An  opening round junior hurling league game, between  O'Donovan Rossa, Skibbereen and Randals,  was played in Skibbereen on last Sunday morning, 8th March.

The recent wet weather had not affected the pitch, but a strong cold westerly wind was a dominant factor even though, again, the forecast showers stayed away during the game.

How the scores came -

Skibb opened the scoring with a point in the second minute. Seadhna Crowley got an equaliser after about eight minutes but a Skibbereen goal, a few minutes later, gave the home side a lead which they held for most of the game.

Another Seadhna Crowley point made it 1-1 to 0-2 going into the second quarter.

Three points , two from frees, stretched the Skibbereen lead over the next ten minutes but a crucial goal, for which Gavin Hunt was responsible, brought Randals back into the game close to half time.

It was :  O'Donovan Rossa 1-5 Randal Og 1-2,  at the break.

Randals had the advantage of the wind in the second half, and early points came from Seadhna Crowley and Eoin O'Donovan, both from placed balls, to make it a one point game.

However, the game changed again, around the thirty ninth minute, with a second O'Donovan Rossa goal and it was 2-5 to 1-4.

Donncha Collins narrowed the gap with a point but Skibb came back to restore the margin minutes later, as the game went into the final quarter.

With some great work from Kevin Dullea, Randals fought back, to get four points over the next ten minutes, and it was all square again.

Seadhna Crowley sent over the first from a free. Then came a great score by Cian O'Neill two minutes later. Seadhna Crowley, from a free, was on target again for the next one and the equaliser, from Johnny Collins, came with about four minutes to go.

Rossas regained the lead briefly with another point, but Seadhna Crowley, again, had the last word and it was : O'Donovan Rossa  2-7  Randal Og 1-10 at full time.

Team: Patrick Lynch, Peter Collins, Conor O'Neill, Kieran O'Brien, Conor O' Donovan, Conor O'Connell, Daire Hayes, Eoin O'Donovan, Cian O'Neill, Barry Lynch, Seadhna Crowley, Kevin Dullea, Alan Brickley, Gavin Hunt, Donncha Collins.

Subs: Sam Kingston, Johnny Collins, Daniel O'Sullivan