Southern Fried Hockey » Schools

First-half flurry does the trick for Ashton

Alan Good — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:15:09 +0000

Ashton’s stunning display of first-half firepower meant they were never in danger of losing an entertaining Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup final at Garryduff yesterday.

The Cork City school were all but of sight at half-time with a 4-0 advantage as their players’ greater experience of top-level senior club hockey told against a game Midleton College outfit.

Ashton's Gary Wilkinson keeps his eye on the ball following a challenge from Midleton's Adam Colton. Picture: Ondine Roche

David Hobbs’ side, looking to retain their crown as well as exact revenge for a heartbreaking loss to Midleton in an epic 2010 decider, went in front on 14 minutes after weathering some early pressure.

Philip Brownlow’s first touch brilliantly outfoxed his marker in the circle, and though he was bundled over by Midleton goalkeeper Daniel Moore, there was enough on his push to see the ball trickle over the line.

Until then, Midleton had claimed the better of it, with Alex Burns working the endline only to meekly push goalwards when a square ball might have been a better option, while James Phillips rushed out to smother Greg Chambers from the East Cork side’s first short corner.

But Ashton clicked into gear thereafter, with Richard Sweetnam and David Wolfe spraying dangerous passes everywhere while David Treacy found plenty of room to maraud down the right.

And they put the result all but beyond doubt with three goals in four minutes as the first half came to a close. David Whitaker’s drag-flick was saved by Moore but Gary Wilkinson returned the ball across goal with interest and Richard Lynch connected at the far post for 2-0.

Ireland U16 hitman Simon Wolfe then notched a cracking solo effort, drifting from right to left before reversing to the far top corner – third time lucky for him after he’s arrowed two previous backhand efforts wide.

And Calvin Casey – arguably Ashton’s man of the match as his runs caused Midleton endless problems – made it four off an improvised short corner, reversing home from the top of the D.

If Midleton were deflated after that, they didn’t show it and came out defiantly at the start of the second period. Greg Chambers won the ball high in the press to play in Marc Hornibrook, and the Munster U18 man squared for the diving David Stead to deflect home to give them a lifeline early in the second half.

Midleton's Mark Hornibrook about to square the ball for David Stead (out of shot) to slide in and score his side's first goal. Picture: Ondine Roche

Ashton were indebted to goalkeeper Phillips for keeping their goal intact with a series of stops amid a sin-binning for defensive totem Sweetnam, but a Whitaker drag-flick steadied them again with 10 minutes to go.

Midleton hit back almost instantly as Alex Simonin’s pace took him past the cover on a 50-metre run down the right, finished off with a bullet of a shot to the far corner.

With eight minutes to go, Ivan Leopold’s side kept pushing and should have had another as Burns again got in behind the Ashton rearguard and squared for Simonin, whose goal-bound sweep was agonisingly redirected over the bar by a stray team-mate’s stick.

The dream died there and then for Midleton, while Ashton – with just a handful of sixth years in their side – can perhaps start building towards making an impression on the national stage.

ASHTON: J Phillips (GK), R Sweetnam, D Treacy, D Whitaker, D Wolfe (capt), K Byrne, R Lynch, G Wilkinson, P Daunt, S Wolfe, C Buttimer, B O’Mahony, C Casey, D O’Grady Woods, P Coulter (GK), P Brownlow.

MIDLETON: D Moore (GK), Adam Colton, N Hodson, A Burns, S O’Sullivan, O Chambers, Andrew Colton (capt), G Chambers, A Deane, M Hornibrook, A Simonin, L Hevers, A McGregor, D Stead, J McEvoy, J Ryan (GK).

Umpires: M Coombes & A Gray.

For more of Ondine Roche’s pictures from yesterday’s game, check out the Southern Fried Hockey Facebook page.

Cork schools set to reprise 2010 classic

Alan Good — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:17:14 +0000

Ashton will discover how well they handle the favourites tag when they meet Midleton College in tomorrow’s Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup final at Garryduff (3pm).

