First "Non Exam” Hurling Game of 2015 2015-05-12 10:27:00


First “Non Exam” Hurling Game of 2015

On Friday night we had our first “non exam” hurling game. With just one 12-a-side “non-exam” competition, there is effectively no grading in operation; all teams who would struggle to field 15 players without their leaving certificate players are included in the league. So on Friday night we welcomed St Finbarrs who normally play Premier 1 minor hurling. We expected a good quality game of hurling and we got it.

Cobh started the first half well, and with the assistance of the wind steadily built up the scoreboard with 5 points from 5 different players. Our half back line (Padi Kearney, Adam O’Donovan, David Coffey) were dominant. On the rare occasions the ball got beyond our half back line, the two St Finbarrs full forwards looked dangerous, but overall we limited them to just one point in the first half. Key moment in the first half was a long delivery from wing back David Coffey to full forward Odhran Kidney Power, who raised a green flag for Cobh. Half time score was Cobh 1-7, St Finbarrs 0-1, but would it be enough for a second half when St Finbarrs would have the advantage of a brisk and cold wind.  

St Finbarrs made some tactical changes at half time moving their centre back to their full forward line and playing their half forward line closer to mid field. The effect was to expose our full back line and goalkeeper to long wind assisted deliveries, to isolate, create one v one situations, and force goal opportunities or close in frees, but our last line of defence as a unit (Goalkeeper John Gardiner, and backs Jeffrey McCarthy and Sean Hilliard)  dealt capably this tactic.  As St Finbarrs picked off points and sought the goal(s) they increasingly needed to get back into the game, our forwards provided great encouragement for our defensive efforts, by making the most of the few opportunities they received in the second half. Two goals and a point from Cobh more than cancelled out the six wind assisted points that St Finbarrs got. Perhaps the score of the game didn’t count, as a Cobh goal shot from a narrow angle, bounced off the net support and straight back into play, and the game continued. Overall a feature of the game was how, with tight defensive play, we limited St Finbarrs ability to score from play, as most of their scores came from frees. In contrast almost all of our scores were from play. Final Score was Cobh 3-8, St Finbarrs 0-7 a well deserved victory, and real evidence of the effort being put in at training by this group. Scorers for Cobh Odhran Kidney Power 2-2, Dylan Higgins 1-2, David O’Connor, Niall Spriggs, Ciaran Leahy and Aaron Dolan 0-1 each. (All 5 starting forwards, and midfielder scored). Next Friday sees this group travel to Bandon for the second hurling game in this league.

Kevin Hilliard




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