"On a drizzly and grey Sunday morning, the U15 Hurling squad assembled on pitch 14 in St. Annes Park for their forth league game against Naomh Barróg. With each team occupying a similar mid-table position prior to this match, the result would have an immediate impact on the table. 

Having drawn their last game in a thrilling encounter against a competent Ballyboden St. Ends team, the boys of St. Finians U15 were eager to get back on the pitch to put their training under John Walsh to the test.

Although the rain had stopped, the game got underway with conditions still slippy. Surrounded by the sound of whistles from three or four other games in a busy St. Annes, it was St. Finians that got off to the better start with an early shot that appeared goal bound pinging off the upright. Despite this, the first half was a cagy affair with both sides threatening to break out but neither finding their flow so scoring opportunities remained at a premium for these very evenly matched teams.

With the halftime score at 0-4 v 0-3 in favour of St. Finians the second half would belong to the team that was willing to push on to find the next level of intensity in their approach to this game. 

During the half-time team talk the players felt they had more to give and committed to tightening up their marking and upping the physicality that they would bring to 50/50 balls. Communication was also singled out by the players as an area they would improve during the second 30.

The match resumed with St. Finians now playing up the slight pitch 14 hill. Fininans opened their scoring account early in the second half which was a sign of things to come. A much improved intensity was now evident in the Finians play. Although Barróg were well able to match this, eventually the pressure started to pay off and scoring opportunities began to unfold.

The second half was defined by a total & collective team effort inspired by some incredible "not an inch" individual contributions across the pitch, St. Finians eventually ran out as winners on a scoreline of 3-9 to 0-6.

A number of U15 players were unavailable for selection this morning due to illness. To shore up numbers, U15 are very grateful to Darragh Kennedy, Matthew Partridge and Noah Dodrill from the U14 who stepped up to provide cover this morning.

Eamon McGlade"