Hurling (Weekend 14th Sept) 

The final rounds of the Group stage of the adult hurling championships were played this weekend.  Our five teams were in action, and we recorded three wins, a draw and a loss.  Four of our team's progress to the quarterfinals, with only the Intermediates failing to make it through, despite a good win over St Marks in their final game.  Our Seniors recorded a dramatic one-point win over last year's champions, Na Fianna, while there was also a good win for the Junior Bs against St Annes.  The Junior As lost away to Clan Na Gael while the Junior Cs secured their progression with a hard-fought draw against Garda Westmanstown Gaels.  The quarterfinals will take place on weekend of Sept 28th/29th.  Meanwhile the minors will take centre stage again next weekend.     

Senior Hurling Championship:  LUCAN SARSFIELDS 1-28 NA FIANNA 3-21. 
 
Parnell Park, Saturday 14/9/2024. 
 
John Bellew proved the hero for Lucan Sarsfields with his incredible late goal sealing a thrilling one-point victory over Na Fianna in this Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 1 clash at Parnell Park on Saturday evening.  Ben Coffey was the shining light in the first half with his eight-point tally shared evenly between frees and open play but a Na Fianna goal in injury time saw Lucan’s lead trimmed to 0-14 to 1-10 by half-time. 
 
Goals in the early stages of the second half looked to have swung the tie back in Na Fianna’s favour but Bellew was to have the final word deep into added time as he ran through from deep before calmly slipping the ball to the net. 

There was little to separate the teams initially as Paul Crummey opened the scoring inside fourteen seconds before Na Fianna restored parity from a 5th minute free. Charlie Keher and Chris Crummey scored to keep Lucan in touch and keep the contest delicately poised.  Na Fianna edged ahead with a pointed free in the 11th minute, but Lucan began to dictate, thanks largely to their dominant half-back line of Chris Crummey, John Bellew and Matt McCaffrey. Their influence prompted a purple patch that yielded points from Coffey, Colm Walsh and McCaffrey while a quickfire brace from the lively Coffey left Sarsfields leading by double scores by the end of the first quarter. Further points by Kevin Fitzgerald and Coffey (free) pushed their string of unanswered points to seven before Na Fianna responded with two points.  Lucan were suffering a barren period of their own at this stage as Na Fianna trimmed their lead even further before Coffey converted a 28th minute free to push his side three points clear. Playing at full-forward, Coffey was finding space all too readily and his fourth point from play reflected his threat and while Na Fianna responded with two [points, a brace of frees by Coffey left Sarsfields well placed approaching the break. However, much of their good work was undone in a moment of defensive hesitancy as Na Fianna got in for a goal in the fourth minute of added time to leave Lucan leading by just a solitary point by the interval. 
 
While well held in the opening-half, Ciarán Dowling broke the shackles with two classy points in the early stages of the restart, but those scores proved academic as their opponents pounced for two cracking goals. Suddenly facing a five-point deficit, Lucan replied impressively through a Coffey brace and a Paul Crummey point and while Na Fianna responded with two, Sarsfields refused to buckle thanks to scores from Dowling and John Bellew.  Further points by Paul Crummey and Chris Crummey saw Lucan restore parity and another well-taken Dowling effort helped his side regain the lead by the 51st minute. 
 
However, the momentum in this topsy-turvy encounter drifted back in Na Fianna’s favour and they opened a lead of four points by the 58th minute.  Coffey replied with two further frees but they looked to be of mere consolation value until Bellew exchanged passes with Matt Coogan and the classy centre-back did the necessary from eight yards. 
 
Scorers – Lucan Sarsfields: B Coffey 0-14 (9f); J Bellew 1-1; C Dowling 0-4; P Crummey 0-3; C Crummey 0-2; M McCaffrey, C Walsh, K Fitzgerald, C Keher 0-1 apiece. 
 
Lucan Sarsfields: C Murray; S Coffey, P Rigney, L Walsh; C Crummey, J Bellew, M McCaffrey; R Smith, C Walsh; P Crummey, K Fitzgerald; J Behan; C Keher, B Coffey, C Dowling. Subs: S Harkness for Fitzgerald (39), C Kennedy for S Coffey (47), D Flannery for Behan (48), R Ward for McCaffrey (49), M Coogan for P Crummey (56). 
 
 
Intermediate Hurling Championship:  St Marks 0-14 Lucan Sarsfields 2-18. 
Gleeson Park, 14th September 2024 
 
Lucan Sarsfields Intermediate hurlers produced a strong second-half performance to secure a 10-point victory over St Marks in windy conditions at Gleeson Park. Lucan battled against the wind in the first half and trailed by two points at halftime. However, they dominated the second period, with two crucial goals sealing the win.  Lucan started against the wind and found it difficult to establish momentum early on. Despite going a mentor down in the warm-up, they opened the scoring through Hugh Cuff after 3 minutes, only for St Marks to respond quickly with a point from a 65 by their number 12. Marks capitalized on the wind, scoring frequently through points from both play and frees. Their number 12 was particularly influential, contributing five points by halftime.  Lucan had some opportunities but were wasteful, with multiple wides in difficult conditions. However, late points from Joey Dunne, Evin Dowling, and Meehan kept them within touching distance. At the break, Lucan trailed by just two points, 0-10 to 0-8. 
 
