Kilmallock u10s travelled to Mungret to compete for the Pa O’Brien perpetual trophy and brought the cup back to the Balbec in fine style. Kilmallock edged out a fine Broadford side in their first match. Shane Dowling and Gearoid Enright bagged critical goals while the backs, to a man, held firm into the teeth of the wind in the second half.
Kilmallock then beat Mungret Red in the second group game with excellent all round displays in a match which was lit up by scores from Cian Casey and Jamie Flaherty. Cian Barrett and John Paul Houlihan delivered all action displays and James Collins, Liam Murphy, Jack Moore and Conor O’Dwyer kept a tight hold at the back. When Mungret did threaten, Evan Heffernan proved as solid as ever in goals.
A short break for refreshments and then back out for the final against Mungret White. Kilmallock picked up where they left off and put in an outstanding display to claim the trophy. Gavin Freeney flashed 2-01 while Sean and Robbie Maguire both did superb work, setting up goals by chasing down lost causes.
Overall, a great day out and a well-deserved win for the boys who showed wonderful sportsmanship, work rate and team ethic from start to finish. They were a credit to themselves, their families, their club and their parish.
A big thank you to our friends in Mungret St Paul’s GAA club who were such excellent hosts and to all the other participating teams who made for such a great tournament. Our thanks also to those parents and friends who travelled and supported the lads so well.
