Cobh Pirates u13 Match report – Carrigaline v Cobh Pirates

Pirates under 13’s had a tough day at the office at a bleak Ballyorban last Saturday. They were on the wrong side of a 25-19 score line in a rough encounter that tested their mettle to the full.

Pirates headed away from Cobh with a depleted squad owing to illness and injuries. Coach Ray Duignam was confident that the skills tested at mid -week training would stand to his side in spite of the physically bigger opposition they faced.

Pirates got off to the worst of starts when conceding three quick tries to go 15-0 down after 10 minutes. Stern words were passed from coach to players in an effort to correct the errors that had allowed Carrigaline to race into the lead.

Front rowers Oisin O’Doherty, Rob O’Driscoll and Daragh McCarthy knuckled down to the basics and began to ruck their opponents beyond the ball allowing Jack O’Sullivan and Tadgh O’Connell to run at the heart of the Carrigaline defence. The back row of David Meade, Jack Gilmartin and captain PJ Cronin got into the game and mixed it with the heavier opposition.

Josh Banim at scrum half involved his backs, as outhalf Cian Ahern had more time to find his three quarters. On 20 minutes Ahern spotted a chink in the dog legged defence and quickly found centre Ceilim Cole. Cole telepathically linked with his centre partner Edwin Egogba who smartly outpaced the defenders top register Pirate’s first score 15-5 after the unsuccessful conversion.

The second try came after Conor Boyd bravely secured awkward ball on the ground to set up a quick ruck on half way. Alex O’Connell and Charlie Kelleher offered themselves in attach and brought play to the Carrigaline 22. Kieran Devlin Buckley joined the attach taking a clever line which caught the scrambling defence. Devlin Buckley neatly passed inside to the supporting Cole who coolly slipped an inside pass to Egogba to score Pirate’s second try .Devlin Buckley nonchalantly slotted over the conversion 15-12 and the game was back in the hopper. Unfortunately, the Carrigaline man in the middle blew for half time as all the momentum was with Pirates.

The message from coaches Duignam and Niall Ahern at halftime was to stick with the tactics employed just prior to halftime that yielded their two tries. The coaches were not disappointed as Pirates increased the pace of the game. The effort used in getting back into the game was, however, beginning to show as the bigger Carrigaline side dominated the close exchanges.

Gilmartin, Cronin, O’Sullivan and McCarthy gave as good as they got from the opposition as their much bigger opponents began to dominate. Carrigaline scored just on the 30 minute mark after Boyd was injured in making a brave tackle into touch 20-12 to Carrigaline. Before all that, Pirates had tackled to a standstill in defending their try line.

A nameless Pirates player was controversially asked to leave the park after an innocuous tackle which put further pressure on Duignam’s meagre resources. A penalty try was awarded to Carrigaline for the innocuous tackle 25- 12.

Cian Tobin and Devlin Buckley switched between backs and forwards positions to make up for their injured and replaced team mates. Pirates showed great team spirit to overcome their lack of numbers.

Banim tried to coax a last effort from his pack. Cronin, O’Doherty and O’Driscoll responded. Meade dug deep and got Pirates into opposition territory. He set up a ruck on half way. Tadgh O’Connell picked and ran at the Carrigaline defence. Cronin took an inside pass to take the move to the 22. Mc Carthy arrived to charge at the blitz defence. Banim found Ahern who called a “tango orange chestnut New Zealand” move. Kelleher responded and provided the decoy to allow Egogba run wide and score his hat trick. Devlin Buckley converted 25-19. Unfortunately,the clock was against Pirates as full time was blown.
Coach Duignam was delighted with the spirit shown by the squad but mindful of correcting the team’s poor habit of starting games slowly.
The game was another valuable lesson for the squad in the build up to the competitive league.

Training on Wednesday at 6.30.

Match day squad; Chris Mc Donnell( on hols), Oisin O’Doherty , Conor Boyd, Rob O’Driscoll, Tadgh O’Connell, Jack O’Sullivan, John Breen (sick), David Meade, PJ Cronin, Jack Gilmartin , Josh Banim, Cian Ahern, Edwin Egogba, Ceilim Cole, Luke O’Callaghan( sick), Kieran Devlin Buckley, Emmanuel O’Neill(injured), Cian Tobin, Callum Cullinane-Sowter(on hols), Alex O’Connell, Daniel Cannon(injured), Padraig Allen(ill), Darragh McCarthy and Charlie Kelleher.