Gary Wilkinson (second left), Richard Sweetnam and Richard Lynch in action for Ashton against Midelton during the 2010 final. All three are back for the 2012 decider tomorrow. Picture: Ondine Roche

The Cork City school are defending champions and can boast a squad where nearly everyone has interprovincial experience with Munster, while Simon Wolfe (U16s) and Gary Wilkinson and Richard Lynch (U18s) are current members of the Irish underage setups.

Richard Sweetnam is the side’s heartbeat and he dictates Ashton’s tempo from centre-back, bringing all the experience he has accrued since becoming a starting member of Cork Church of Ireland’s firsts this season, where he was named Young Player of the Year.

He is also one of two survivors of the 2010 final – Wilkinson the other – in which Midleton stunned Ashton 3-2 to end a two-decade drought at this level, which the canaries will surely be keen on exacting some revenge for.

Midleton are missing the kind of star names that dotted their side during that epic campaign, but can also boast an older panel with Colton twins Andrew and Adam, Greg Chambers, Alex Simonin, Stuart O’Sullivan and Ned Hodson all back for a last crack at schools glory having won two season ago. All but Hodson have interpro experience under their belts too.

They also have an Ireland U16 midfielder running the show in Alex Burns, while C of I pair Owen Chambers and Rob Johnston are among the younger leading lights.

Ashton had the tougher task in the last four, seeing off Bandon Grammar 5-3 after a couple of scares, while Midleton dispatched Limerick’s Villiers in the other last four tie.

The final is being played at an unusually late date due to a bereavement in Ashton which cause the postponement of the original fixture in March.

Ruthless Bandon Grammar bring it home

Alan Good — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:57:34 +0000

Bandon Grammar School caused one of the shocks of the schoolboys hockey season so far in recording a resounding 4-0 victory over Ashton at the Cork City school in yesterday’s Munster Minor Schoolboys Cup final.

Ashton's Ross Welch gets a reverse-stick pass away under pressure from Bandon's David Jennings. Picture: Alan Good

Having been crowned the country’s best side at this grade by claiming national glory at the John Waring Super Sixes at Lisnagarvey – including a 2-0 win over Bandon – Ashton were obvious favourites going into this encounter.

And they began like they meant business as Bandon struggled to get out of their own half, but having broken away to win their first corner, Will Bartley’s charges took a surprise lead in the sixth minute.

It was a well-worked set-piece, drawing the runners away from the castle with a shortened push to the left, preceding a long switch right for David Jennings. He calmly controlled and pushed hard and accurate to the far bottom corner.

The work-rate of Jennings and his twin brother Matthew was vital to Bandon’s cause in midfield as they won most of the 50-50 tackles thereafter. Ross Welch and Simon Dring in particular were proving to be Ashton’s main dangermen but they were shut down by a series of vital defensive interventions from Bandon’s Luke Kingston and Ben Shanahan.

Bar a series of shorts at the tail end of the first half, which didn’t yield a goal, clear-cut chances were at a premium until after the break, when the game exploded into life.

Another Bandon corner was switched left then right to Sean Nyhan outside the back post. He squared for David Jennings whose volley dinged the post, but the rebound fell kindly for him and he did well to once again have the composure to place it to the far corner.

Bandon Grammar pose with the Munster Minor Schoolboys Cup.

And when Ashton failed to clear a couple of minutes later, Bandon’s inspirational captain Ben Kingston – their greatest threat on the ball – picked up a loose ball and flicked to the far top corner from a tight angle.

That double blow left Ashton, spurred on from the back byuskipper Harry Whitaker, needing to chase the game. But their sole penalty corner was well cleared by the Bandon defence and other forays into the visitors’ 25 went unrewarded.

That left Bandon to put the icing on the cake late on, when David Jennings picked up turnover ball 40 metres out and played in Scott Deane, who was retreating from the previous attack. He waited for the pass to enter the D and coolly swept home first-time.

It was Bandon’s first title at this level since 2006, and denied Ashton a fourth crown in five attempts. Both schools have enjoyed periods of dominance at this level – Ashton won eight straight cups in the 1990s while Bandon matched that feat from 1998-2006.

