2018 Underage Finals
Sept. 9, U-13 Hurling Div. 2 Shield Final: Rathgarogue-Cushinstown 2-11, Ferns St. Aidans 3-6
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had to fend off a determined fightback from fast-finishing Ferns St. Aidans before eventually claiming the New Ross Standard Under-13 Division 2 shield title with a dramatic 2-11 to 3-6 victory in St Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy.
The New Ross District side looked to have had enough credit in the bank as four placed balls in a row from captain Matthew Murphy helped stretch their advantage to 2-10 to 1-6 with a minute of regulation time left to play.
But his Ferns team don’t know the meaning of throwing in the towel, and inspired by a couple of breath-taking individual goals from James Murray, both finished in near identical spots in the roof of the net, they moved within a puck of a ball of a miraculous revival.
However, midfielder Ryan O’Connor crucially twice found the range either side of the second of those late net-rattlers as Rathgarogue-Cushinstown just about held on to bring home the spoils.
Both defences were on top in an end-to-end opening quarter, with Rathgarogue-Cushinstown eventually opening the scoring with a Michael O’Rourke point on eleven minutes.
However, Ferns pounced for an unanswered 1-2 to briefly turn the tables in their favour, with Oisín Cronin pulling home a rebound on 14 minutes after Murray’s effort was batted out into his path.
But parity was restored at 1-3 apiece by half-time when Rathgarogue-Cushinstown raised a green flag on 20 minutes as O’Rourke appeared to get the final touch to Murphy’s delivery towards goal.
Ferns forged ahead again through Niall Logan and a stylish effort from Murray, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s goalmouth somehow survived an onslaught as pressure was cranked up.
But they got through that rocky spell having suffered only limited damage, and when Murphy stitched a brilliant goal on 39 minutes, they went ahead again (2-5 to 1-5).
His four aforementioned placed balls (three frees, one ’45) were wind-assisted as the gap swelled to seven points, and while Murray was in irrepressible form at the other end as he tried everything in his power to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, overall Rathgarogue-Cushinstown were deserving champions.
Ferns St. Aidans: Charlie Murphy-O’Leary; Sean Gahan, Max Meegan, Jack Curran; Danny Dreelan, Stephen O’Toole, Jack Young; Jerry Sheridan, Darragh Breen; Thomas Dunne, Niall Logan (0-3), Brian Kearns (capt.); Oisin Cronin (1-0), James Murray (2-3, 0-1 free), William Kavanagh. Subs: Bobby Murray for Kearns, also Gavin O’Sullivan, Paul Kehoe, Danny Faye-Nolan, Adam Kehoe.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Jamie Sinnott; Ben Myers, Brian Whitty, Conor Rossitter; Brian Dillon, Niall Kehoe, Jack O’Neill; Oisin Heaphy, Ryan O’Connor (0-2); Michael O’Rourke (1-2), Matthew Murphy (capt., 1-6, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45’), Billy Kennedy; Bobby McGrath, James Kehoe (0-1), Charlie McGrath. Subs: Cael Colfer for B. McGrath, Cameron O’Connor for C. McGrath, Cormac O’Neill for Kennedy, Darragh Smithers for O’Rourke, also Josh Kavanagh, Oisin Kavanagh.
Referee: Martin Armstrong (Rapparees).
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had to fend off a determined fightback from fast-finishing Ferns St. Aidans before eventually claiming the New Ross Standard Under-13 Division 2 shield title with a dramatic 2-11 to 3-6 victory in St Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy.
The New Ross District side looked to have had enough credit in the bank as four placed balls in a row from captain Matthew Murphy helped stretch their advantage to 2-10 to 1-6 with a minute of regulation time left to play.
But his Ferns team don’t know the meaning of throwing in the towel, and inspired by a couple of breath-taking individual goals from James Murray, both finished in near identical spots in the roof of the net, they moved within a puck of a ball of a miraculous revival.
However, midfielder Ryan O’Connor crucially twice found the range either side of the second of those late net-rattlers as Rathgarogue-Cushinstown just about held on to bring home the spoils.
Both defences were on top in an end-to-end opening quarter, with Rathgarogue-Cushinstown eventually opening the scoring with a Michael O’Rourke point on eleven minutes.
However, Ferns pounced for an unanswered 1-2 to briefly turn the tables in their favour, with Oisín Cronin pulling home a rebound on 14 minutes after Murray’s effort was batted out into his path.
But parity was restored at 1-3 apiece by half-time when Rathgarogue-Cushinstown raised a green flag on 20 minutes as O’Rourke appeared to get the final touch to Murphy’s delivery towards goal.
