St. Nicks Lotto

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Welcome to www.nicksgaa.com, the home of St Nicholas Gaelic Football Club in Cork, Ireland. Since 2001 the site has been updated weekly with results, fixtures, news and photos from the club. A new online lotto system is now live so click the link and play online now to help support the club and be in with a chance to win our weekly jackpot!

Latest News - Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Today is .

• Best of luck to the Senior Camogie team who begin their C'ship campaign on Sunday night with the follwoing fixture. Glen Rovers v Ballinhassig in carrigaline @ 7.30 pm.

• Congratulations and well done to Dean Brosnan who played excellently for the Cork minor hurlers in their darw with Tipperary. Dean becomes the latest player from the club to play with both Cork minor teams in the same season. Niall Horgan was the last player to achieve that feat.

• Camogie Page: Congratulations to the Camogie Club on winning a community award from the Lord Mayor last week. A photo of the event can be seen on the camogie page here>>

• Golf Classic 2009; The Committee would like to thank all who supported our Annual Golf Classic on Thursday last, special thanks to the sub committee of Kieran O'Shea, Paul Young, James Galvin and Pat Bourke. To all in Douglas Golf Club for their help and sponsors Fitzgeralds Menswear for their support. Thanks also to all who sponsored tees and greens. Photos of the have been posted here>>

• Well done to the senior footballers on the win over O'Donovan Rossa which puts us into the draw for the 3rd round., full match report and photos below....

• Senior Football League; To date we have played 6 games in this league and have won 3, against Douglas, Glenville and Ilen Rovers, drew with Newcestown and lost to Clonakilty and Carbery Rangers. St Nicks are also due to play Castlehaven in the final of the 2008 Tadgh Crowley Cup.

• 2009 AGM; Outgoing officers re-elected, Niall Byrnes and Davey Cunningham will once again act as selectors with the senior team.
  

St Nicks Golf Classic 2009

More photos from the 2009 Golf Classic have been posted here>>

St Nick’s come good late on - 2009 SFC Round 2

By MARK WOODS (EVENING ECHO) St Nick’s 1-9 O’Donovan Rossa 0-10 ST NICK’S came good in a low-scoring closing quarter to send O’Donovan Rossa into the dreaded relegation series in the Evening Echo SFC in Bandon on Saturday evening. The city club are back in contention, joining 15 other sides in the third round draw, where the absence of a fear of losing will be a welcome relief to all concerned. But, for the Skibbereen side, it’s now a battle to preserve their senior status as they become the latest members of the most unwelcome little club in the county.

The threat of having to fight for survival dogged this tie from start to finish, the players’ uneasy predicament compounded by treacherous conditions of a wretched wind on a slippery surface. It was poor quality stuff generally and while the contestants have every sympathy the high number of frees awarded (and missed) for players picking the ball off the ground reflected the standard. In keeping with the trend it shouldn’t come as much surprise that the only goal and the most significant score came from a litany of errors in almost comical fashion. Rossa’s goalkeeper James McCarthy experienced the same feeling most golfers encounter when attempting to force a shot into the wind. St Nick’s, playing with the advantage of the elements from the start, jumped two points clear following Kieran Barry’s sixth minute effort. It was from McCarthy’s attempted kick-out that the trouble stemmed. He scuffed his shot along the ground, but recovered well to keep out David Brosnan’s attempt only for the rebound to strike unlucky corner-back and captain, Eddie Nealon, and trickle over the line. That effort apart, McCarthy’s kicking into the wind was excellent, except he paid a heavy price for his one and only weak effort. Yet, the game was still there for the west Cork side entering the closing 15 minutes as they had battled from twice being seven points down in the first-half to be within one. The dangerous Rob McCarthy, who had been a scourge in the St Nick’s defence all evening, fisted over a point after 44 minutes to leave it 1-7 to 0-9 with everything to play for. But, instead of driving on and using the wind to maintain their momentum, Rossas lost direction and shape. The fact they could only score one more time is testimony to their poor decision-making and the ability of their opponents to use possession more wisely in a frantic closing spell.

