Drumree 3-20  St Patricks 0-8

Saturday’s clash took place in Ashbourne, where the pitch was in excellent condition, setting the stage for a high-quality contest. The weather held up well throughout, with dry conditions and a noticeable wind blowing into one end that would play its part as the game unfolded. After a mixed week for our adult hurlers, with one draw and one loss on the board, our Intermediate lads came into this fixture determined to turn things around and get the clubs back to winning ways.

The opening moments set the tone, as Evan got Drumree off the mark within the first minute, slotting over a well-taken free. He wasted no time in doubling his tally, finishing off a brilliantly worked move that involved slick passes from AJ and Josh. By the fourth minute, Sean Doyle showcased his striking range, stepping up from his own 65-metre line to send a free straight over the black spot with pinpoint accuracy. St Patricks went up the field but struck the ball wide. Seans vision shone again with the next puck out, picking out Cathal in full flight. Without breaking stride, Cathal opened his personal account with a fine score. Drumree’s intensity continued to show through midfield, where AJ burst forward, took on his marker, and split the posts with a classy effort, extending the lead to five points. 

St. Patrick’s finally settled into the game in the 9th minute, opening their account with a well-taken free. But any hopes of momentum were short-lived, as Lennan responded almost immediately with a top-class effort from along the sideline, a real highlight of the half. Josh followed suit shortly after, adding another well-earned point as Drumree kept the scoreboard ticking.

St. Patrick’s struggled to break down the Drumree defence, with the backs putting in a serious shift. The tackling was fierce, and at the heart of it all was Gaz Byrne. He was immense throughout the half, throwing himself into every challenge, emerging with the dirty ball time after time, and driving the team forward with real purpose. Gareth Rooney was equally solid, offering a calm, composed presence across the back line.

Up front, the forwards continued to deliver. Cathal showed great awareness to pick out Sean Kilcoyne in space, and the wing-forward made no mistake, striking cleanly to get his name on the scoreboard. Although St. Patrick’s managed their second point, again from a placed ball at the 17-minute mark, Drumree responded with grit and class. A tight battle in midfield saw Evan and Josh link up smartly, with a flick out to David Reilly, who made no mistake sending the ball over the bar.

St. Patrick’s nicked another point before the break, but the response from Drumree was textbook. From the puck-out, Sean Doyle picked out Keith Rooney in acres of space. Keith made a clean catch, turned, and calmly slotted it over to stretch the lead once again.

As the half drew to a close, Drumree weren’t finished yet. In one of the best moves of the game, Gaz Byrne burst out from full back with the ball, driving forward with real intent. Spotting Cathal in the corner, he pinged a perfect pass into his path. Cathal didn’t break stride, he skinned his marker, bounced the sliotar off the ground, and rifled it low into the bottom corner. A clinical finish that summed up Drumree’s dominance.

At half-time, the scoreboard read Drumree 1-11, St. Patrick’s 0-4 

Drumree wasted no time after the break, with Evan getting the scoreboard ticking again inside the opening three minutes from a well-struck free. David Reilly added to the tally soon after, continuing his fine form in front of goal. Cathal, who had been a constant threat all game, wasn’t just finding the posts, he was drawing fouls and winning crucial frees, which Evan was only too happy to convert.

At the other end, Aidan Fraher was clearing his lines under pressure, but St. Patrick’s managed to find two points in quick succession, trying to claw their way back into the contest. However, the Drumree backs dug deep once again and were rewarded with a free from their own 65-metre line. Into the wind, up stepped Sean Doyle, and just like in the first half, he made it look easy, striking it clean over the black spot.

The momentum stayed with Drumree, and once again, the McCormack name lit up the scoreboard. One goal wasn’t enough for Cathal, and this time he went low to the bottom right corner, showing serious composure and variety in his finishing. Lennan then chipped in with two fine points back-to-back, continuing to punish the St. Patrick’s defence. Cathal was at it again soon after, this time opting to take his point as Drumree widened the gap further.

With the result now all but sealed, Drumree kept their foot on the gas. On the final puck of the ball, Cathal got possession 30 yards out, turned his man, and blasted it into the top right corner to complete a sensational hat-trick,a fitting end to a dominant display.

While the scoreboard may suggest a one-sided affair, it certainly didn’t reflect the full story of the game. The lads showed pure determination, heart, and fight from the first whistle to the last. St. Patrick’s never lay down and kept pushing Drumree all the way, making them earn every score. Up front, the forwards were in flying form, with the McCormack family contributing an outstanding 3-5 from play, a testament to their leadership and skill throughout the match. Another standout feature of the performance was the exceptional free-taking display from Evan Curley and Sean Doyle. Evan was flawless throughout, calmly slotting over every opportunity that came his way, On the other end, Sean Doyle’s long-range efforts were nothing short of superb — striking frees from his own half, even into the wind, with effortless precision. Together, they formed a free-taking duo that gave Drumree a serious edge and kept the scoreboard ticking. With leadership like that across the pitch, the lads now look ahead to their next outing in a fortnight’s time. Keep an eye on upcoming fixtures.

Drumree: Sean Doyle, Gareth Rooney, Gaz Byrne, Oran O’Riordan, Aidan Fraher, Kevin Hally, Niall Gavin, David Reilly (2), Aj Collins (1), Evan Curley (7, 6f), Cathal McCormack (3-2), Josh Wall (1), Lennan McCormack (3), Keith Rooney (1), Sean Kilcoyne (1).

Subs: Mark Deavany replaced Sean Kilcoyne & Paul Walsh replaced Aj Collins

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