To view the full set of pictures from this game, check out the Schools Cups album on the Southern Fried Hockey Facebook page.

Munster Minor Schoolboys Cup final

Ashton 0 Bandon Grammar 4 (D Jennings 2, B Kingston, S Deane)

Ashton grind out John Waring glory

Alan Good — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:37:00 +0000

Ashton brought a national schoolboys trophy home to Munster for the first time in seven years after recording a shock success at the John Waring (U14) Super Sixes competition in Lisnagarvey HC yesterday.

The Ashton team that won the John Waring Cup at Lisnagarvey on Wednesday. Picture: Anne Marie Hewison

The brilliant victory sees the cup come to Cork for the first time, while the last time Irish schoolboys silverware of any sort resided in Munster was in 2005 when Bandon Grammar claimed the senior title, with Ashton’s victory in that tournament in 2000 the last time the school won a national competition.

Under the tutelage of David Hobbs and Eddie Kirwan, a hard-working side belied pre-tournament suggestions they were ranked fifth of the six sides by grinding out a number of memorable results.

Following two 0-0 stalemates with Leinster’s Sutton Park and national senior champions Banbridge Academy, Ashton saw off local rivals Bandon Grammar 2-0 thanks to a Simon Dring drag-flick and Ross Welch’s penalty stroke.

They were then relatively comfortable 2-1 winners over Belfast side Methody, with Gavin Brooks and Graham Daunt – younger brother of Munster U18′s Peter – netting the goals as they went two up before a late Methody fightback.

That left Ashton, who also had superb performers in captain Harry Whitaker and Brian Stockil, needing to defeat Wesley in the final game to take overall honours, and another strike from forward Brooks proved the sole divider in a 1-0 victory.

John Waring (U14) Super Sixes: Ashton 0 Banbridge 0; Ashton 0 Sutton Park 0; Ashton 2 (Simon Dring, Ross Welch) Bandon GS 0; Ashton 2 (Gavin Brooks, Graham Daunt) Methody 1; Ashton 1 (Gavin Brooks) Wesley 0.

Petch treble spurs Newtown to cup glory

Alan Good — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:50:56 +0000

Jamie Petch (right) celebrates one of his three goals for Newtown against Villiers.

Munster U18 hitman Jamie Petch ended his schools hockey career in style as his hat-trick helped Newtown retain the Munster Senior B Schoolboys Cup with a 4-1 final defeat of Villiers.

The Kilbrittain, Co Cork native put his side in front after a tense opening 15 minutes when he deflected home Wilko Von Schaffer’s cross, before doubling the advantage from the penalty spot after he was impeded in the circle.

Daire McBride then won the Waterford outfit a short corner which was converted by another Munster U18 man, Sam Butler, for a healthy 3-0 lead at the break.

Villiers were a different proposition in the second half however, dominating for long periods before Munster U16′s David Cardy gave the Limerick school a lifeline.

But Newtown goalkeeper and skipper Sliabh Wells and Alex Hackett kept the hosts’ goal intact thereafter and Petch sealed it with 10 minutes to go, Von Schaffer again providing the assist following good build-up work from Butler and fellow midfielder Alan Jephson.

Thanks to Stuart Greene for his help with this report. More pictures to follow on the Southern Fried Hockey Facebook page later tonight.

A week to forget for BGS, but silverware still to play for

Alan Good — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:34:45 +0000

Bandon Grammar are enduring a tough week on the schools cups front after their senior boys succumbed to Ashton 5-3 while the girls had a chastening opening day at the Kate Russell All-Ireland Championships.

The west Cork school had home advantage in a repeat of last year’s Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup final, this time the schools meeting in the last four with Midleton College awaiting the victor.

And David Hobbs’ troops flew out of the blocks, as Gary Wilkinson and Richard Lynch had the Cork City school cruising at 2-0 but goals from Cork senior hurler Darren Sweetnam and Aidan Walsh levelled it up.