Ferns forged ahead again through Niall Logan and a stylish effort from Murray, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s goalmouth somehow survived an onslaught as pressure was cranked up.
But they got through that rocky spell having suffered only limited damage, and when Murphy stitched a brilliant goal on 39 minutes, they went ahead again (2-5 to 1-5).
His four aforementioned placed balls (three frees, one ’45) were wind-assisted as the gap swelled to seven points, and while Murray was in irrepressible form at the other end as he tried everything in his power to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, overall Rathgarogue-Cushinstown were deserving champions.
Ferns St. Aidans: Charlie Murphy-O’Leary; Sean Gahan, Max Meegan, Jack Curran; Danny Dreelan, Stephen O’Toole, Jack Young; Jerry Sheridan, Darragh Breen; Thomas Dunne, Niall Logan (0-3), Brian Kearns (capt.); Oisin Cronin (1-0), James Murray (2-3, 0-1 free), William Kavanagh. Subs: Bobby Murray for Kearns, also Gavin O’Sullivan, Paul Kehoe, Danny Faye-Nolan, Adam Kehoe.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Jamie Sinnott; Ben Myers, Brian Whitty, Conor Rossitter; Brian Dillon, Niall Kehoe, Jack O’Neill; Oisin Heaphy, Ryan O’Connor (0-2); Michael O’Rourke (1-2), Matthew Murphy (capt., 1-6, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45’), Billy Kennedy; Bobby McGrath, James Kehoe (0-1), Charlie McGrath. Subs: Cael Colfer for B. McGrath, Cameron O’Connor for C. McGrath, Cormac O’Neill for Kennedy, Darragh Smithers for O’Rourke, also Josh Kavanagh, Oisin Kavanagh.
Referee: Martin Armstrong (Rapparees).
Sept. 30, Minor Hurling Div. 2 Final: Buffers Alley 1-14, Ferns St. Aidans 3-7
Stuck in the middle of a sea of points, Jack Whelan scored the all-important 43rd minute goal as Buffers Alley battled past a dogged Ferns St. Aidans to take the Wexford People Minor Hurling Roinn 2 championship title in Camolin on Sunday.
In many ways it was a classic hurling encounter, full of unrelenting effort and limitless energy, but in other ways it was a peculiar kind of game.
The scoreline tells a little bit of the story, but not the whole thing. Buffers Alley looked the stronger side, with an ability on the ball that constantly left their opponents under the cosh. They picked off some fine scores and their striking of the sliothar was clean and consistent, leading to several good points.
Yet for all their good work, they struggled to get the better of a rock-solid Ferns full back line.
That’s why Whelan’s goal was so important as, running away from the posts, the corner-forward whacked a sublime finish back across goal to give James Kinsella no chance.
On the other hand, Ferns didn’t have as much of the ball but they consistently looked like they were on the verge of breaking through to the net.
They got three goals, and another day and with a little more luck, they could have had five or six and the title would have been theirs.
They started very much in that manner, with Byron Jordan flashing home off the deck in the opening minutes.
Michael Butler brought the Alley level but Bob Byrne fired off the crossbar and over, and Shane Breen then registered to leave Ferns 1-2 to 0-3 ahead after the opening quarter.
Jordan hauled in a searching Páraic Kinsella pass and despatched home his second goal in the 22nd minute, but the Monamolin boys hit back with Ben Murphy and Liam Walsh on target to get within one in the 28th minute (2-2 to 0-7).
Ferns St. Aidans finished the half on the front foot, with scores from Breen and Seb Rynhart leaving them three up at the change of ends.
Yet that advantage was soon wiped out as three Walsh dead balls and a Cormac Walsh point put the Alley in front for the second time.
Despite a couple of Breen frees, Buffers Alley looked to be easing clear after Whelan netted and Butler added his third point to put them 1-13 to 2-6 up after 47 minutes.
Things got dicey when Ferns won a penalty, only for Cian O’Connor to save from Ciarán Murphy.
Right on 60 minutes Ferns got a lifeline when Breen’s free was deflected to the net off a defender’s hurl, and Walsh left two between the sides with an injury time point.
The St. Aidans boys battered the goal for the last few minutes but to no avail, and their challenge ended when Rory Scallan flashed over their last chance right at the death.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Kinsella; Conor O’Toole, Patrick O’Toole, Adam Quinn; Barry Murphy, Rory Scallan (capt., 0-1 free), Barry O’Toole; Shane Breen (1-4, 1-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65’), Brian Stafford; Páraic Kinsella, Ciarán Murphy, Byron Jordan (2-0); Tom Browne, Bob Byrne (0-1), Seb Rynhart (0-1). Subs: George Warren for B. Murphy (45), Evan Murphy for Browne (46), also Josh Kinsella, Craig Murphy.
