Trim Juniors completed a memorable weekend for the hulers with this comfortable win in JHC semi final. The Town club now have Senior, Junior and Minor A championship finals to look forward to.

Trim 7-13 Dunboyne 4-9

The evergreen Leighton Massey hit the back of the net three times in six minutes in the first half of this pulsating Junior Hurling semi final played in Drumree yesterday afternoon. In fact Massey scored three goals and two points from the sixth to the sixteenth minute to amass an amazing scoring contribution in ten minutes. All the Trim team were simply outstanding in the first thirty minutes. It was quiet honestly the nearest thing to hurling perfection as anyone has ever witnessed.  

To say that Trim started of this match in whirl wind fashion would be an understatement. Trim had three goals and eight points on the score board before there was twenty minutes played. Dunboyne only response was a single point. The goals came in the sixth, tenth, and twelfth minutes all from the impressive Massey. One of these goals was of a strange variety as Joey Toole hit a rasper of a shot which many in the large attendance taught was heading for the back of the net, Massey intervened, he stopped the shot doubled on the ball to blast it to the net. In an interview after the match Massey said that Toolers shot was defiantly going wide and that he had no other option but to stop it and finish it off himself. Tooler was not of the same opinion but it did not matter as Trim had got a vital goal. Before half time the super Reds added another goal from the stick of Patrick Lennon, this goal came on the stroke of half time. Points from Joey Toole (0-5) Stephen Doyle (0-3)  Massey (0-2) and Pauric Payne (0-1) gave Trim a twenty one point lead at the half time whistle.

Half Time Score : Trim 4-11 Dunboyne 0-2

Trim again started the second half brightly with goals from Kevin Lennon two minutes into the half and another from the brilliant Joey Toole a minute later. These scores gave Trim a 27 point lead with twenty five minutes to play. Dunboyne to their credit fought back well, they introduced a few subs that boosted their forward division and scored two goals and seven points in the next fifteen minutes to reduce the Trim lead to fourteen points. Trim had taken the foot off the gas and needed to respond. The Trim management introduced some subs, Neil Cole, Sean Thornton, Kyle McCabe, John Delaney and Mark Murray all helped to steady the ship and all made vital contributions to this semi final victory. Trim got the next few scores from Toole (0-3) Patrick Lennon( 1-0) to close out the match with ease.

Goalkeeper Paul Mullen made many fine saves when Dunboyne chased the game looking for gaols in the second half. The full back line of Darragh Kennedy, Cian Walsh and Karl Keating never gave an inch and held their direct opponents scoreless in the first half. The often say that a good half back line is the launching pad to success and in Gary Conroy, Jamie Lee and Pauric Payne Trim had a truly brilliant half back line.

Youngster Payne contributed one of the scores of the game when he hit a point from play from almost ninety meters from beside the sideline on the dugout side of the Drumree pitch. A brilliant score from the youngster. The engine room of the Trim team at midfield were Jamie Hackett and Rory McGrath who worked tirelessly for the hour and gave great assistance to defence and attack as well as dominating the middle sector. Trim had a half forward line of pure brilliance, class and youthful exuberance. The class provided by Stephen “Barney” Doyle who scored three amazing long range points in the first half. Barney left nothing on the pitch he emptied the tank as he always does when he pulls on the red and white jersey. The youthful exuberance was provided by Kevin “Lefty “Lennon who has developed into a very good hurler both in the half back line and in the half forward line. He has great positional awareness and always does the right thing when in possession of the ball. To cap off a great performance Lefty scored a brilliant goal in the thirty second minute.

The brilliance and class in the half forward line was provided by Joey “Tooler” Toole, anybody that has seen this man play hurling over the years knows exactly what I mean. His stick work and skill is still second to none and he graced the pitch yesterday with his usual brilliant performance chipping in with one goal and eight points before the final whistle was blown. The Trim full forward line scored a total of five goals and three points. The man mentioned earlier Leighton “Pocher” Massey got three goals and two points and Patrick “Patchy Lennon chipped in with two very well taken goals. In Andrew “Provider” O’Brien Trim have a very good play maker, while the Provider does not get a lot of scores he always lays off the ball to make scores for his team mate.

Trim have strength and depth to their squad this year and all five subs introduced played vital parts when introduced to the match. John Delaney did some good work when brought on. Neil Cole provided stability when Dunboyne were looking for goals. Youngster Kyle McCabe who has suffered a lot of injury’s in the last twelve months is an able deputy for any position in defence. Sean Thornton was very unlucky not to hit the back of the net when introduced and is a great man to get a score. Mark Murray always works his socks off and makes a vital contribution to the team.

A thing worth mentioning is the performance displayed by Mark Reilly of the Kilmessan club. Mark was officiating at his first adult match since taking up the whistle just ten months ago. Mark gave a very assured display of refereeing and must be complemented on his professionalism before, during and after the match. He arrived early, had four umpires from the Kilmessan club with him, he also had a Kilmessan clubman doing lines man on the dugout side. The level of refereeing and professionalism displayed made a significant contribution to very enjoyable game of hurling.

Trim: Paul Mullen, Cian Walsh, Darragh Kennedy, Karl Keating, Pauric Payne (0-1), Jamie Lee, Gary Conroy, Jamie Hackett, Rory McGrath, Kevin Lennon (1-0), Joey Toole (1-8), Stephen Doyle (0-3), Andrew O’Brien, Leighton Massey (3-2), Patrick Lennon (2-0). Subs All Used: Sean Thornton, John Delaney, Kyle McCabe, Mark Murray and Neil Cole.

Dunboyne: P Brady, C Ahearn, S Moran, D Kane, K Doyle, D Dunne, J Gilmartin, L Kane, M O Connor 0-2, M Reilly, E Murphy, C Gilmartin 0-2, J Watters 0-3, S Clince, and J O Connor. Subs: C Mc Kay 0-1 for E Murphy T O Connor 1-2 for P Brady G O Keeffe for C Ahearn B O Hara 1-0 for M Reilly and C Geoghegan for J O Connor

Tweet

Most Read Stories