After a busy weekend of action across the Hurling Championships, with semi-finals and a relegation playoff all on the agenda, we are pleased to announce the latest Team of the Week in association with Ted Murtagh Clothing & Footwear, Trim and there are nine sides represented on this weeks selection.
The breakdown of the selection is as follows:
- Ratoath – 3
- Drumree – 2
- Navan O’Mahonys – 2
- Trim – 2
- Blackhall Gaels – 1
- Donaghmore/Ashbourne – 1
- Kildalkey – 1
- Kilmessan – 1
- Na Fianna
- Rathmolyon – 1
- Ben Mather (Donaghmore/Ashbourne) – On a day when little to nothing went right for the ‘Moors, Ben can’t be faulted in any manner. He was an assured presence between the uprights, his puckouts were on the money and when the forwards misfired, he came forward to notch a goal from a free.
- Sean Mulligan (Rathmolyon) – Rathmolyon went out on their shield after extra-time, and nobody typified this more than Sean Mulligan who was superb in the full back line. Definitely didn’t deserve to end up on the losing side.
- Keith Rooney (Drumree) – Any day you are part of a defensive effort that restricts your opposition to just four scores over an hour is a good day at the office for a defender and in Keith Rooney, Drumree had one of the best performers in Páirc Tailteann on Sunday.
- Cormac Butler (Ratoath) – The first of three Ratoath players in the side, Cormac was the rock on which so many Kilmessan attacks perished. A very effective organiser of the defence and he didn’t give his direct opponent an inch. Trim will have a busy fortnight working out how to take him out of his comfort zone.
- Darragh Kelly (Ratoath) – Lined out at centre back but pushes over to right half back for this selection. Darragh was in fine form at centre back for Ratoath and if Mikey Cole is to see his side lift the Jubilee Cup, then Kelly will need to repeat the quality of this performance in the final.
- James Toher (Trim) – Back in the side after a spell out with a broken bone in his hand and it was like James was never away. Brought all of his experience to bear and is the lynchpin around whom the defensive effort is built. A real leader in the side.
- Cormac Keyes (Navan O’Mahonys) – The third member of the three giants in the half back line. Cormac enjoyed a fine outing against Rathmolyon, cutting out numerous attacks and proving an effective launchpad for his own side.
- Shane Whitty (Blackhall Gaels) – Relegation Playoffs are never a nice game to be part of and victory often comes down to a couple of players rising to the occasion and dragging their side over the line. One player who did more than most on Sunday to do just this for Blackhall Gaels was Whitty who was a force of nature as the Gaels survived.
- Jack McConnell (Navan O’Mahonys) – One half of a very effective midfield duo of O’Mahonys, Jack is in the form of his life at present. Must have covered every blade of grass over the eighty minutes and chipped in with three points.
- David Reilly (Drumree) – ‘Captain Fantastic’, he turned in a superb performance as Drumree dismantled Donaghmore/Ashbourne in a clinical team showing. Registered seven points, with three coming from play and was a general menace throughout the game.
- James Murray (Trim) – Achieved the incredibly rare feat of scoring four sideline cuts over the course of the game. An artist at work at that skill in the game. Enough said.
- Cian Rogers (Ratoath) – A versatile forward, Cian is equally comfortable in the half forward line or inside line and on Sunday he filled the centre forward berth. Landed four points but it was his overall play, linking the attack and work rate which stood out.
- Rory Fagan (Na Fianna) – Na Fianna claimed their spot in the final of the ‘B’ Championship when defeating Clann na nGael by six points at the weekend and central to that win was the performance of Fagan who plundered thirteen points.
- Sean Doyle (Kilmessan) – The unavailability of key players from the start proved too big a handicap for Kilmessan to overcome as they exited the championship at the semi-final stage. But one man who stood tall for them and was a constant menace was Sean Doyle who came away with four points, three of which came from play.
- Nicky Potterton (Kildalkey) – On a day when so many of his side failed to fire, Nicky did his best to bring the fight to Trim. Ended the game with 1-07, 1-02 of which came from play and shouldered much of the responsibility for creating any danger in the Kildalkey attack.
