U-16 League v Charlestown match report
Charlestown 3-15 Gaeil Na Daibheidí 4-16
This U-16 League Div 2 match played in Charlestown on Thursday night was a cracking game, between two very well matched sides, with the Davitts/Mayo Gaels combination winning narrowly.
GND played with the assistance of the stiff wind in the first half and led by 1-13 to 2-5 at the break with a tidy Charlie Fallon goal, a couple of excellent two-pointers from midfielder Evan Heneghan and another brilliant two-pointer from centre-back Odhran O Connaire, proving to be key scores. The other first half points came from the boots of Evan Heneghan, Charlie Fallon (2), Odhran O Connaire, Niall Duggan and Noeli Jennings (2).
Charlestown were not going to go down without a fight and they narrowed the deficit to three points with a fine two-pointer in the second minute of the second period. Noeli Jenning replied for GND with a point in the 36th minute but the homeside cancelled that out a minute later. A Noeli Jennings goal in the 38th minute and another two minutes later via midfielder Aaron O Dea extended the visitors lead to nine points. Odhran O Connaire fired over his fourth point in the 41st minute but Charlestown came back strongly with a goal and two points. An Evan Heneghan goal in the 49th minute put GND eight up but Charlestown replied with two points in quick succession. Noeli Jennings pointed in the 54th minute, his side’s last score of the game. Charlestown threw everything they had at the visitor’s defence in the closing minutes but were restricted to a fine two-pointed effort and a single point thanks to brilliant defending, with Tom Roche, Eimhin Kenny, Ryan Duggan, Fionn Burke, Odhran O Connaire (0-4) and Jack Brogan working overtime to keep them out, while a point-blank save by goalie Jack Mullaney in the closing minutes was also crucial.
This was a very entertaining match, well reffed by Barry McDonnell, and a very good advertisement for the new rules. As well as the defence, the GND midfielders Evan Heneghan (1-5) and Aaron O Dea (1-0) worked tirelessly and while the influential Charlie Fallon (1-2), Ryan Judge and Noeli Jennings (1-4) were in top form up front, they got good support from Niall Duggan (0-1), Adam Rattigan and Caden Heneghan.
