Re: Barna GAA Notes Dec 16th 03
Last Sunday afternoon, despite losing to Moycullen in the final league game
of the 2003 Senior League , Barna are promoted once again after two years in
B to Division A Football. We have been there before , but then so has most
of the other senior clubs, over the years, swinging up and down from A to B.
It would be interesting to know what few clubs have not been relegated since
the four up and four down came into effect. I do not particularly agree with
but will accept it this year as Barna finished in the forth place.
Personally I have always felt that three up and three down between A and B
would more competitive. It would be interesting Barna went to a Moycullen’s
fine facility last Sunday, but the local fans must have gone elsewhere,
maybe Xmas Shopping ,as there was very little followers, supporting the home
team. This was very surprising considering that this was a crucial game with
a possible League Final Spot at stake. However the Moycullen Team , did not
seem to mind, the absence of their fans, as they ran up a three point lead
until Barna brought them down to earth with a fine goal from that man again,
Peadar Friel. This goal came after fifteen minutes, but Moycullen scored
again and continued to send over fine points from play until DD Flaherty
scored Barna first point of the game, just before the break. The real
turning point in the first half, was when Barna were thrown out of wack when
Ronan Rogers playing well at Half back and Eoin Mc Donagh at Full forward,
but went off injured. Now mind you Ronan came back later though the blood
substitution , but Eoin, who was doubtful anyway to start, with his
recurring Hamstring problem, had no choice but to put on his tracksuit, and
limp to the dressing room once again. With the score at 0-8 to 1-1 , it
seemed a bigger margin than it really was as Barna were playing poorly.
What a different Team Barna were as the second half began and within minutes
had reduced the score to a two point margin. In that period of eight
minutes after the restart, Barna missed another 1-2 in scores, especially
another goal effort from Peadar Friel, when the ball bounced of the
Goalkeeper shoulder and nobody else in the way ,and wide. Moycullen came
back into the game, when Barna man Paddy Duffy at centrefield, who was
playing well along side Davy Carr, had to leave the field of play and again
a Blood substitute was introduced, while he was been attended too for a long
period. In the final 10 minutes Barna, sprung to live again and reduced the
deficit to just three points with points from Carr ,DD Flaherty and Sean
Conlon. At this stage it looked as Barna might pull it out of the bag, but
the result was well and truly put top bed when the Barna Goalkeeper left his
line to come out to stop a Moycullen forward, but this was an incorrect move
as the ball was blasted by him to the empty net.
Actually Moycullen’s last two scores were
the two goals that divided the sides at the end.
Barna’s scores came from DD Flaherty (0-4 ), Peadar Friel ( 1-1 ), and one
each from Carr, Conlonand Fiagara Geraghty. The final Score was Moycullen
2-11 , Barna 1-8.
So as a disappointed Barna Team made their way to the Dressing room, I
waited with the reporter from Radio Na Gaeltacht, as the other results came
in. What was supposed to be an even better result for Moycullen ,turned to
disappointment as Mountbellows victory over Glenamaddy won them a place in
the League Final. However it was a much relieved Barna dressing room when I
entered to announce that word was now in that they were indeed officially
promoted, as a result of other scores on the day. It would have been indeed
nice to have qualified for the League final and another crack at Glenamddy,
but in saying that its a relieve to Martin McDermott the Barna Team Manager,
to now call an official end to the long season and ,not to have to call
players out for training again for this week.
So congratulations to Martin McDermott and the Barna Seniors for taking the
Club back up to Senior A Football once again. We did not do well in the
silverware department at adult level, but its been a good year for the Club
overall.
The Barna Team on Sunday was as follows, Sean Durkin, Mattie Gannon, John
Clifford , John Gannon, Enda Conneely, Donal Feeney, Roan Rogers, Davy Carr,
Paddy Duffy, Fiagara Geraghty, Sean Conlon, , Mattie Lawless, Peadar Friel,
Eoin McDonagh and DD Flaherty. Subs Adran O’Neill, Tommy Flaherty.
Our Annual Fundraiser Draw was held last Friday night at the Twelve Pins and
the lucky Sponsor Winner , whose name will appear on the Senior Jersey next
year 2004 is “Hughes Opticians “, Knocknacarragh. Congratulations to them
and thanks most sincerely to all our Sponsors.
Our AGM is fixed for January 18th, most likely at the Cillin ,at the back of
Barna Church.
The Annual Banquet is again fixed for the Galway Bay Hotel, on Saturday
March 6th. Dance music by Silkwood.
The Barna Lotto was not won , when numbers 2,6,14 and 24 were pulled.
However there were three Match three winners. The Jackpot is now up to 5,250
and the draw will take place at Paidraicins Pub in Furbo.
To conclude can I thank Jimmy Carney, Sports Editor for the Herald, John
McIntyre Sports Editor for the City Tribune and Ollie Turner Sports , Head
of Sports at Galway Bay FM, for assisting Barna GAA in our reports
throughout the year.
Slan agus Tog go bog e.