Buggy bags eight points as Palatine record brilliant U16 final win
Palatine under 16 football captain Seanie McMahon lifts the cup of victory Photo: Pat Ahern
Palatine’s 2024 push for championship titles at all levels reached new heights when they took the Under 16 Division 1A Football title with a hard-earned but deserved victory over St Martins at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.
The eventual winners eased themselves into an early lead with Mark Buggy finding the posts three times from placed balls and play. Freddie Gibson and Charlie Salter Bermingham replied for St Martins raising two white flags.
The game ignited when Dylan Farrell was on the end of a high ball at the scoreboard end of the ground. He needed two attempts but the ball ended up in the back of the St Martin’s net. The amalgamated side hit back with a similar score to the one they conceded as Ben Curry was on hand to slide a loose ball home.
It was end to end stuff at this stage with Buggy landing two frees, bringing his total to five points for the half but crucially giving his side a deserved 1-7 to 1-3 interval lead.
St Martins were a different side after the interval. Another Buggy free stretched the Palatine lead but the side in front found themselves on the back-foot for long-spells. Edward O’Brien scored two points and Gibson his second to reduce the deficit to two. Palatine hit back with a hard-earned point from John Hendricken.
St Martins had chances. Twice Gibson hit the right-hand upright and when the ball did bounce favourably in front of goal, Tiarnan Whelan just failed to touch the ball past the Palatine keeper.
The eventual winners eased their nerves with an attack which yielded a converted free for Buggy. When Hendricken attacked on the left and found the posts, Palatine looked as if they had weathered the storm. There was still a sting in the tail in what had become an intriguing encounter.
O’Brien and Farrell exchanged points. Buggy tacked on another point. Each side added another point.
In injury time a ball dropped into the Palatine small square. Boots flew everywhere. Whelan was credited with getting in a block on an attempted clearance and the ball ended up in the net.
There was time for St Martins. They poured forward but were caught on the break. Not for the first time Hendricken went clear and with the ball under his complete control, he sprinted into the opposition half. He went for broke and when James Dowling, the Martins keeper, made a great save, the ball fell nicely for Palatine. This time, Hendricken made no mistake and once again a championship cup was adorned with the red and green colours of the Bennekerry club.
M Buggy 0-8 (6fs), D Farrell 1-2, J Hendricken 1-2, L Byrne 0-1.
St Martins: E O’Brien 0-5 (3fs), T Whelan 1-1, B Curry 1-0, F Gibson 0-2, C Salter Bermingham,.
Ryan Gordon; Alex McGrath, Riain Kavanagh, Kyle Martin; Zac Nolan, Sean McMahon, John Hendricken; Ronan Kelly, Darren Byrne; TJ Brennan, Mark Buggy, Luke Byrne; Dylan Farrell, Cormac McConnon, Peter Lynch. Subs: Paddy Doyle for Kelly (55), Callum Martin for Byrne (61).
James Dowling; Kyle Moloney, Kieran Donald, Matthew O’Brien; Charlie Salter Bermingham, Sean Hourihane, Jack O’Donoghue; Ben Curry, Edward O’Brien; Freddie Gibson, Michael Shanahan, Eoin Raleigh; Noah Cullen, Tiarnan Whelan, James Bergin. Subs: Sean Og Dempsey for Bergin (44).
David Hickey (Fenagh).
