BUNCLODY’S best efforts even with a 1 and a half goal advantage on handicap averages faded in the second half of the final against Tyrone for the high goal Perpetual Cup last weekend in County Wexford.
Tyrone’s Dan Laverty took the helm without dad Eamonn and with Peter Fell, April Kent and Will Clarke, produced a final score of 7 goals to 3½, but not without some mishaps along the way.
While Tyrone produced 2 goals, one accredited to Dan Laverty in the first chukka to draw ahead by a half-goal, the second chukka saw Bunclody’s Kieran Doyle, Paddy Casey, Stephen Power and Evan Power in the lead by 2½ goals to 2 from Tyrone at halftime.
The Tyrone captain said later to The Irish Field, when all on the pitch was said and done, that while the final was good fun, the team managed to click together from the third chukka, but not without giving up just one more goal, scored by the Bunclody’s Evan Power, the marked nemesis of the final who significantly slowed down what may have otherwise been a very lopsided scoreboard.
“There were even teams,” said Dan Laverty. “We just happened to click together in the last two chukkas.
“The only thing I will add is that Peter Fell was the most valuable player to his handicap in the final.”
With a -1 handicap, the handicap currently held by Peter Fell is two goals behind the rest of the team yet hit for hit he clearly indicated that a change for the better is on the cards later in the summer polo season.
INSTRUMENTAL
Along with his wife Ailbhe, Peter has been instrumental in developing new players at their ground in Ballindenisk, County Cork, and all the practise with entry level players has obviously stood him well.
Tyrone drew ahead in the third chukka with an additional two goals scored, one on a penalty free hit by April Kent.
The final chukka and the tournament were all about Tyrone on a score of 7 goals to 3½ from Bunclody.
Kildare and River Slaney had been relegated to the subsidiary final after losing their qualifying matches respectively to Tyrone and Bunclody.
Robert Hogg, Nick Murphy, John Flavin and Rob Hampson for River Slaney routed Kildare’s Julie Kavanagh, David Hanlon, Jack Armstrong and Alejo Aita Tagle even with their half-goal advantage earned on handicap averages on a score line of 7 goals to 2½.
Rits earned the Eilis Quinlan Trophy in the low goal tournament with 12 goals to 8½ from Bishopland and 6½ from Ballindenisk.