Clontibret club notes
September 01, 2015
Senior Championship
The draw for the championship quarter final sees us play Ballybay which will take place in Blayney this Saturday at 3pm. Best wishes to all.
Senior League
We are due to play Truagh on 19th September.
Minor League
Clontibret got the better of the Harps to win the Division 1 shield final played in Tyholland in extremely tough playing conditions last week. We came from behind to score a goal on either side half time to lead by 5 points. Both teams exchanged scores with Clontibret opening up an 8 point lead entering the final 8 minutes as the Harps rallied to provide a exciting finish. Clontibret held on to win on a score line 2-10 to 1-10. Well done to all the players for their hard work and dedication all year and to Des, Padraig and Brian for their time and effort with this group of lads all year. It's good to end it on a high note.
U16 League
The final will be against Blayney or Cremartin, possibly on 3rd September but that has yet to be confirmed.
U14 League
We have home advantage in the semi-final this Saturday at 12pm v Seans. Good luck lads.
U12 Division 3 League Final
Saturday August 29th saw our u12 footballers make the journey to Blackhill for the final of the Division 3League where we took on a much fancied Inniskeen team. Inniskeen had dished out a heavy defeat to the O'Neills earlier in the campaign and the news that our captain Caolan Keenan had suffered a broken arm in the days leading up to the final meant that the odds looked to be firmly stacked against us. The O'Neills realised they would have to up their performance on the big day and they did just that.
Clontibret brought the game to the opposition straight from the off and registered an early lead thanks to scores from the razor-sharp inside forward line of Lorcan Brennan and Mark Fitzpatrick. Helped by the impressive midfield duo of Aaron Carey and Conor Moran, Clontibret continued to exert some early dominance on the game. The excellent half-back pairing of Dara Brennan and Lewis Brady were the catalyst for many of the team's early attacks with Brady in particular driving forward brilliantly at every opportunity. As the half progressed Inniskeen began to find their feet and put our back line under pressure. However the extremely impressive and tenacious full-back line of Shane Myers and Kyle Dunlop excelled at keeping the opposition scores to a minimum. Myers had the task of trying to contain the Inniskeen danger man and did so superbly with tackling that many of our senior players would be proud of. The superb half forward line of Eodhran Keenan and Josh Lowey worked tirelessly to keep us on top as the half moved towards its climax and on the whistle we held a 3 point lead on a scoreline 2-5 to 0-8.
The middle third gave the full panel of players the chance to show off their vast array of skills and they did just that. With Ciaran Doyle dominating midfield and the terrier-like Matthew McVicar and Ryan Greenan winning plenty of primary possession, we laid siege to the Inniskeen goal. The strong forward line of Henry Kelly and Emmett McSkeane helped keep the Inniskeen back-line busy. The strong defence of Shane McCully, Ben Shannon and Ian Walsh worked their socks off at the back when called upon and helped the boys break even during this very competitive part of the game. The performance from the players during this period proved just how hard it was for the management to pick the first 11 players on the day.
The crucial final third of the game exploded into life with both sides registering early goals. Clontibret goalkeeper Shane Mc Cully was busy in the early stages but was rock-solid under pressure and more than a match for anything that came his way. The boys worked tirelessly to repel the Inniskeen forward line time and time again. Eventually though the Inniskeen dominance did pay dividends as the established a 5 point lead. The O'Neills did not cave in however and displayed great courage and determination to drag themselves back into the game. An Aaron Carey screamer helped bring the sides level with 7minutes remaining. The closing stages were enthralling with incredible determination on show from the O'Neills. The noise and excitement in the stands showed just what a show these young boys were putting on for the fans. Unfortunately the power of the opposition swung it in their favour and a late 3-pointer sealed the game for them. Try as they might, the O'Neills could not find a way back into the game and at the final whistle the scoreboard read Inniskeen 3-11 Clontibret 3-7.
Although the result did not go their way in the end, the performance of the boys on the day was superb. The skill levels of the players who range from 10 year olds to 12 was fantastic to see. The fact that most of the players are still under 12 next year shows just how well this group of players did to get to this final. The future is definitely bright for club with such a talented bunch of players coming down the tracks.
U10
We're hosting an U8/U10 blitz this Saturday. We are also hosting an U10 blitz on 29th September at home also starting at 10am.
Training as normal this Wednesday at 6pm.
U8
We'll be hosting a double blitz for u8s and u10s this Saturday morning at our field. Clubs attending will be Castleblayney, Carrickmacross and Aughnamullen. Games begin at 10am sharp so it's important for everybody to be there for 9.30am sharp.
We also are hosting an U8 Blitz on 12th September at home starting at 10am.
U6
Training again this Friday evening from 6.30pm to 7.15pm.
Funding Thanks
Clontibret GAA wish to acknowledge funding received from Monaghan County Council Community & Environmental Grant Scheme. This funding was used to upgrade the ladies toilet at O'Neill Park.
Sympathy
Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the late Bridie McQuaid, Annasera. Bridie was predeceased by her husband Packie, who captained our first championship winning team in 1949. Ar dheis De go rabih a anam dílis.
