College side has semi trip
March 08, 2010The panel of players had a new look to its makeup with no fewer than 9 new faces from a year earlier. The team travelled to London and then took the train to Birmingham where the tournament has been held for the past number of years. With 23 teams in the Plate Championship, the teams were divided into four groups with NY getting Aberthay (Scotland) Nottingham, Huddersfield, and Brighton (All England) as their opponents. The side had played Huddersfield and Nottingham before with the Robin Hood boys their opponents in the semi Final of 2009. With just one team coming out of each group it left little to spare in the way of grace. The starting lineup for its first game of the 13 a side tournament against Aberthay (Scotland) was as follows 1 Kevin McArdle (Celtics) 2 Thomas Brady (St Barnabas) 4 Dennis Kilkenny (St Raymond's) 5 Eoghan Kyne (St Rays) 6 James Huvane (St Rays) 7 Thomas Huvane (St Rays) 8 Nick Mangan (Rockland) 9 Emmitt Woods (Rockland) 10 Sean McGrath (Rockland) 11 Thomas McGovern (St Barnabas) 12 Shane Carty (Rangers) 13 Pat Casey (Rockland) 15 Sean Brady (St Rays) Subs CJ Molloy (Celtics) Paudie Kyne (St Rays) Steve Greaney (St Barn) James Mulligan (St Barn) John White (Rockland) Steve Gomez ( St Rays).
The team burst from the gate in the first contest in the games that were ten minute halves. It was all Shane Carty from an attacking standpoint as he had the four New York scores in the first half against their opponents. One from a free, two when he linked with James Huvane and McGovern before he fisted over after a run for the fourth. CJ Molloy who was carrying an injury throughout came off the bench for the next two points as the second half opened before a full field move that involved, Kilkenny, Paudie Kyne, Woods and then Sean Brady ended with Brady finding the net. A Carty point ended the scoring for a 1-07 to 0-00 final. The forwards won the honors but excellent defensive work by Eoghan Kyne, James Huvane and Denis Kilkenny paved the way. Game two had a history as Nottingham had actually lost a group game last year for the opportunity to play NY in the Semi Final. That back fired on them as history showed and this encounter had a far worse effect on them. It ended with New York winning 2-06 to 0-00. Carty was again in the scoring charts with 1-02; Sean Brady had the second goal, while Thomas McGovern with 0-02 CJ Molloy and Nick Mangan rounded out the scoring. It was 1-03 to 0-00 at the break with James Huvane winning a breaking ball before the break to set up Carty for the goal. Emmitt Woods did very well to set up CJ's point while Nick Mangan was enjoying the middle of the field thus far in the tournament. Game three versus Brighton was the easiest of the afternoon with getting in on the scoring act. 1-05 to 0-00 up at the break, Shane Carty had the first three points before Sean McGrath hit the foot of the post and converted his rebound to the net. McGovern and Carty had two further points that sandwiched a very good Kevin McArdle save when Brighton had their only attack of consequence. To open the second half Eoghan Kyne fired what looked like the point of the day until it snuck under the bar for an opportunist goal from 45 yards out. James Huvane had a point from a fifty after a chance by Paudie Kyne went off a defender before a further 1-02 clinically finished the game. The biggest scare of the group stages came from an unlikely source in Huddersfield in the final outing of Saturdays fixtures. The English squad bolted into a three point to zero lead after four minutes. It took NY time to settle but excellent play by Denis Kilkenny at the back straightened the ship. Sean McGrath got the side back in the contest with a goal before Shane Carty had a point before the break. CJ Molloy was sprung from the bench to open the second half and what a spur he was. 2-01 in four minutes with two left footed drives to rattle the net finished the game as a contest. McGrath had a fisted point while Tom McGovern completed the scoring to finish the game 3-04 to 0-03. The side was through to the semi final with The University of East London on the horizon. The NY scorers for Saturday were as follows, Carty 1-13, Molloy 2-03, McGrath 2-01, Brady 2-00, McGovern 0-04, E Kyne 1-00, White 1-00, Casey 0-01, Mangan 0-01, Huvane 0-01, for a total of 9-24.
On to the semi final then with a place in the final for the second year running on the line. The team lined out as its first game with one change. Steve Gomez was in for Emmitt Woods who was carrying a nasty arm injury that had eight stitches in it, a memento of the NY snow storm. Five minutes in he was introduced however in a straight swap for Gomez as London exploded out the gate. The eventual winners piled 1-06 on the board as they used attacking defenders who helped to account for 1-05; their wing back had two points from play while their corner back created 1-03 with advancing runs. The half's were 20 minutes each way and it took all of 18 of them before Shane Carty had NY's only point of the first stanza. New York had a goal to bring them back into the game as the second half opened. A long ball from James Huvane was flicked to the net by Sean Brady. A free for London made the score 1-01 to 1-07 before a running Shane Carty had a fisted point. Again London responded however with a brace of points to complete their scoring. NY was still battling and it is fair to say that a couple of refereeing decisions left the onlookers scratching the head. They would not have changed the game, there are no illusions here, the better team was leading, however CJ Molloy was booked on one occasion for what, perhaps the Queen knows! While NY were on a break away on another occasion in the second half when the ref stopped the game for an injured London player, restarted it with a throw up that resulted in a London point in the other direction. That's a new one, as you stop the game when the ball goes out of play unless it is a head injury. They continued to battle however and were rewarded when Molloy was pulled down for a penalty in the last minute, Shane Carty responded with a goal to the left corner to complete the scoring. The end result was disappointing but the team certainly battled with NY pride to the finish.
There was a host of stars for New York over the two day period. To put it in NY terms the draft day in New York this season will need to be full of these players who wore the shirt with such pride. Kevin McArdle was not tested for long periods but certainly had an excellent tournament. His kick outs gave the team a chance and he made a couple of timely saves and catches. Denis Kilkenny was player of the day on Saturday, great marking jobs and good outlet passes. Eoghan Kyne and James Huvane were excellent in the halfback line, a facial injury to Kyne in the semi did not help the side, he was spitting blood for twenty minutes. Nick Mangan despite carrying an injury into the tournament had an excellent two days, His Rockland partner Emmitt Woods battled throughout, despite playing with what amounted to one arm he had a distinct effect on the semi when he arrived. Shane Carty fired 1-13 over the five games, an impressive total. Some of his fisted points were top class. Sean McGrath was a battling scavenging forward and always seemed to come out with the ball. CJ Molloy could hardly walk but grapped 2-03 while changing the Huddersfield game and giving London a lot to think about. The bench helped immensely with Steve Greaney and John White being used in a number of positions to good effect.
The British University Championship committee is delighted each year to have New York as visitors; they state it in the media, and unequivocally to the visiting party. The panel each year makes a statement by always running the winners to the wire. Lessons are learned and time moves on. The Holy Grail of victory is very close. The next step for an American side must be a challenge against the New York senior team. It has been spoken off for a number of years, now would be a perfect opportunity to go ahead with it. Tweet
