The arrival with players chatting, getting used to the pitch, doing there own little bits n pieces, getting help from fellow players in the process and the warmup proper…..you could see that it all bode well.
The match itself, WOW, for the neutral, (there weren’t many of those) it would be fair to say it was entertaining. For all those involved, Parents and Guardians, Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts, Sisters and Brothers, Club Officials…enthralling, exhausting, agonising, jubilant and rapturous.
Garryowen had the honour and chose to kick short, Bohs started how they meant to continue, the forwards getting over the gain line with strong carries and attending to the breakdown to secure good ball.
Early pressure from Bohs resulted in two penalties, one converted by Ryan Angely. We were starting to see a pattern emerge, Garryowen utilising the kicking game, our back line returning with ball in hand at speed.
There was a flow to Bohs play, a rhythm, mixing it up, getting around the corner, punching holes in the Garryowen defence and moving the ball to the edge giving the backline a chance to a have a cut.
As ever the pictures from our own Sports Photo Journalist Ms. Alie Lacey painted a picture by themselves
Alie managed to get the first try on film and its included below, a messy ball picked up on the right and moved through the hands of the backs, with a lovely fix and pass from Ryan Angely and ‘give it and support’ from Cormac Devitt to see Cian Hannon run in from the wing under the posts, 29 minutes in to the first half.
Bohs kept the pressure on with and without ball preventing Garryowen from getting out of their own half for the next nine minutes of play.
So half time with the score line reading 10 to Bohs and the men in light blue yet to register.
Garryowen came out with intent in the second half matched by fierce defensive work from the Bohs XV including a passage where Bohs resisted on their own try line.
To a man, every Bohs player stood up to the challenge posed, dealing head on with the carries from the Garryowen pack to getting off the line and into the receivers ‘play station circle’.
It was 16 minutes into the second half (albeit with stoppages through injury) before Bohs were out of their own half, a strong kick chase to set up the next phase of the game.
The body language was good, the attitude was immense.
The next 11m saw Bohs secure possession and territory, working hard to get over the gain line, get over the ball and move it through the hands.
The second try came from Brendan Morrissey hunting down a line break, tackling the ball carrier in to touch.
From the resulting line out, possession was secured through the skills and determination of Stephen Bissett and Ben O’Connell; the ball out the back Enda Collins who picked out Brendan Morrissey running a good line over the gain line, a nice off load to Caden Smith who deftly returned the offload favour back to Young Morrissey who moved the ball quickly to Ryan Angely.
Ryan fixed the defender nicely releasing Cormac Devitt, Garryowen scrambling on the drift and with Evan Boland running a nice support line outside…Cormac stepped back inside to score under the posts…time to draw breath with the score line 17-0 to Bohs and time well and truly running out.
Garryowen for their part never gave up and tried to the final whistle but it was not to be.
They say you have to lose one to win one, maybe, what I would say is that the team were certainly not going to let the occasion or the opportunity pass them bye; Bohs heading to the winners enclosure delighted with their victory.
Underage teams develop over time and the progression over the last couple of months was apparent and well earned.
In conclusion, Young lads happy and smiling, having given it their all, being with their teammates and enjoying that winning feeling…..
A great way to finish but really this team are just getting started.
Housekeeping
Medal presentation this Friday 13th of May in the Pavillion at U.L. …keep an eye on the Group Messaging.
Starting XV
15. Cormac Devitt, 14. Cian Hannan, 13. Ryan Angley, 12. Cillian Lacey, 11. Garry Slevin, 10. Enda Collins, 9. Odhran Gilroy, 1. Caden Smith, 2. Michael Landers, 3. Andrew Berkery, 4. Stephen Bissette, 5. Sean O’Riordan, 6. Ben O’Connell, 7. Brendan Morrissey (Capt.), 8. Kevin Griffin
Impact:
Evan Boland, Lee Hogan, Rowan Guinan, Martin Hourigan, T.J. Keogh, Cillian O’Neill, Luke O’Toole, Joshua Power
Panel:
Oisin Connolly, Ethan Dineen, Sam Faherty, Conor Forde, Brian Lane, Jack Meegan, Eoin O’Sullivan, Dawid Stencel, Donagh Vaughan
