Dundalk Sharks U9s Back Row (left to right): Eoghan Staunton, Peter Rice, Jack Gilmore, Luke Andrews, Joe O’Donnachadha, Fionn Duffy, Kieran McArdle, Mark Leavy, Joseph Pheifer, Mark Brennan, Aaron McGuinness Smith, Leo MacRuairi, Luke Clarke, Calum Grant, Aron McEvoy; Front Row (left to right): Ronan McDonnell, Edward Finnegan, Brian McCahill, Sam Malone, Conal O’Callaghan, Robert Malone, Lorcan Ticehurst, James Lucas, James O’Connor, Niall Brennan, Ciaran Finnegan

Fresh from their tough encounter with Navan a week earlier, the Dundalk Sharks Under 9s welcomed Newry RFC to Mill Road for a cross border clash on Saturday morning. The Dundalk Sharks were typically strong in numbers with almost 30 sharks turning up and they were split into 3 even teams, the Black Sharks, the White Sharks and the Silver Sharks. It was clear from the outset that there was a gulf in class between the two sides with the Mill Road outfit at a different level of development to their Newry counterparts. There were some glimpses of great encourage from Newry with some good individual moments and performances, but they were never a match for the Sharks, with Head Coach Jason Malone and Mini Coordinator Fergus O’Callaghan having drilled the boys into a well oiled machine at this stage.

All 3 Sharks sides strolled easy wins against the Newry side, 5-1, 8-1 and 7-1 respectively, with Jason and Fergus encouraged by many aspects of the boys play. Worthy of a mention in attack among others were Leo MacRuairi, Kieran McArdle, Sam Malone, Luke Andrews, Jack Gilmore, Conal O’Callaghan, Mark Leavy, James O’Connor, Calum Grant and Niall Brennan. Tackling, rucking and competing fiercely were Aaron McGuinness Smith, Lorcan Ticehurst, Fionn Duffy, Ronan McDonnell, Robert Malone, Joseph Pheifer, Aron McEvoy, Eoghan Staunton and all the rest of the boys, none of who let the side down on the day. That being said there were periods of complacency, missed tackles, poor passing and decision making that on a different day the boys mightn’t have gotten away with, so plenty to work on in training on Tuesday evening, before a big away trip to Wanderers, where the boys will attempt to emulate the senior side and beat them in their own back yard, which will be a tough assignment indeed.