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CRUISE CONTROL
 By
Graham Clifford
As attentions in Warwickshire hurling start moving towards this year’s
Nicky Rackard Cup competition starting in late June the Junior hurling
side provided the perfect springboard for optimism in the county with
a comprehensive nine-point win over Leitrim on Saturday.
Three second-half goals from Brendan Horgan, Martin Morrisey and Colum
Hunter ensured the men from the Midlands would claim a well-earned victory
at Pairc na hÉireann by 3-13 to 1-10.
Leitrim will also be competing in this year’s Nicky Rackard competition
and judging by the ease with which Warwickshire brushed them aside at
the weekend there’s real reason for hope in the coming months.
In last year’s All-Ireland Football Championship Kerry deployed
the tactic of sending ball into their beanpole-forward Kieran Donaghy
whenever the chance presented itself. The strategy worked to a tee and
the Kingdom went on to lift the Sam Maguire.
On Saturday in Birmingham Warwickshire adopted a similar strategy with
equal levels of success.
The men in black and white sent ball into the danger areas whenever they
could and the ploy sent alarm bells ringing in the Leitrim back-line as
they attempted to break the Midlanders’ waves of pressure.
While Warwickshire’s margin of victory was impressive the game was
anybody’s until a hat-trick of goals flew past Alan O’Shea
in the visitors’ goal.
Hogan’s opening goal threw the scoring gates wide open for the hosts
while Des Kelly was imperious from the dead-ball sending over free after
free to keep Leitrim chasing a sizeable lead in the last quarter of this
dramatic and entertaining Leinster Hurling Shield clash.
The obvious fact that neither side hail from Leinster must have had some
visitors to Pairc na hÉireann scratching their heads but once the
action began questions of how the GAA devise such competitions disappeared.
Any hopes Leitrim had of catching Warwickshire were washed away when Martin
Morrisey finished to the net after catching a cross-field ball from scorer
turned provider Horgan.
Though the home side took their foot off the pedal in the last quarter
they did raise the green flag with five minutes remaining when Colum Hunter
nutmegged the unfortunate Leitrim keeper to round off a memorable day
for the magical Midlanders.
Meanwhile in Greenford the Warwickshire junior footballers didn’t
have as successful an afternoon going down to London by five points.
n For a full match report from the Warwickshire v Leitrim Leinster Junior
Hurling Shield clash see page 57. |
