The under-14 boys kicked off their season with a home fixture against Arklow, led by one of our former coaches.
Gorey started strongly, applying early pressure and keeping Arklow pinned inside their 22. Some powerful carries and controlled forward play dictated the opening 10 minutes. The pressure eventually told when No. 8 Andrew broke from the back of a scrum and crashed over for the opening try, converted by Alex.
Arklow responded well, growing into the game and forcing Gorey into some indiscipline. Their persistence was rewarded with a try of their own, and they almost had a second before halftime, but Tadhg produced a brilliant last-ditch interception on the line to deny a certain score. Halftime: Gorey 7 – 5 Arklow.
The second half saw some positional changes and the welcome return of familiar faces. One of those, Thomas Rothwell, made an immediate impact with a barnstorming run to score under the posts, converted by Alex.
Arklow hit back with a try in the corner to close the gap to 14–10, but that only spurred Gorey on. From the restart, the forwards and backs combined superbly to build sustained pressure, which ended with Ronan breaking blindside to score in the corner. Moments later, quick defensive pressure off an Arklow lineout forced an error, and Harry pounced with a brilliant intercept try inside the 22.
In the final play, Gorey set up a scrum on Arklow’s 10-metre line. A pre-planned move was called and executed to perfection, releasing Harry again to cross after a sublime backs move. The final whistle blew with the score Gorey 31 – 10 Arklow.
Special mentions go to Ryan Morrissey for his hard work in the pack and Adria and Tadhg for their strong performances on the wings. The Man of the Match was deservedly awarded to no 8 Andrew for his leadership and determination throughout.
A huge thank you to Arklow for a great contest — we look forward to meeting again later in the season!
Gorey started strongly, applying early pressure and keeping Arklow pinned inside their 22. Some powerful carries and controlled forward play dictated the opening 10 minutes. The pressure eventually told when No. 8 Andrew broke from the back of a scrum and crashed over for the opening try, converted by Alex.
Arklow responded well, growing into the game and forcing Gorey into some indiscipline. Their persistence was rewarded with a try of their own, and they almost had a second before halftime, but Tadhg produced a brilliant last-ditch interception on the line to deny a certain score. Halftime: Gorey 7 – 5 Arklow.
The second half saw some positional changes and the welcome return of familiar faces. One of those, Thomas Rothwell, made an immediate impact with a barnstorming run to score under the posts, converted by Alex.
Arklow hit back with a try in the corner to close the gap to 14–10, but that only spurred Gorey on. From the restart, the forwards and backs combined superbly to build sustained pressure, which ended with Ronan breaking blindside to score in the corner. Moments later, quick defensive pressure off an Arklow lineout forced an error, and Harry pounced with a brilliant intercept try inside the 22.
In the final play, Gorey set up a scrum on Arklow’s 10-metre line. A pre-planned move was called and executed to perfection, releasing Harry again to cross after a sublime backs move. The final whistle blew with the score Gorey 31 – 10 Arklow.
Special mentions go to Ryan Morrissey for his hard work in the pack and Adria and Tadhg for their strong performances on the wings. The Man of the Match was deservedly awarded to no 8 Andrew for his leadership and determination throughout.
A huge thank you to Arklow for a great contest — we look forward to meeting again later in the season!