Buffers Alley: Cian O’Connor; Oisín Tyrrell, David Meleady, Myles O’Connor; Jack Murphy, Adam Byrne (joint capt.), Eoin McNulty; Liam Walsh (0-9 frees), Jack Twomey; Ben Murphy (0-1), Oisín Fortune (joint capt.), Cillian Larkin; Martin Keane, Michael Butler (0-3), Jack Whelan (1-0). Subs: Cormac Walsh (0-1) for B. Murphy (31), Jack Redmond for J. Murphy (31), Edward Harney for Keane (47), Jack Hearne for O’Connor (inj., 52), also Ciarán Hearne, David Hearne, Eoin O’Meara, Jack Fanning, James Reilly, Jamie Corrigan, Niall Corrigan, Oisín O’Hagan, Pádraig Moran, Richard Devereux.
Referee: Roly Buckley (Ballyhogue).
Stuck in the middle of a sea of points, Jack Whelan scored the all-important 43rd minute goal as Buffers Alley battled past a dogged Ferns St. Aidans to take the Wexford People Minor Hurling Roinn 2 championship title in Camolin on Sunday.
In many ways it was a classic hurling encounter, full of unrelenting effort and limitless energy, but in other ways it was a peculiar kind of game.
The scoreline tells a little bit of the story, but not the whole thing. Buffers Alley looked the stronger side, with an ability on the ball that constantly left their opponents under the cosh. They picked off some fine scores and their striking of the sliothar was clean and consistent, leading to several good points.
Yet for all their good work, they struggled to get the better of a rock-solid Ferns full back line.
That’s why Whelan’s goal was so important as, running away from the posts, the corner-forward whacked a sublime finish back across goal to give James Kinsella no chance.
On the other hand, Ferns didn’t have as much of the ball but they consistently looked like they were on the verge of breaking through to the net.
They got three goals, and another day and with a little more luck, they could have had five or six and the title would have been theirs.
They started very much in that manner, with Byron Jordan flashing home off the deck in the opening minutes.
Michael Butler brought the Alley level but Bob Byrne fired off the crossbar and over, and Shane Breen then registered to leave Ferns 1-2 to 0-3 ahead after the opening quarter.
Jordan hauled in a searching Páraic Kinsella pass and despatched home his second goal in the 22nd minute, but the Monamolin boys hit back with Ben Murphy and Liam Walsh on target to get within one in the 28th minute (2-2 to 0-7).
Ferns St. Aidans finished the half on the front foot, with scores from Breen and Seb Rynhart leaving them three up at the change of ends.
Yet that advantage was soon wiped out as three Walsh dead balls and a Cormac Walsh point put the Alley in front for the second time.
Despite a couple of Breen frees, Buffers Alley looked to be easing clear after Whelan netted and Butler added his third point to put them 1-13 to 2-6 up after 47 minutes.
Things got dicey when Ferns won a penalty, only for Cian O’Connor to save from Ciarán Murphy.
Right on 60 minutes Ferns got a lifeline when Breen’s free was deflected to the net off a defender’s hurl, and Walsh left two between the sides with an injury time point.
The St. Aidans boys battered the goal for the last few minutes but to no avail, and their challenge ended when Rory Scallan flashed over their last chance right at the death.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Kinsella; Conor O’Toole, Patrick O’Toole, Adam Quinn; Barry Murphy, Rory Scallan (capt., 0-1 free), Barry O’Toole; Shane Breen (1-4, 1-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65’), Brian Stafford; Páraic Kinsella, Ciarán Murphy, Byron Jordan (2-0); Tom Browne, Bob Byrne (0-1), Seb Rynhart (0-1). Subs: George Warren for B. Murphy (45), Evan Murphy for Browne (46), also Josh Kinsella, Craig Murphy.
Buffers Alley: Cian O’Connor; Oisín Tyrrell, David Meleady, Myles O’Connor; Jack Murphy, Adam Byrne (joint capt.), Eoin McNulty; Liam Walsh (0-9 frees), Jack Twomey; Ben Murphy (0-1), Oisín Fortune (joint capt.), Cillian Larkin; Martin Keane, Michael Butler (0-3), Jack Whelan (1-0). Subs: Cormac Walsh (0-1) for B. Murphy (31), Jack Redmond for J. Murphy (31), Edward Harney for Keane (47), Jack Hearne for O’Connor (inj., 52), also Ciarán Hearne, David Hearne, Eoin O’Meara, Jack Fanning, James Reilly, Jamie Corrigan, Niall Corrigan, Oisín O’Hagan, Pádraig Moran, Richard Devereux.
Referee: Roly Buckley (Ballyhogue).
