JUNIOR Bs COMPLETE 3-IN-A-ROW WEST HURLING TITLES !!

West JUNIOR B Hurling Championship Final replay,1998,at Feenagh.

Newcastle West.....................................................................................1-17

adare...........................................................................................................1-04

“The best wine until last” is how one might fittingly describe this victory (and third championship in a row West Championship win) at Feenagh on Monday last.  It was the best performance given by this team this year and the best answer possible to those who predicted an easy win for Adare (an understandable pessimism maybe based on poor second half display four weeks ago against the same opposition and last Saturday’s defeat by Cappamore).

A pre-match counting of heads didn’t encourage optimism. Various circumstances made Mike Sammon, Michael O’Grady, Seanie Gleeson and Pa Meehan unavailable.  Excellent hurlers, old dogs for the hard road, key men this year and last year in ’97.  Were the fates conspiring against us?

If the fates were testing out the calibre of the characters of our B’s, they quickly got their answer.  Right from the throw in, the pedal was to the metal, the foot was on the accelerator, the team was in top gear.  The backs were tight on their opponents, midfield was in control, the forwards knew where the posts were. At half time, playing into the dressing room goal, we lead 0-8 to 1-3.

In the second half the pressure was increased.  Adare were held to 0-1 while we scored 1-9.  There was no let up.  The lesson of four weeks ago had been learned.  Then we had “scotched the snare not killed it”.  Now there was no complacency or presumption.  Keep at it until the final whistle.

First and foremost, this was a team victory.  Everybody played very well, those who started and those who came on.  There was spirit, discipline, effort, determination and single-mindedness.  Alan O’Connor had an exceptional game.  Sixteen this year, making the team from the beginning for the first time, he scored 0-12.Again,well done to all!!

TEAM:Mike Sammon;Kenneth Mortell,Liam Keane,Paul Devine;Brian Hanley,Joe Lee,James Hennessy;Tony Ahern(Capt),Carl Lenehan;Derek Power,David Hurley,Damien O'Connell;Tommy Quinn,Joe McMahon,Alan O'Connor.SUBS: