Mooncoin are through to the Intermediate decider on 22nd October after an impressive win in their semi-final yesterday at UPMC Nowlan Park
Junior champions in 2021 Mooncoin are into the Intermediate decider in two weeks time as they will face Thomastown in the showdown to see who will join the senior ranks for 2024. They faced a very fancied Lisdowney side in yesterday’s semi-final at UPMC Nowlan Park in the semi-final.
Flanked by players from the Minor A winning team of 2018, Mooncoin had nine points to spare over their opponents. The first quarter of the game was a tight tense affair with very little scores, the pivotal moment of the first half came in the 19th minute when Mooncoin got in for their first goal of the game – they took a seven point lead into the half time break 1-9 to 0-5.
Second half started brilliantly for the team from down south as they got their second goal of the game in the 9th minute of the second half, once they had their lead they weren’t going to give up and despite a late goal from Lisdowney they went on to win comfortable enough as they had nine points to spare at the final whistle, 2-16 to 1-10.
Speaking to KCLR after the game, manager Brendan Cahill said “I’m very proud of the group they’ve worked so hard, we were very well prepared coming in, but that’s one thing and then you face the level of opposition as high as Lisdowney, the lads work-rate in my opinion is the harder we work the better we hurl because we can actually hurl but we have to work really really hard for that to take place and they did that today”
“Well before the game one of the local selectors Eoin mentioned he was in this dressing room at Junior and Junior D finals, they are now in the Intermediate semi-final and looking into, There is some very good hurlers in Mooncoin and the club have been brilliant, the officials, the players have been brilliant, obviously its very enjoyable when you win today but the work before that is what pays off”
“Like I said when we work really really hard we try and get the ball into space into the lads who can tip it over the bar, they did that and they have the willingness and try to get the ball back as fast as we can and its gotten us to a county final”
“Ah look we’ve been looking forward to it since two weeks ago, the group was very challenging and all the teams in our group got to the county final I’m nearly sure, and we’ve played so far outside the Blacks and Whites we’ve played teams that we’ve played before which you can plan for a little bit more I suppose, we’d be aware of some of their strength and weaknesses and really like I said whatever about identifying some their strengths we have to focus on our own as well, the work rate really really was exceptional today and we got some exceptional scores because of that”
“I know in Tullaroan in my own club we were in it [Intermediate] and we eventually got out of it with some great performances but its a very difficult grade to get out of, Thomastown and Lisdowney everyone was talking about them before the competition, Thomastown are still there now and deserving favourites, I only saw the end of the first game but they looked really really impressive but we’ll try and plan now for the next two weeks and give it everything we can in the county final”.
Listen back to Brendan’s full interview on the link below
