GAZETTE
30 LUCAN GAZETTE 27 April 2017
SPORT
FASTSport
SOCCER: LOCAL STAR LINES OUT AGAINST CZECH REPUBLIC SIDE
Stenson lands three top tens at Ras Mumhan TEAM Bikeworx, Celbridge enjoyed a strong showing at the prestigious four-day Ras Mumhan in Kerry last week. On day one, Adam Stenson, a member of the Bikeworx squad but riding in the national jersey for the Ireland development team, took fourth place on the first stage and also the white jersey as leader of the Under-23 category. His club team mate Reese Young did a fantastic ride and took the blue jersey as leader of the A2 second category. Saturday was a 130km stage, starting in Listowel and finishing in Athea with plenty of category two and three climbs thrown in. A break of 15 riders went up the road at the midway point and unfortunately none of the Bikeworx riders were in that move. As a result, both jerseys were surrendered that day. Sunday was the longest day with 155km to cover starting and finishing in Waterville while taking in Valentia island, a significant portion of the ring of Kerry and some big climbs including Coom An Easpaig. T Stenson was in a breakaway group after 60km, getting himself into what would prove to be the winning move. This group rode hard over the climbs to stay away and had their lead up to two and a half minutes. Young was riding well in a chase group behind along with Sean Moore but they struggled on the climbs. Stenson stayed in the leading group of 12 to the finish and took 10 place on the line. Monday was a relatively flat stage of 115km starting in Killorglin and finished with 10 laps of a four kilometre circuit around the town. After 25km, Young crashed and broke his shoe but chased back on and regained contact with the main field. Coming into the last few laps, the remaining Bikeworx lads all looked comfortable in a group of 130 remaining riders. Stenson tried a move off the front with one kilometre to go but quickly got swallowed up. He hung on for ninth on the day, making it three top tens out of four. Moore put in an epic sprint to take 12th on the day and Young finished not far behind him for a top 25 finish.
Leixlip United’s Josh Giurgi
Lucan’s Giurgi in Irish U-15s sport@dublingazette.com
LUCAN youngster Josh Giurgi was involved as the Republic of Ireland Under-15 squad won one and lost one at the invitational tournament in the Czech Republic last week. Giurgi, who attends Lucan Community College and plays for Leixlip United, had to make do with an appearance from the bench for their win over Norway but he started in the team’s loss to the hosts. The decider against the Czechs never went to plan for Ireland as they went down 4-2 in the town of
Brozany nad Ohri. The home side attacked Ireland from the start and forced Shamrock Rovers shot stopper Gavin Bazunu into a save as early as the third minute. Seven minutes later and the Czechs were ahead when a shot cannoned off back off the Irish crossbar and Pavel Hural headed home. New Tottenham Hotspur signing Troy Parrott almost levelled a minute later when he got on the end of Giurgi’s cross but he couldn’t find the target. Ireland found themselves 2-0 down three minutes later after some good work from Vojtech
LONDON MARATHON Harriers coach Murtagh inspires with fine time LUCAN Harriers club coach Vinny Murtagh
completed the Virgin Money London marathon last Sunday in a brilliant time of 3.47 in very hot and sunny conditions. Murtagh was raising money for the Christina Nobel Children’s Foundation and, to date, has raised over €2,000. Elsewhere, the club’s Will Byrne finished his national duathlon series in the Phoenix Park at the weekend with an eighth position overall and silver medal in his Over-40 age category.
Wojatskche was finished off by Javier Neruda. Parrott hit the post with a free kick that was followed up by Cian Kelly firing past the keeper to pull one back for the visitors. Ireland were then back on level terms after 27 minutes when Parrott scored from the spot after being taken down in the area. Parrott was having a devastating effect on the game and he was involved again five minutes later when he went on an excellent run and put a cross into the box that Ronan McKinley was inches away from turning
home. Further chances came for Ireland before the break through Armstrong Okoflex, Guirgi and Parrott but the first went wide and the others found Czech keeper Ondrej Mastny in good form. Czech Republic started the second half quickly and retook the lead two minutes after the restart when Timofej Barkoh headed past Bazunu. Filip Gedeon added a fourth minutes later, and the need for another twogoal fight back proved too much for Ireland. Two days earlier it was Ireland who scored four goals as they put Norway
to the sword in the first half with a 4-1 in Prague. Sean Kennedy opened the scoring for Ireland in the 13th minute with a low strike, and poked past the keeper 12 minutes later for his second. Ronan McKinley embarrassed Norwegian keeper Vegard Storsve by dispossessing him and rolling the ball into an empty net for his country’s third, before Matthew Everitt marked his debut with a goal. Norway were more threatening in the second half and were rewarded with a consolation strike from Simon Bakken in the last minute.