However, Philip Brownlow and Simon Wolfe restored Ashton’s two-goal advantage and although Bandon closed the gap again through Walsh for 4-3, Peter Daunt hit the insurance strike for the visitors.

Sarah Sullivan (left) put Bandon Grammar in with a shot against Jesuits before they eventually went down 3-1. Picture: Ondine Roche

They will now lock horns with Midleton in next Thursday’s (March 29) decider at Garryduff, which has a 2pm hit-off. Bandon do have a chance for some instant revenge at a different level, as they meet Ashton today (Friday) in the Munster Junior Schoolboys Cup final at the Cork city school (2pm).

Up at Ulster school Ballyclare HS, Bandon Grammar never recovered from a quickfire pair of Coláiste Iognáid goals which helped the Connacht champions to a 3-1 win.

Following a scoreless first period, Ingrid Murphy got both to put Caroline McHugh’s side with a mountain to climb midway through the second half.

Sarah Sullivan’s goal seven minutes from time gave Bandon hope but Aoife Codyre finished the job for the 2009 champions.

Colaiste Iognaid got the better of Bandon GS 3-1. The win was built on a pair of goals within five minutes midway through the second half from Ingrid Murphy which pushed the Galway girls clear. Sarah Sullivan pulled one back with seven minutes to go but the Jes – winners in 2009 – closed out the tie with Aoife Codyre on the mark.

Bandon were then on the receiving end of the day’s most one-sided victory as hosts Ballyclare won 7-0, with youth international Amy Cooke – set to join Munster’s Rebecca Barry at the University of Richmond next season – netting three of them.

As the only side with two wins from two after day one, Leinster kingpins Alexandra College are in pole position to annex their first ever title. Bandon will face them today and will also meet South East representatives Kilkenny College.

Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championship, Ballyclare HS.

Alexandra College 3 (Amber Gleeson, Erika Hinkson, Anna Roopnarinesingh) Ballyclare HS 0; Colaiste Iognaid 3 (Ingrid Murphy 2, Aoife Codyre) Bandon GS 1 (Sarah Sullivan); Alexandra College 2 (Hannah McDermott, Anna Roopnarinesingh) Kilkenny College 0; Ballyclare HS 7 (Amy Cooke 3, Amy Jones 2, Victoria White, Rebecca Quinn) Bandon GS 0; Kilkenny College 2 (Margaret Byrne 2) 2 Colaiste Iognaid 1 (Michelle Carey)

Standings: 1. Alexandra College 6pts (+5) 2. Ballyclare 3pts (+4) 3. Colaiste Iognaid 3pts (+1) 4. Kilkenny College 3pts (-1) 5. Bandon GS 0pts (-9)

Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup semi-final: Bandon Grammar 3 (A Walsh 2, D Sweetnam) Ashton 5 (G Wilkinson, R Lynch, P Brownlow, S Wolfe, P Daunt)

Moloney guides Crescent to junior title

Alan Good — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:31:40 +0000

Crescent Comprehensive completed a league and cup double as they comfortably defeated Limerick rivals Laurel Hill Coláiste 3-0 at Rosbrien to claim the Munster Junior Schoolgirls Cup yesterday.

The victory earned some consolation for the school following their senior cup loss to Bandon Grammar, with one of the stars of the senior side, Ireland U16 representative Clodagh Moloney, captaining her school’s junior outfit to this win.

Clodagh Moloney (left) scored a goal and captained Crescent to a Munster Junior Schoolgirls Cup victory today. Picture: Ondine Roche

She also knocked in a short corner blast for her side’s second goal, which was bookended by efforts from Ciara Leahy and Clodagh Coffey as Crescent put their counter-attacking gameplan to effective use.

A young Coláiste side, for whom their Irish U16 star Eimear Ryan led their efforts, were always going to be up against it having shipped a 9-0 loss to Crescent in the league but they nonetheless acquitted themselves well and pressured Crescent for long periods.

