Last Saturday, it was a day for the small ball yet again as DC's hurlers and camogs took the field against our friendly local rivals. The hurlers took on Baltimore first in what was bound to be a classic match, and then played Richmond after. The Gaels camogie team played two games, first against Baltimore, and then against COVA. The hurlers maintained their undefeated status and the camogie team put in solid appearances against our Mid-Atlantic neighbors.
Camogie got the day started a few minutes before the lads on the other field. DC had a full squad of players out for the day, and took the field against (a team made up mostly of) Baltimore first. The relatively thick grass lent itself to jab lifting and kept the ball from moving too far on the ground, leading to an emphasis on the passing game. The women put in a strong team effort against Baltimore, but ultimately fell just short of clinching the win.
After a quick water, break, the camogs were back out on the field against a fresh (mostly) COVA team. The game against Baltimore was definitely sufficient for a warmup and getting the eye in, but it also cost the team in the running department. Hard to beat a squad of fresh legs when you've just played an hour of camogie! Regardless, the Gaels bagged a goal and a brace of points to take home. (see camogie photos here)
The first match of the day for the men was against a Baltimore squad that was very much up for the task. Baltimore's defense stymied several attempts on goal in the first quarter of the game, pushing more of the scoring focus back onto the midfield and half-forward line. Given the relatively short field and plush pitch conditions, the game was set to be a fairly high-scoring affair. The end of the first 30-minute half saw DC leading Baltimore by only a few points. In the second half, a set of blazing runs from Seamus McCreesh resulted in multiple penalties being awarded that were then duly converted by Tony Morrissey. The converted penalties combined with several excellent saves from stalwart net-minder Paddy McCabe saw the end of the contest finish in a comfortable win for the Gaels.
After a quick water break and stretch break, the lads were back out on the pitch against Richmond. A spate of newer players got to test their mettle against Richmond, with relative inexperience not proving that big a barrier for many. Even with a team including several first-year players, passing was fairly crisp, shooting was judicious, and the squad played will together as a unit. The game remained fairly tight until the last ten minutes, but despite the best efforts of our turncoat PRO who played for Richmond, DC still walked away from the game with another victory. (see hurling photos here)
Hurling: DC vs. Baltimore
4-22 to 3-14
Hurling: DC vs. Richmond
3-09 to 0-13
Thanks to Rob Rayburn, Chip, and Brittany Walsh for refereeing! Many thanks to Gary Dize for taking photos, and many thanks to Johnny Blackburn for shooting video of the day.
Σχόλια