The second half saw Lucan take full advantage of the wind, and their sharpness in front of goal improved significantly. Darragh Meehan’s point from a 65 early on was followed by a major turning point, a goal from Charlie Mulqueen in the 12th minute, which shifted the momentum fully in Lucan's favour.  St Marks managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over with some points from play, but Lucan's energy and accuracy overwhelmed them. Hugh Cuff added two points, and Mark Gormley’s well-taken goal in the 22nd minute effectively ended the contest.  Meehan continued his consistent form from frees, while substitutes Brendan Kavanagh and Cian McHugh added late points to stretch Lucan’s lead. St Marks struggled to respond and failed to convert key scoring chances in the final stages, including a wide from a free in injury time. 
 
Lucan's second-half dominance, bolstered by two well-taken goals, proved too much for St Marks, who struggled to keep pace once the wind advantage shifted.  Unfortunately, this win was not enough to qualify for the quarter-final stages as results elsewhere went against Lucan, and they will now play a relegation play-off.   
 
Lucan Panel and scorers:  Colm Keenan (0-1f), Eoin Seery, Philip Smith, Eoghan O’Connor, James Finn, Luke Murphy, Anthony McNulty (0-1), Paddy Ryan, Mark Gormley (1-0), Evin Dowling (0-1), Ruairi Gleeson (0-1), Hugh Cuff (0-4), Joey Dunne (0-1), Charlie Mulqueen (1-0), Darragh Meehan (0-5 (0-4f)). Subs; Conor Hylands, Gavin Milea, David Kavanagh, Sean Langton, Brendan Kavanagh (0-2), Cian McHugh (0-2), Rory Stapleton, Alex Hickey, Matt Dunne, David Mulqueen, Michael Cunningham, Emmet Allen, Ryan Clancy. 
 
 
Junior H Hurling Championship:  Lucan Sarsfields 0-10  Garda Westmanstown Gaels 1-7. 
AGP, 15th September 2024. 
 
Lucan Junior C's ensured progression to the quarterfinals of the championship with this nail-biting draw against Garda Westmanstown Gaels.  Lucan started well and looked like the better team as Ryan Brant landed some nice points from frees.  However, GWG gradually got into the game and had narrowed the gap to just a point at half time, 0-6 to 0-5, with all of Lucan's first half scores coming from Brant frees.  It remained very tight into the second half and a Sean Corry point in the 40th minute (Lucan's first from play) gave the home side a two-point lead.  Lucan created some good goal opportunities but just couldn't supply the finish when needed.  Then, at the other end, GWG were awarded a penalty which they duly dispatched to the net to take a one-point lead.  Declan Lawlor levelled for Lucan, but the visitors edged ahead again in the closing stages.  It took a late free converted by James Cavanagh to secure the draw, and the quarterfinal place, for Lucan.   
 
Lucan Team/scorers: Josh Callaghan, ⁠Ryan Donnelly, ⁠Conor O’Neill, ⁠Seán Egan, ⁠Jack Kelly, ⁠Conor Hannon (C), ⁠Alex Skehan, ⁠Declan Lawlor (0-1), ⁠Aidan Sheary, ⁠Seán Corry (0-1),⁠ Óran Fitton, ⁠Lee Murphy, ⁠Cian Cregg, ⁠James Cavanagh (0-1f), ⁠Ryan Brant (0-7f). Subs introduced: Dave Parsons, Aidan Barry. 

Junior hurling championship: Lucan 4-8, St. Annes 2-8. 

Lucan Jun B hurlers secured a home quarter final in the championship by virtue of a fifth straight win in their group matches on Sunday. Already assured of qualification, the clubs fourth adult team wanted to go through the group stages undefeated. This was achieved after a hard-fought win in often feisty encounter. The visitors got off to the better start, dominating possession and winning the physical one to ones. They led by 1-1 to no score after ten minutes play. An alert Neil O’Leary got Lucan back into the game when he reacted quickest to finish a loose ball to the net and the same player repeated the feat shortly after that when the home side had fallen behind to a second visitors strike. While the Lucan attack struggled, the defence were working overtime against a lively visitor's attack. Darragh Quinn and Joey Mc Sweeney were prominent ably assisted by Alan Flanagan, Dillon Ryan and Conor Mulqueen. Kevin Gormley and Cian Ryan added points in the opening half to leave us trailing by 4 at the break. A number of half-time substitutions were made in an effort to get the upper hand in the game. It was great to see Matt Dunne make his first appearance since his serious injury some time ago. The subs had the desired effect, we held the visitors to 2 second half points while we added 2-6 to the score board. With the sides level midway through the half, stand in keeper and new Dad, Tiernan Swords was the hero saving a penalty awarded to the visitors. That seemed to spur on the lads with Eoin Kilduff and Kevin Gormley getting the vital goals while Ross Campion, Matt Dunne with two and Jake Mooney added minor scores. The referee seemed to find a additional 9 minutes of injury time at the end of normal time to add to the tension.  

Not our best performance of the round robin games but it was good to grind out a result against a tough and sometimes uncompromising opposition.  

Our reward is a home Q/F against Raheny in two weeks.  

Lucan: T. Swords, D. Quinn, A. Flanagan, D. Ryan.,J. McSweeney, C. Mulqueen , C. Morrissey, C. Ryan,(0-1), L. Farrell, F. Breen, A.Whyte, K. Gormley,(1-3) N.O’Leary, (2-0)N. Higgins, R. Campion, (0-1), J.Mully, E.Kilduff(1-0), J.Mooney (0-1), M.Dunne(0-2), A.Glover, C.Sheery.