Colaiste had seen off Cork’s finest in Scoil Mhuire and Mount Mercy en route to the final, both on 2-1 scorelines, while Crescent beat St Angela’s 9-0 in the quarter-finals before seeing off Ursuline Thurles 2-0 in the last four.

Munster Junior Schoolgirls Cup final, Rosbrien, Limerick

Crescent Comprehensive 3 (C Leahy, C Moloney, C Coffey) Laurel Hil Coláiste 0

Strokes of fortune favour Bandon Grammar

Alan Good — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:57:14 +0000

Margins have been fine in this year’s Munster Senior Schoolgirls Cup final, and it took sudden death penalty strokes to crown Bandon Grammar as the 2012 champions at Rosbrien, Limerick yesterday.

Despite a glut of penalty corners at both ends, neither side could find a breakthrough in a low-key encounter that finished 0-0 after extra time, as goalkeepers Muireann Mellett (Bandon) and Eloise Hickey (Crescent) repelled all that came their way.

A high-quality penalty shootout followed, with each side missing just once, but Crescent’s Clodagh Moloney – who had scored her earlier flick and had a superb game – saw her stroke repelled brilliantly by Mellett.

Umpire Bryan Madden checks on the welfare of Bandon's Loraine Copithorne (4) and Crescent's Karen FitzGerald while their respective team-mates Sarah Sullivan and Róisín Upton assist. Picture: Ondine Roche

Bandon’s players and supporters piled into the goal to celebrate, hoisting Mellett high as they acclaimed a first title since 2009.

The west Cork school had three particularly proud mothers on the sideline; Libby Howe, Lillian Chambers and Liz Sweetnam looked on as their daughters, Bandon skipper Vicky Burns, Loraine Copithorne and Laura Buttimer respectively, emulated them in representing the school in a Munster final.

For Crescent, it ruined their dreams of three titles in a row, but the Limerick school had five juniors in a very young panel who will come back stronger.

Crescent had top performers in captain Róisín Upton and Moloney, with Nicole Power and Karen FitzGerald – despite a yellow card – holding tough at the back while Barrett sisters Lisa and Michelle also had fine outings.

For Bandon, Clodagh Helen combined brilliantly with Buttimer and Karen Coombes in the Bandon defence, who had the distinction of going through the tournament without conceding a goal, while Acacia Taylor, Sarah Sullivan and Copithorne led the attacking effort with distinction.

Bandon started both halves better but it was Crescent who engineered the better chances, almost all coming from corners with shots from play at an absolute minimum.

Most fell to the inspirational Upton, as Ollie O’Connor’s side routinely effected a double switch at corner time to engineer her into close-range drag-flicking space.

She cleared the bar with one such effort while Mellett saved two others, with Clodagh Helen’s excellent work as the left postwoman seeing her take a Clodagh Moloney bash off the line.

Bandon forced as many corners (six) as the Limerick school but rarely got a clean shot away, the most dangerous of which saw Buttimer’s drag tipped over by Hickey.

The game’s best chances from play were both engineered by Upton in the closing minutes. First, she surged 50 metres and played in Ciara Leahy, but she shot first-time from an angle with a spare player at the penalty spot, with Mellett saving neatly.

And in the final minute of normal time Upton’s quick dribble off a dotted-line free took her into the circle – Mellett batted away the first shot, while Helen did brilliantly to redirect the flicked rebound over the crossbar.

So to the extra time – non golden-goal – with Copithorne redirecting the best chance just off target after Burns’ disguised pass from the top. At the other end, Mellett saved a looping Michelle Barrett reverse sweep, Karen Coombes blocked down Moloney and Acacia Taylor provided a crucial interception on her reverse in her own circle.

But the game had long looked destined for strokes, and so it was. Moloney and the Barrett sisters found the bottom corners for Crescent with Burns and Buttimer hitting the top corners for Bandon, before Coombes saw her effort slide the wrong side of the upright.

But Power saw her effort saved by Mellett to keep it level before Helen, Upton and Taylor all converted with aplomb to send it to sudden death at 4-4.