The importance of Robert Brosnan’s dead-ball kicks was emphasised again as he cancelled out McCarthy’s score to leave two points separating the teams with 12 minutes left. Cork forward, Conor McCarthy, ensured the temperature raised a couple of degrees by replying with a Skibb free two minutes from the end of regulation time. A draw wouldn’t have been out of the equation only for Graham Callanan to set-up Paul O’Brien for a crucial score as the game entered three minutes’ injury-time, during which Rossas had one opportunity to drop one in around the houses, but it came to nothing. St Nick’s did most of the damage in the opening 23 minutes, when they led by 1-6 to 0-2, though Skibb created enough chances to be a lot closer, but the tenacious blocking of full-back Brian McSweeney highlighted his side’s battling qualities. But, thanks to the efforts of Pat Gilmore at mid-field, the tide turned noticeably in the period up to half-time, Rossas kicking three points without response to surge back into the contest. Conor McCarthy landed a superb free into the wind before adding another from play off his left and the closing score reflected the changing of the guard in overall terms. Gilmore broke Peter Cuthbert’s re-start and in a memorable attack centre-back Donal O’Sullivan surged forward to apply the finishing touch to make it a 1-6 to 0-5 at the break. Skibb were clearly on a high at this stage, because they started the second-half in similar fashion, Rob McCarthy scoring inside 30 seconds, following by another from namesake Conor four minutes later. Careless use of the ball coming from defence gifted Barry his second point for St Nick’s (1-7 to 0-7), but the McCarthy’s replied with two points to set-up a tense closing quarter, during which the city side held their nerve.

Scorers for St Nick’s: R Brosnan 0-4 (2f, 2 45), E Nealon own goal, K Barry 0-2, G Moylan 0-2 f, P O’Brien 0-1. O’Donovan Rossa: C McCarthy 0-6 (4f), R McCarthy 0-2, C Keohane and D O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

ST NICK’S: P Cuthbert; K Spain, B McSweeney, S Kenefick; Dean Brosnan, D Cunningham, D Óg O’Donovan; R Brosnan, P O’Brien; G Callanan, K Barry, D Goggin; G Moylan, captain, David Brosnan, D Moylan. Subs: G Looney for Spain 32, S O’Driscoll for Goggin 40, N Harte for Kenefick 48.

O’DONOVAN ROSSA: J McCarthy; A Tanner, K Cotter, E Nealon, captain; F Crowley, D O’Sullivan, P Nealon; P Gilmore, S Carmody; C Keohane, D Óg Hodnett, C Crowley; R Long, C McCarthy, R McCarthy. Subs: G Minihane for Carmody 43, C Long for Keohane 54, E Hodnett for D Óg Hodnett 56, S Crowley snr for Nealon injured 59. Referee: P O’Leary (Kilmurry).

Byrne: An awful lot of nerves out on pitch mark woods Reaction ends Quotes THE relief was visible on the face of St Nick’s coach Niall Byrne after another hour in the wringer. These second round games should carry a health warning, because they’re certainly not good for the ticker. “There were a lot of nerves out there. It was a backdoor game and neither wanted to return to the relegation games they had been involved in in recent years. “We’re a dual club and this win is big boost for the hurlers, who can drive on from this as well. “I said to the lads before the game ‘we’re a good team. We were unlucky last year, because we didn’t take our chances.’ Today we did,” he said. Byrne admitted the goal which decided the outcome in the end was fortuitous, but in these situations you’ll gladly take every slice of luck coming your way. “We’re very happy, though Skibb really put it up to us, especially before half-time. “But Skibb were always going to have their few minutes against the wind and it’s what you allow them do in those five or 10 minutes that is critical. “The same thing happened to us against Bishopstown in the first-round and I thought it was deja vu. “I told the lads at half-time that the wind never wins a match for a team. “We regrouped for the second-half, knuckled down to what we wanted to do and worked very, very hard. “Skibb are a young team and they came out all fired up for the second-half, but the key was getting control of midfield. “We brought David Brosnan out from full-forward and he helped break up midfield, allowing us gain control of the ball and getting back to the basics. “I thought we held on to the ball very well and managed to create and take enough chances to see us through. “The key was doing the simple thing when in possession and I thought our work-rate on and off the ball was excellent.” Byrne concluded.

Thanks to the Evening Echo for report and photos