In the opening Friday night game on 10 Feb., Sarsfields beat Na Piarsaigh 1-1 to 1-0 giving the Reds their second win in the league to date. A late goal in the second half from Captain Eimear Stynes almost saw the Greens come away with a draw, but the Reds managed to hold them off in the final minutes to clinch the win.
An improved Skeheenarinky narrowed their losing margin this week, but it still wasn’t to be for the lady Pinks who faced a strong Orange side. Final result saw a win by double scores for Clan na Gael, 4-6 to 2-3.
Oliver Plunketts got their first win of the season with Captain Carol Leahy finding her form to score 1-4 for her side. It wasn’t an easy win for the Whites with Bredagh leading for large parts of the game and only losing by 2 in the end, 2-6 to 2-4.
Having scored 20 points in their opening game, Harps were clear favourites for the final match of the day as they faced Buffers Alley. They did not get the easy game they were expecting, though, scrapping a one-point victory by final whistle against a well-organised Blues side on a score of 1-6 to 1-5.
Other matches
Friday’s first men’s game was the opening game of the season for both Shamrocks and Western Gaels. Both teams eagerly aimed to make up for lost time, playing their part in a fast-paced and physical contest, keeping referee Mick Kehoe busy. Conor Byrne and Aidan Heffernan top scored with 1-2 apiece for their teams, but ultimately the Shamrocks held on by the minimum, 2-4 to 1-6.
In the final game of Friday night, Na Fianna recovered from their opening game 1 point loss by inflicting the same result on Éire Óg. The Oranges suffered their second defeat on the bounce, but they could have easily snatched a draw here, going down by 1-7 to 2-3.
In Sunday’s 11am throw-in, Wolfe Tones and Cú Chulainns faced off after both having comfortable wins in Round 1. The Pinks lead by 3 at half time, but second half goals from the excellent Rory Brodhurst and Curtis Laubman helped to turn the game in the Whites’ favour, with the Tones winning out 2-9 to 1-9.
The second Sunday men’s game was a contrast to the first with Cavan Gaels and Claremont serving up a dour affair. Claremont a new team for 2023, consist entirely of players over the age of 40, a league first. They showed their experience here by dominating possession but failed to make it count on the scoreboard. The Blues, more clinical in front of goal in a low-scoring contest, won by 5 points to 3.
The next men’s match saw Breandan McDonnell’s The Heath and Eoin Fitzpatrick’s depleted Magheracloone side in action. The captains put their friendly off-field allegiance to one side, with McDonnell’s sledging and Fitzy’s general complaining falling on the deaf ears of referee Christian Hooton. The Maroons got the W to get their season up and running, winning by 2-6 to 0-4.
The final game of the weekend was between Gabriels and Tír na nÓg. The Sky Blues put in a much-improved performance, leading by 4 points at half time, largely helped by a brilliant Alex Arch goal caught on the volley. Gabriels, with Stephen Byrne to the fore, stormed back in the second half to win on a scoreline of 2-7 to 1-6.
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