hit a point in his late cameo and Nolan rounded off his hat trick and the scoring in general with a carbon copy goal to his second goal.
Sensibly, the referee blew for full time at 30 minutes on the dot to record a facile win for St Brendan’s, but no doubt, tougher tests lie ahead starting in two week’s time against Raheny and four weeks’ time against Wild Geese. After the match, Cian Walsh went to Graham Barrett the Lusk players and thanked them for the game and told the team to simply keep at it.
Final Score from Longmeadows, St Brendan’s 7-26 Round Towers Lusk 0-6.
