Junior B Semi-final v Hollymount Carramore match report
Hollymount Carramore 3-11 Davitts 2-14 (AET, Hollycarra win 4-3 on penalties)
Davitts and Hollycarra met in a very exciting county Junior B Championship semi-final in Claremorris on Sunday. The two evenly matched sides finished level after extra-time and Hollycarra won the penalty shootout 4-3.
Hollycarra played with the assistance of the wind in the first half and they led by 1-6 to 0-4 at half-time. Jack Devane, Ronan McNamara and Michael Conroy (2) were the Davitts scorers. Davitts upped the ante considerably after the break and early points from Michael Conroy (2), Darragh McGale (2) and Mark Birmingham saw the sides level after 42 minutes. Hollycarra goaled in the 43rd minute but this was cancelled out less than a minute later by a brilliant Darragh McGale goal, a neat finish after a fine move involving Stephen Nyland, Darragh McGale and Keith Prendergast. Davitts added points from Michael Conroy and Jack Devane in the 47th and 49th minutes. Hollycarra pulled one back in the 53rd minute but two more Davitts points from Cian Naughton and Michael Conroy had them three ahead with the game going into injury-time. Disaster struck for Davitts in the 62nd minute when an attempt for the insurance point was blocked down and Hollycarra broke for a late equalising goal in the last play of normal time.
Davitts got the perfect start in the first minute of extra-time with a Michael Conroy goal, after good approach play by Tommy Waldron and Keith Prendergast. Michael Conroy added a point in the 6th minute but two Hollycarra points left Davitts ahead by two after the first period of extra-time. The second half saw Hollycarra dominate but poor shooting limited them to a brace of points in that second period while Davitts failed to score. This led to a penalty shootout which Hollycarra won 4-3 in sudden-death. Davey Hennessy, Darragh McGale and Stephen Nyland kicked the three successful Davitts spot-kicks.
Best for Davitts in this game were Tristan Diskin, Brian Birmingham, Cian Naughton, Stephen Nyland, Jack Devane, Michael Conroy, Darragh McGale and Mark Birmingham.
Davitts: Tristan Diskin, Brian Óg McTigue, Brian Birmingham, Patrick Keadin, Michael Hett, Donie Ronayne, Sean Keadin, Cian Naughton (0-1), Stephen Nyland, Jack Devane (0-2), Brian Clarke, Fionn McLoughlin, Fearghal McGrath, Ronan McNamara (0-1), Michael Conroy (1-7). Subs used: Keith Prendergast, Darragh McGale (1-2), Mark Birmingham, Johnno Clarke, Davey Hennessy, Tommy Waldron, Dmitry Trench, Danny Corless, John Kilkenny.
