and that allowed Barnfield to add two more points, bringing their score to 1-3, and still the Crokes had hardly got the ball out of their own half.
Both Danny and Jonathon worked hopelessly to get the ball up to their forwards, but Barnfield was simply on their game and it seemed as if the Crokes could do nothing about it.
Occasionally, Danny would look over toward his line to see if Trinity was cheering him on, but not once did they make eye contact. In fact, it looked to Danny that Trinity wasn’t even interested in the match. At one point, she and Lowry even took Heffo for a walk.
Danny heard his name being called. It was coming from Jonathon, who had robbed the ball from the Barnfield right halfback.
Danny sprinted into a space, but he knew Deco Savage was trailing him.
Jonathon kicked a low pass along the ground, right into the path of Danny’s run.
Danny pulled off a spectacular pick up and was just about to send a high one into his full forward line when Savage knocked the ball from Danny’s hands.
The ball fell away from both Danny and Savage.
The Barnfield centre half back had left Doyler and come out to collect it, but Danny wasn’t going to give up that easily.
Seeing Danny sprinting towards the ball, the Barnfield number six lashed out his boot to kick the ball away. Danny bravely dived with both hands stretched and marvellously blocked down the kick, ricocheting the ball out to Jason Delaney, the Crokes’ right full forward who had moved in towards the action.
CRASH! The Barnfield centre half back’s leg followed through and caught Danny full force in the face.
Danny rolled over twice, then lay still – no movement, no sound.
Mick and Jimmy raced onto the pitch.
Trinity and Lowry had just come around the bend of hedging at the top end of the pitch when they noticed all the commotion.
‘God!’ said Lowry. ‘I hope that’s not Jonathon. Mammy will have a fit!’
Trinity laughed, but when they got closer, they noticed that Larry had his hands on his head and Regina had an arm around Granny Maureen.
‘I think it’s Danny,’ said Lowry, seeing Jonathon standing behind Jimmy.
Trinity and Lowry joined Larry and Regina. Trinity looked terrified. Please let him be all right! was written all over her face.
And Danny was all right. In fact, after a few seconds, he was sitting up and Mick was splashing water into his face.
‘Ouch!’ Danny complained.
‘You’re going to have a shiner there, Danny,’ Jimmy joked.
Mick put four fingers out in front of Danny’s face.
‘How many fingers am I holding out, son?’ asked Mick.
‘Eight,’ Danny joked. ‘I’m alright, Da. Let me up.’
Danny was a bit wobbly on his feet.
‘I think we’ll take him off, Jimmy.’
‘No!’ protested Danny with passion in his voice.
Mick looked at Jimmy.
‘We’ll keep an eye on him,’ Jimmy said.
‘Very funny.’ Danny let out a laugh.
The small gathering of players dispersed as Mick and Jimmy returned to the line. Danny’s eye was swollen but he was fine and more determined than ever to turn this game around.
There was no free kick awarded as it wasn’t seen as a foul, so the referee threw the ball in between Jonathon and Sean Dempsey. Jonathon won the ball and immediately fisted across to Danny who was being marshalled by Deco Savage.
Danny swiftly turned Savage and sent a perfect pass into Barry Sweeney who out-jumped his marker then did a Barry Sweeney special and kicked the ball high over his head for a super point.
Finally, the Crokes had scored, but it didn’t stop there.
Doyler caught the Barnfield kick out. He couldn’t find any space to shoot, as the Barnfield centre half back was glued to him, so he kicked the ball out to Splinter who flicked it up and swerved a beautiful shot over the bar.
The referee had one last look at his watch, then blew his whistle.
The Crokes players jogged over to the line. They were behind by a score of 1-3 to 0-2.
Jimmy rallied around all
Both Danny and Jonathon worked hopelessly to get the ball up to their forwards, but Barnfield was simply on their game and it seemed as if the Crokes could do nothing about it.
Occasionally, Danny would look over toward his line to see if Trinity was cheering him on, but not once did they make eye contact. In fact, it looked to Danny that Trinity wasn’t even interested in the match. At one point, she and Lowry even took Heffo for a walk.
Danny heard his name being called. It was coming from Jonathon, who had robbed the ball from the Barnfield right halfback.
Danny sprinted into a space, but he knew Deco Savage was trailing him.
Jonathon kicked a low pass along the ground, right into the path of Danny’s run.
Danny pulled off a spectacular pick up and was just about to send a high one into his full forward line when Savage knocked the ball from Danny’s hands.
The ball fell away from both Danny and Savage.
The Barnfield centre half back had left Doyler and come out to collect it, but Danny wasn’t going to give up that easily.
Seeing Danny sprinting towards the ball, the Barnfield number six lashed out his boot to kick the ball away. Danny bravely dived with both hands stretched and marvellously blocked down the kick, ricocheting the ball out to Jason Delaney, the Crokes’ right full forward who had moved in towards the action.
CRASH! The Barnfield centre half back’s leg followed through and caught Danny full force in the face.
Danny rolled over twice, then lay still – no movement, no sound.
Mick and Jimmy raced onto the pitch.
Trinity and Lowry had just come around the bend of hedging at the top end of the pitch when they noticed all the commotion.
‘God!’ said Lowry. ‘I hope that’s not Jonathon. Mammy will have a fit!’
Trinity laughed, but when they got closer, they noticed that Larry had his hands on his head and Regina had an arm around Granny Maureen.
‘I think it’s Danny,’ said Lowry, seeing Jonathon standing behind Jimmy.
Trinity and Lowry joined Larry and Regina. Trinity looked terrified. Please let him be all right! was written all over her face.
And Danny was all right. In fact, after a few seconds, he was sitting up and Mick was splashing water into his face.
‘Ouch!’ Danny complained.
‘You’re going to have a shiner there, Danny,’ Jimmy joked.
Mick put four fingers out in front of Danny’s face.
‘How many fingers am I holding out, son?’ asked Mick.
‘Eight,’ Danny joked. ‘I’m alright, Da. Let me up.’
Danny was a bit wobbly on his feet.
‘I think we’ll take him off, Jimmy.’
‘No!’ protested Danny with passion in his voice.
Mick looked at Jimmy.
‘We’ll keep an eye on him,’ Jimmy said.
‘Very funny.’ Danny let out a laugh.
The small gathering of players dispersed as Mick and Jimmy returned to the line. Danny’s eye was swollen but he was fine and more determined than ever to turn this game around.
There was no free kick awarded as it wasn’t seen as a foul, so the referee threw the ball in between Jonathon and Sean Dempsey. Jonathon won the ball and immediately fisted across to Danny who was being marshalled by Deco Savage.
Danny swiftly turned Savage and sent a perfect pass into Barry Sweeney who out-jumped his marker then did a Barry Sweeney special and kicked the ball high over his head for a super point.
Finally, the Crokes had scored, but it didn’t stop there.
Doyler caught the Barnfield kick out. He couldn’t find any space to shoot, as the Barnfield centre half back was glued to him, so he kicked the ball out to Splinter who flicked it up and swerved a beautiful shot over the bar.
The referee had one last look at his watch, then blew his whistle.
The Crokes players jogged over to the line. They were behind by a score of 1-3 to 0-2.
Jimmy rallied around all
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