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Gosford & Melbourne pre-season Tournaments
Finalists at Gosford but victorious in Melbourne!!
Below is a full list of names for the 52 alcoholics, oddballs, perverts and deviants who’ve worn the Shamrocks colours so far in 2004. Many have since left our shores already.
Kilkenny: Nick Murphy, Nial Rohan, Ed (Mossy) Power, Brian Blanchfield, Tommy (Surf) Falconer, PJ Coady, Ken Moore. Cork: Bernard (Barnes) O’Callaghan, Conor (Conjo) O’Donovan, Brian Callaghan, John Crowley, Mick (Duckie) O’Callaghan, Galloping Gary Lane, Alan Lane, Mick Dunne, Brian Sweeney, Pat O’Riordan, Dave Buckley. Tipperary: Mark Rabbitte, Dara Rabbitte, Dickie (Cher) Norton, Derek Hayes, Michael Maher, Darren Keane, Owen Lane, Liam (Nuisance) Croke, Tom (Pookie) Fitzgerald, Mick Carroll, Pa Norton. Galway: Dave (Digga) Donohue, Paul (Mansell) Coen, Paul Collins, Phil O’Toole, Cathal Ryan. Clare: Anthont Coote, Pat McCormack, Eoin McInerney. Antrim: Eamon McFadden, Tim McFadden, Owen McGarry. Carlow: Eddie Byrne & Anthony 'Squeak' Ryan. Offaly: Dave Flaherty, Declan (Fleece) Maher. Wexford: Niall Maguire, John Barron. Laois: Declan Rooney, Jim McCann. Dublin: Declan (Deadly Buzz) Rafferty, Waterford: Liam (Dingo) Fleming, Meath: Paul Daly. Derry: Kieran Hinphy.
NSW CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL 2004
Sydney Shamrocks claim 4th title – GOOD ON YOUS!!!
Sydney Shamrocks claimed their 4th NSW Championship beating rivals Central Coast on a score of 3-14 to 2-11.
**********MATCH REPORT**********
SYDNEY SHAMROCKS RETAIN
NSW HURLING TITLE
Sydney Shamrocks 3 -14 Central Coast 2- 11
Sydney Shamrocks claimed their fourth NSW hurling title and the 21st
title in their brief eight year history with a convincing win over
their old rivals the Central Coast in Sydney last week. Going into the
game as underdogs against a Coast team that was unbeaten so far in the
Championship, it took an outstanding display from the Shamrocks six
forwards and in particular their all Kilkenny full forward line to
inflict a crushing defeat on the favourites for the title. The Central
Coast defence, which included Alan Cummins and Aidan Cummins of
Kilkenny and Cork fame respectively, which had carried them through in
many tight games this year, found the Shamrocks full line of Ken Moore
(1- 6), Niall Rohan (1- 3) and Gordon Byrne (1- 2) impossible to
contain. Indeed, the eventual substitution of both Cummins late in the
game with the score standing at 3-12 to 0-8 summed up a miserable day
for the Coast club.
Trevor Sutton of Kilmacow
opened the scoring for the Coast in the 3rd minute before Ken Moore
replied for the Shamrocks. Brendan Dalton of Dicksboro and Moore
exchanged points before Moore set up Gordon Byrne for a point to give
the Shamrocks the lead for the first time. Moore then set up Niall
Rohan for a point to extend the Shamrocks lead 0-4 to 0-2 before
outpacing the defence
and shooting a brilliant goal to give the Shamrocks a commanding lead.
Dermot Tierney then had a point for the losers before Gordon Byrne
fielded a long ball from full back Brian Sweeney and shot a great
point from the sideline. Further points from Mick Dunphy of Laois and
Sutton were replied to by a point from Moore to leave the half time
score 1-6 to 0-5 in favour of the Shamrocks.
Central Coast introduced Jimmy Comerford of O'Loughlin Gaels at the
interval and started the second half brightly with a point from
Brendan Costelloe of Ballyhale to close the gap to a goal. Shamrocks
defence and midfield continued to dominate however and the excellent
John Barron, PJ Coady and Michael O'Callaghan ensured that the losers
could not make any further headway. Tipperary half forwards Dara
Rabbitte and Darren Keane added points before Rohan outjumped Cummins
at full back and hammered the ball to the net for a brilliant goal.
Rohan added a point before a pinpoint pass from Moore to the goal
bound Gordon Byrne resulted in another well taken shamrocks goal and
ended the game as a contest.
Rohan added a brilliant point under pressure and Moore pointed the
shamrocks only score from a placed ball to leave the score line
shamrocks 3-11 coast 0-6 with only a few minutes remaining. Three
Dermot Tierney frees and a score from play from Dunphy reduced the
deficet before Moore and Rabbitte pointed again from play in reply.
Tierney from a free and Moore exchanged points before injury time
goals from Dalton and Tierney put a respectable look on the final
scoreboard .
Along with the defenders already mentioned , the shamrocks midfield of
John Treacy and Gary Lane were dominent throughout as were all six
forwards, the hardworking Conor O'Donovan, Rabbitte and Keane in the
half forward line but especially the full forward line - Man of the
Match the mercurial Ken Moore, the inspirational Niall Rohan and the
outstanding Gordon Byrne who contributed 3-11 to the Shamrocks total.
Best for the losers were Kilmacows Dermot Tierney and Trevor Sutton on
a day that all of their major players failed to fire.
Championship Semi-final spectacular
Anyone who was out in Auburn that day witnessed an exhilarating game of hurling that had everything – breakneck pace, end to end play, great individual skill, fierce physical commitment and ‘back from the dead’ comebacks (by both sides!!!). Losing by 7 points with less than 10 minutes to go Shamrocks recorded one of their greatest ever victories eventually winning by 3 points (Offaly ’94 eat your heart out!!). Best for Shamrocks were Michael ‘Duckie’ Callaghan, John Barron, PJ Cody and Anthony Coote. In the forwards Ken Moore, Niall Rohan and substitute Declan Rooney. We went into the final as underdogs against a supremely confident Central Coast outfit.
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LEAGUE DISAPPOINTMENT
Shamrocks lost the league final by an injury time point to the Central Coast 2-13 to 2-12.
At the start of the Championship campaign we suffered drain of hurling talent with lads returning home. Club stalwarts/veterans Brian Blanchfield & Derek Hayes left after years of sterling service plus Galway boys David Donohue & Paul Coen cut short their working holidays to return to wear the pink of Clarenbridge. Key Shamrocks forward Niall Maguire also went for an extended vacation up to Queensland in a big machine. As a result we lost the first 3 championship matches before a win against Michael Cusacks got us back on track. Another win against Craobh Padraig saw us meet Michael Cusacks in the semi-final.