DC's hurlers and camógs made the trek up to Baltimore last Saturday to take on our friends in the black and amber. The pitch was in excellent condition, with slightly tall grass favoring jab lifting over roll lifting and favoring aerial passing over ground striking.
The men started out the day after a brief patch of rain, taking on the local rivals in what turned out to be a hard-fought game. Baltimore fielded a strong team and straight from the throw-in the game was neck and neck, with both teams trading points. Baltimore had the lead at halftime due to an early goal, but the second half saw a more cohesive DC side with sharper passes and fewer wides. The game was tight up until the final whistle, but a hard-earned 21-meter free converted in the last few minutes helped seal the win for the Gaels. (see photos)
After that, DC's women took the pitch to go head to head with Baltimore's camogie squad for their first competitive match of the year. By that point, the day was heating up and the women only had enough for eight a side to play a full-size pitch, against a Baltimore squad with a bench full of subs. Still, the girls put up a hard fight throughout with some excellent blocking and passing and kept up the fight from whistle to whistle. (see photos)
The lunch break for the day was centered around a puc fada, with all the participants lining up behind the goal line and belting the sliotar as far as they could, with a cone marking the furthest distance for women and men. I believe Sean Bailey-Whyte won the men's side, and unfortunately I didn't catch who won the women's side, you'll have to forgive me.
After that, both the hurlers and the camógs played another game apiece. The men had the benefit of a strong bench of subs to keep the legs fresh throughout to turn in a pretty convincing victory on the scoresheet for their second match. Unfortunately for the women, the lack of subs on a massive pitch did the squad no favors in the second game of the day, but still the camógs showed grit and determination throughout.
DC Hurling vs. Baltimore
2-08 to 2-07
DC Camogie vs. Baltimore
0-01 to 4-3
DC Hurling vs. Baltimore
4-09 to 0-02
DC Camogie vs. Baltimore
0-01 to 5-6
Many thanks to Gary Dize for taking photos, many thanks to Niall Dempsey and Rob Rayburn for refereeing, and of course many thanks to Baltimore for hosting!
