Little Croker by Joe O'Brien Page A

the three heroes were still bragging about the events of the night before as they warmed up for the match against Kimuldridge under-14s.
    At last, Jonathon’s chance to shine had arrived – Jimmy announced the starting line up for the friendly and Jonathon was selected to start alongside Danny in midfield.
    Danny was proud to have his cousin play beside him; all the hard coaching, and now at last it was pay day.
    Jimmy took his place on the line alongside the subs while the other team’s manager, Mick’s friend, acted as referee.
    The ball was thrown in and Danny and Jonathon were straight into the action.
    Danny out-muscled his slightly bigger and older opponent and knocked the ball down to Jonathon.
    Jonathon was feeling a bit overwhelmed, but he got a rush of adrenaline, dropped the ball to his right foot and belted an enormous pass up field. The distance he hit the ball was phenomenal, but it was to no avail as the home team’s centre full back picked it up easily and knocked it out to his right half back.
    It only took a half a dozen more passes and the ball was in the back of Crokes’ net.
    These lads were bigger, stronger and a little more experienced than Danny’s team, but that didn’t stop Danny from getting stuck into them.
    Almost every ball that Danny Wilde won or picked up, he passed on to Jonathon. It wasn’t that he was favouring his cousin over the rest of his team mates, but just that Danny knew that this game was a perfect opportunity for Jonathon to pick up experience and get the feel for action. Training and practising were certainly necessary, but real match practice was priceless.
    Crokes’ were losing the game by two goals and four points to four points with only ten minutes left to the full time whistle when Jonathon made a bursting run in behind the centre full back.
    Splinter had caught a super pass from Danny and fisted it to Doyler who had run in behind him, along the left wing.
    Danny let a roar to Doyler to release the ball quick.
    Doyler turned his marker and knocked the ball across the goal.
    The gods of GAA must have been smiling down at Jonathon Wilde as he slid across the box and stretched out his right foot and toed the ball through the legs of the Kimuldridge keeper and into the net.
    Jimmy missed the goal because he had been talking to some people on the side line with microphones and television cameras.
    ‘Perfect!’ said one of the camera guys. ‘That will make a great clip.’
    The woman who owned the chipper had been so impressed with the three boys’ honesty that she’d contacted the media. They immediately contacted Garda Doyle and when he confirmed the story, a TV van set out for the small town of Kimuldridge to capture the story of the three friends who had found the stolen money. They thought it would be a great piece of local colour for The News. And now Jonathon was on film scoring a goal for Littlestown Crokes in the sunny coast of Wexford when he should have been at Trinity Dawson’s house!
    As soon as the referee blew the full time whistle, all the players ran over to get in on the action.
    When Jimmy ran over and told Danny and Jonathon that the media wanted to interview them for The News, Jonathon panicked and disappeared from sight.
    Danny followed him. He knew that this was a serious threat to ‘Operation Larry’!
    Splinter, however, couldn’t resist the media attention. He answered all their questions, but made sure to keep Jonathon out of his answers, not that it would make any difference.
    The media and a bewildered Jimmy tried to find Danny and Jonathon, but the two boys had already hurried back to their hotel room, and as the footage was being broadcast the same day, the TV crew gave up the search and left.
    * * *
    Jimmy kept hassling Danny and Jonathon all the way home on the coach, but the two boys remained silent.
    ‘I don’t understand yiz at all!’ said Jimmy. ‘They only wanted to ask a few questions for the news. You’re heroes. Ah