Bandon Grammar win All-Ireland senior schools hockey title
Bandon Grammar School players celebrate after they won the Tasmanian Shield All-Ireland Senior Schoolboys hockey final at Wesley College, Dublin.
Bandon Grammar School were crowned Tasmanian Shield All-Ireland Senior Schoolboys hockey champions after a dramatic win over Banbridge Academy.
Having trailed for most of the game they scored a late equaliser before they won on shuttles, with Sam Dale getting the vital one at the end to secure the win.
Earlier in the day they had a 2-1 win over King’s Hospital in the semi-final, with Banbridge Academy defeating Midleton College to deny them making it an all-Cork final.
Reaction from scorer of winning shuttle Sam Dale as @bandongrammar win All-Ireland senior schoolboys hockey final. Congrats to all involved. pic.twitter.com/Hy1Q6SK8HM
— EchoLive.ie (@echolivecork) March 30, 2022
Early on Banbridge were in control and took the lead through Matthew Stevenson with 14 minutes gone, a lead they held until half-time.
Bandon were back on level terms a minute into the second-half when Justin Lucas found the back of the net, but they weren’t level for long.
Six minutes later Banbridge retook the lead through Adam McKee a lead they held until the final minute.
But all credit to Bandon Grammar School they never gave up and in the final minute Irish international, Sam Dale, found the top corner to equalise and send it to shuttles.
Like all shoot-outs shuttles are a lottery, with the attacking player having just eight seconds to bring the ball into the circle and get a shot away.
And there was even a dramatic start to the shuttles with Bandon keeper Harry Forsey saving a penalty stroke from Bandbridge’s first attempt. He committed a foul on Banbridge’s Matthew Rowe, but he then saved the resultant penalty stroke which boosted both his and his side’s confidence ahead of the rest of the shoot-out.
With it delicately poised at 2-1 to Bandon Dale then stepped up to take their fourth shuttle knowing that if he scored they would be champions and keeping a cool head he duly slotted home to see this school crowned All-Ireland champions, with last win coming in 2005.
Dale reacted afterward by saying: “We never give up; that’s what we are about!. The perfect team, we have such great desire - late goal in the semis, late goal in the final and that is why this team is so special! We bind together and never give up!”
Afterward coach of Bandon Ashley Smyth said it was a magnificent win for them and for the school and it was one to saviour as they don’t come around too often.
“It’s the highlight of my coaching career and all the players school careers and it’s all down to hard work, grit and determination,” said Ashley.
“From the get-go they wanted to win, nothing was going to stop them and they delivered, broken bodies and all (injuries from the semi-final).” A goal down going into the final quarter Ashley said he wasn’t worried and knew that if they played direct hockey they would score.
“We knew the way we needed to play to score and that was with direct hockey and we created a number of chances and thankfully Sam managed to score.
“After that when you go into shuttles it’s a lottery really but the lads had practised a lot taking them and also Harry in goal had trained to save them as well. It turned out to be the vital part of our training.
“When Harry saved the penalty stroke arising from their first shuttle it gave him and the others great confidence and thankfully we managed to come out on top. All the players are on a high and I say they will be for some time. It’s a great way for those in sixth year to end their hockey career at the school.
"At the opposite end it’s a great way for Jamie Horgan, who is in first year, to start his hockey career with the school,” concluded Ashley.
Players and supporters celebrating after @bandongrammar won the All-Ireland senior schoolboys hockey cup today. @Munster_Hockey pic.twitter.com/umaCTy4sDW
— EchoLive.ie (@echolivecork) March 30, 2022
J Lucas, S Dale.
M Stevenson, A McKee.
Harry Forsey, Ian Perrott, Trenton Spencer, Josh Hamilton-Foott , Tiarnan Brown, Alan Buttimer, Jamie Horgan, Mark Collins, Callum Mc Court, Sam Dale, Angus Seigne, Justin Lucas, Glen Gash, Conor Hoban, Charlie Gilbert, Gustav Von Der Schulenberg, Ewan Cullinane, Sean Landy.
Connor Part, Luke Watt, Aaron Baxter, Seb Best, Ben Walker, Adam McKee, Ben Pollock, Josh Brownlee, Matthew McKee, Tommy Dobson, Charlie Rowe, James Evans, Cody Large, Matthew Spence, Matthew Stevenson, Lukas Moles, Ben Farson, Denver Golbey.
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