The captains stepped up once more as Burns and Upton converted, before Buttimer landed another for Bandon and a 6-5 lead. But Mellett’s reactions were on the money to deny Moloney – whose effort was headed just inside the keeper’s left-hand post – to spark wild celebrations among their supporters.

CRESCENT: E Hickey (GK); K O’Brien, R Upton (capt), S O’Hanrahan, K FitzGerald, L Barrett, E Burke, S Woods, C Moloney, N Power, M Barrett.

Rolling subs: M O’Malley, L Kearney, R Harbison, C Leahy, M Mawhinney.

BANDON GRAMMAR: M Mellett (GK); S Houston, S Sullivan, L Copithorne, G Kingston, V Burns (capt), A Taylor, A O’Leary, L Buttimer, K Coombes, C Helen.

Rolling subs: D Obialor, C Smyth, L Judge, L Nyhan.

Umpires: B Madden & F Kelleher.

USA-bound Upton bids to sign off on a high

Alan Good — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:21:02 +0000

Róisín Upton will bid to crown a magnificent Munster schools hockey career by leading Crescent College Comprehensive to a third successive Munster Senior Schoolgirls Cup success at Rosbrien, Limerick today (2pm).

Roisin Upton: Set to attend University of Connecticut, America's fourth-ranked hockey college, next season. Picture: Ondine Roche

The Irish youth Olympian midfielder – who has accepted a scholarship from the USA’s number four hockey college, University of Connecticut, for next season - leads her side into battle against Bandon Grammar looking for another senior crown to add to a haul that also includes two junior cups and a minor cup.

Having missed most of the league campaign with a fractured foot, Upton returned for the cup semi-final battles with Ursulines Thurles, in which Crescent eventually prevailed 1-0 in a replay following a 0-0 stalemate in the first tie.

Clodagh Moloney, Karen Fitzgerald and the Barrett sisters, Lisa and Michelle, will lead Crescent’s charge but their hopes could yet be dashed by a Bandon Grammar side who have also shown grafting qualities en route to the final as they bid to annex a first title since 2009.

Caroline McHugh’s side is the more experienced, with Vicky Burns, Acacia Taylor and Laura Buttimer all set to play crucial roles while Lorraine Copithorne’s pace is a huge asset at set pieces at both ends of the pitch.

They quelled a free-scoring Scoil Mhuire side in the semi-finals but Crescent’s defence, manned by Fitzgerald, have nonetheless proved an equally tough nut to crack.

Short corners could therefore decide it, with the winner going on to represent Munster in the Kate Russell All-Ireland championships, though just one side from the southern province – Mount Mercy in 2006 – has won that competition in the past 15 years.

Bandon wear down stubborn Newtown

Alan Good — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:46:30 +0000

Bandon Grammar School saw off the possibility of a shock defeat in Waterford as they rallied in the second half to see off Newtown 4-1 in the Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup quarter-final today.

Last year’s beaten finalists, seeking a first title since 2009, went behind inside the opening minutes to a Wilko Von Schaeffer goal for the hosts.

Newtown deservedly held that lead until half-time as Sam Butler and Ben Doyle enjoyed good games in midfield while Sliabh Wells starred between the sticks.

Ben Scott: Munster U18 forward was on the scoresheet for Bandon Grammar in their win over Newtown. Picture: Donal Warren

Jamie Petch created danger up front with few touches while Luke Fitzherbert worked tirelessly to keep his side’s noses in front.

But Bandon, coached this year by John Dennis, turned the screw in the second half, as Scott Sullivan’s guile and experience began to tell.

They levelled it when Ben Scott bashed in an alert corner rebound before Darren Sweetnam – recently given his debut by the Cork senior hurlers and starring for two Munster rugby sides – showed his hockey touches haven’t been dulled by his commitments to other sports, as he reversed home a corner rebound from a tight angle.

Mark Kingston then touched home at the back post from a crash ball and Julian Dale flicked home from close range to make it safe.

That sees Bandon through to a semi-final appointment with Ashton – a repeat of the 2011 final – on a provisional date of March 9.