Barry Egan scored three goals in a pulsating Under-10 (B) Final in sun-drenched Banagher on Sunday, September 5th. In perfect hurling conditions, Ferbane/Belmont beat a gallant CRC team by 18 points in the 2004 decider to bring home its first U-10 county title. It took both teams a little while to settle down before Barry Egan scrambled the ball over the line on 9 minutes after great work by Ciaran Cahill and Darragh Corbett to win possession in the middle of the field. 6 minutes later the same Darragh Corbett struck over a fine point from 20 yards after a poor clearance from the CRC defence. Barry Egan was on hand again on 18 minutes to put Ferbane/Belmont even further ahead. A good ground stroke from Centre-half forward Rory Doolin was pushed away by the CRC net minder only for Barry to latch on to it. He calmly lifted the slioter and crashed it to the back of the net. The match was just about ended as a contest two minutes later when David Kelly scored a wonder goal. Eoghan Lowry pucked out from a CRC wide, it was doubled on by Darragh Corbett and finished to the net in fine style by David Kelly who ran onto the ball and struck it low and hard to the bottom corner of the net. CRC did register their first score, a point just on half-time.
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CRC started the second half in determined fashion. Attack after attack was stopped by a heroic Ferbane/Belmont backline of an outstanding Brian Grehan, James Nally, Ciaran Cahill, Sean Milner and Raymond Mulhall. However it was CRC who opened the scoring with a good point after 5 minutes of play. This proved to be CRC's last potent attack as the Ferbane/Belmont midfield pairing of the outstanding Darragh Corbett and Michael Kenny seized the initiative and were rewarded on 11 minutes with a goal by the hard-working Joseph Maher. On 19 minutes Barry Egan was on hand once again for his third goal when his shot was partially saved by the CRC goalkeeper before the sliotar crept over the goal line. Darragh Corbett scored directly from the resultant puck-out with a speculative shot that dipped under the crossbar to give Ferbane/Belmont their sixth goal. And just to finish off a fantastic display, it was He who scored the last point of the game on 21 minutes. Great credit must go to the under -10 squad on this great win having been beaten by CRC gaels in the qualifying stages. Their determination and teamwork was intense for the full sixty minutes. The final whistle was met with rapturous applause from both sets of supporters and also when a proud Ciaran Cahill was presented with the competition shield. Congratulatons to everybody involved especially the team management of Aidan Kelly and Paddy Egan.
From the exellent goalkeeper Eoghan Lowry, Full-backs Brian Grehan and James Nally, Half-backs Sean Milner, Ciaran Cahill and Raymond Mulhall, Midfielders Darragh Corbett and Michael Kenny, Half-forwards Rory Doolin, David Kelly and Joseph Maher, and full-forwards Conor Harrington and Barry Egan and to all the subs, this was one of the great successes of underage hurling in the Ferbane/Belmont Minor Club. The committment and dedication of the entire panel and to the management of the team is an example to every team and proves that with the right attitude great things can be achieved. |