Maree have maintained their quest for a third men’s u-18 National Cup following a huge win in their quarter-final tie with Dublin League leaders, St Vincent’s.
The Oranmore-Maree side won by 47 points before a large and enthusiastic home support. Their ultra-aggressive man-to-man defence took the Dubliners by surprise as Maree raced to a 27 – 5 lead at the end of the first quarter. Vincent’s had no answer inside to the power of the shifts put in by 6’5” big men Ken Hansberry, Tomas Mitkus and Enda Walsh, nor the pace of guards O’Hagan, Ciarán Harte, and Pádraig Burke. At the half Maree’s lead was 52–14.
St Vincent’s tried everything, but the intensity of the Maree game broke the Dubliners early. In addition to the performances of 17-year-olds O’Hagan, Hansberry, Harte, and Paul Jacobsen, the Maree coaches were pleased with the showing of 15-year-olds, Mitkus, Burke, Walsh, and Éanna Malone, and 16-year-olds Dónal Greene and Alan Dempsey. Maree took the third quarter 19 - 8, then eased up to share the fourth 1 –11 to win the game emphatically 80-33.
Maree: Pádraig Burke (15 ), Tomas Mitkus (18 ), John Evans (dnp ), Alan Dempsey, Éanna Malone (7 ), Ciarán Harte, Paul Jacobsen (2 ), Colm O’Hagan (7 ), Cormac Shields (inj ), Dónal Greene (2 ), Ken Hansberry (19 ), Enda Walsh (10 ).
