The mens 1s made the trip down to Farmer’s Cross to kick off their EYHL 2 campaign against Cork Harlequins last Saturday. The squad was eager to get off to a strong start in this competition while also playing with a point to prove after suffering a disappointing first round exit in the Irish Senior Cup to Harlequins.
The first quarter set the pace for the remainder of the game with both teams flying out of the blocks. The end to end action included chances for both teams with Jaume making some key saves but neither team capitalised and the first quarter ended in a stalemate.
The bulls struck first in the opening minutes of the second quarter. A winding Kevin Murray run and brilliant backhand pass found John McNally in acres of space in the Quinns’ D, who calmly slotted the ball away. Unfortunately the lead didn’t last for long as Harlequins equalised from a penalty corner moments later.
Harlequins then took the lead in the 3rd quarter with a well worked move along the baseline but their lead didn’t last long. Clontarf piled the pressure onto Harlequins defence creating multiple chances and subsequently equalising through a perfectly executed penalty corner. Davyn Keuter rifled the ball into the top corner putting Clontarf back on even terms.
With it all to play for in the last quarter both teams went toe-to-toe to take home all 3 points. The game opened up massively in the last 10 minutes with cards being shown to both sides and chances arising for either team to nick the winning goal. The game ended 2-2 with both teams sharing the points.
Although we didn’t leave with maximum points there were plenty of positives to take from the game. The squad is looking forward to building on this performance going forward, with crucial fixtures approaching in the league and it still all to play for in EYHL 2.
Final score: 2-2
Goal scorers: John McNally and Davyn Keuter
Match Report: Mens 1s vs the Cork Harlequins, Away, Saturday 23rd October
Written by: Jack Sheahan