October 2010, No. 23
Newpark back in the All-Ireland big time Stephen Findlater, www.hookhockey.com
Newpark qualified for their first All-Ireland schoolboy championship’s finals in over a decade as an incredible comeback against St Columba’s and a lively 5-2 win over Mount Temple saw them into the main event. Along with Kilkenny, they filled one of the two places remaining to be filled by Leinster schools in Whitechurch Park, joining pre-qualified Wesley, St Andrew’s and Sutton Park in the competition which gets underway in late October. The key game in the six-match series was the first one when Newpark battled with Columba’s. The Saints had opened up a 2-0 lead by half-time as Irish U16 international Ross Canning deftly rolled
a reverse stick push under Stefan Gallagher before doubling his tally with a drag-flick. But the key period came when Canning was sinbinned for a rash tackle early in the second half. Jonathan Elmes whipped home a fine corner goal, high to the right of the net, to give the Blackrock school hope of snatching some kind of result. Johnny Byrnes and John Cummins continued to cause mayhem but it was not until the closing six minutes that they snatched an equaliser. Elmes’ drag-flick was saved this time but Simon Lowry was on hand to volley the rebound into the backboard. And the die was finally cast in the last minute when a sixth Newpark corner gave them a chance to nick the win. Elmes duly obliged, this time firing low to the left for a famous win. [Continued on page 3]
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