Saturday 18th February 2012

GOREY U17s 25 NORTH KILDARE 7

Gorey U17's made the long journey to Kilcock, Co. Kildare on Saturday morning to fact North Kildare in the 1st round of the Cullinton Cup. Both teams had to endure a bitterly cold day with a gale force wind and a couple of hail stone showers in each half thrown into the mix. These conditions did not lead to a pleasant day's rugby with the winds playing havoc with handling. North Kildare, a division one side who reached the quarter final of this league were out from the start to do their best to turn over Gorey and being cup rugby, things can be very unpredictable. However Gorey were on the score sheet first when James Nolan went over the line in the right hand corner after Gorey had been piling on the pressure and he converted his own try. With the weather influencing play Gorey were making hard work of gaining any ground, when two penalties came their way Gorey took the opportunities to put some points on the board when James Nolan converted both of them.

It quickly became a game that would be played up the middle of the field as conditions deteriorated. Although there were opportunities to get the ball out wide for what seemed like certain tries but the ball was carried back in field for no reward. The first half finished Gorey 13 North Kildare 0.

In the second half things improved slightly and with some good pressure from the forwards, James Mulligan went over to score a try in the left hand corner. Gorey were on top now and from the kick off went straight back down and were attacking North Kildare's line when North Kildare intercepted a pass and ran the full length of the pitch to score and convert this try.

Later on in this half Josh White scored directly under the post and James Nolan converted. Only for some of Gorey's poor decision making they could have run in at least 3 more tries. However as they say "a win is a win" and the final score was Gorey 25 North Kildare 7.

The under 17's march on into the second round to meet the winners of Ashbourne or Naas B.

Team: James Mulligan, Jonathan Earle, Zack Sinnott, Charlie Wildes, Conor Kinsella, Harry Woods, Eric Lacey, Eoin Walsh, James Nolan (Captain), Paddy Chapman, David O'Neill, Jack Cleary, Darren Willoughby, Cathal O'Neill, Josh White, Callum ‘Donoghue, Arron O'Rourke, David Condren, Michael O'Scannail and Tom Sinnott