Senior Hurling Championship 2020
July 18: Faythe Harriers 2-11, Ferns St. Aidans 0-16
We didn't need to wait until Saturday afternoon in Bellefield to learn that the outstanding Lee Chin is the beating heart of the Faythe Harriers Senior hurling team.
However, the score that followed his equalising goal near the end of this absorbing Pettitt's championship Group B opener suggested that he may finally be getting the help that was so evidently required to turn the Wexford town men from perennial strugglers into potential contenders.
At times unstoppable, Chin had a direct hand in all bar two points of the 2-11 tally that proved enough to pip a Ferns St. Aidan's side guilty of some self-destructive acts in a thrilling finish.
The Gorey District men won their meeting last year by five points, and they appeared to be well placed again in a tight contest when they struck the first two scores after the second-half water break to increase their lead to 0-15 to 1-9.
Ciarán Roberts availed of a heavy touch by a Harriers defender following a Jonny Dwyer line ball to convert, before a stray handpass from the opposition ended with Paul Morris giving his team that three-point cushion.
It looked like fortune was going to favour Ferns then, after a needless free was conceded for a late challenge on Conall Clancy whose scoring attempt had been safely gathered by James Lawlor, his county Under-20 colleague from last year.
Chin stepped up for what appeared to be a straightforward conversion but hooked it left and wide, but his response to that rare error was precisely what one would expect from a player of his calibre.
Referee Joe Kelly penalised a Ferns defender, who wasn't under pressure, for a throw, and dissent turned a likely tap-over free into a potential goal chance.
That's exactly what Chin thought too and, even though the men on the line must have known his intentions, they were powerless to prevent his exocet from rattling the net and bringing the Harriers back to level terms in the 58th minute (2-9 to 0-15).
And they almost added what would have been a game-clinching third, as the tenacity of Colm Heffernan near the endline re-cycled the ball for Conall Ó Crualaoich, whose pulled pass was driven wide by Glen Murphy-Butler.
Even though Gavin Bailey - head and shoulders the best Ferns player throughout - won a vital free around midfield to alleviate some pressure, the chance to feed their attack was squandered.
Instead, a short pass found James Tonks who was blocked by Chin, but the latter's wide off the left flank was followed by the eighth and last for the Harriers, from substitute Pádraigh Farrell (Ferns had eleven).
With the outcome finely poised, the score that I referred to in the second paragraph above delivered hope for a brighter future.
At a time when wise heads were required more than anything else, with 90 seconds of the 60 minutes left, Richie Lawlor passed to Kyle Scallan, who in turn found Josh Shiel - that was one Leinster Minor medal winner to another, and to another again, with all three making their Senior championship debuts.
Shiel's slick finish edged the Harriers ahead by 2-10 to 0-15, and there was enough in that spell lasting no more than ten seconds to underline why so many hurling enthusiasts are intrigued by the quality of young player filtering through down Páirc Charman way.
Naturally enough, it took all three time to grow into this game, and their emergence doesn't hide the fact that if a day arrives when Lee Chin is well contained, then the winners will have to continue working very hard on developing a more rounded team.
His value was underlined clearly again when he won a free after that tonic Shiel score and blasted it over from roughly 95 metres, leaving Ferns in need of a goal to snatch victory.
While Paul Morris did manage to work a point after Eoin Murphy and Ian Byrne created some space, referee Joe Kelly immediately called for the ball to leave the Harriers celebrating their first win on opening day since beating Rapparees in 2017.
The most noteworthy sub-plot to this game was the Waterford influence on the respective sidelines, with Derek McGrath a key figure in 'Sack' Walsh's backroom team, while Pat Bennett has returned to assist Ferns manager Joe Morris for another campaign.
The onerous task of policing Lee Chin fell to Conor Scallan, although the direct marking duties were taken over for a spell in the second-half by Niall Murphy, after Scallan committed another foul while on a yellow card.
The All Star was at full-forward by that stage, having roamed far and wide both before and after, while soccer star Paul 'Spot' Murphy was an interesting - and quite effective - additional defender for long periods.
Conall Ó Crualaoich also turned up both in defence and attack at various stages for the winners, while John Breen was the loose Ferns player in defence during the first-half when Patrick Breen marked Conall Clancy, and Rory Scallan was on Glen Murphy-Butler.
Niall Murphy covered a lot of ground, and varied roles, for his team, while on the Harriers side it was great to see captain Richie Kehoe delivering a succession of second-half clearances on his big comeback game following long-term injury.
Colm Heffernan was in that bracket too and has lost none of his trademark bite, while a word of praise is due to Cormac Byrne - son of a Ferns man - who stuck to Paul Morris like glue and kept him as quiet as any defender could possibly wish.
Both sides let off steam in a brief row after the throw-in, with Conor Scallan collecting a yellow card before Niall Murphy joined him in the notebook for a separate foul on Lee Chin.
The Harriers had opted to play against the breeze first and, while they only scored once from play before the break, it proved a most crucial moment.
A Gavin Bailey point just after the water break left Ferns clear by 0-7 to 0-3, with Paul Morris (two frees), Ian Byrne (two frees and play), and Chris Turner on target earlier.
All three Harriers points came from Chin frees, and he made the telling burst down the middle at the start of the second quarter to release Glen Murphy-Butler for a timely goal.
Even though the eventual winners didn't score again before half-time, whereas Ferns moved 0-11 to 1-3 clear courtesy of Turner, Morris (free), Bailey, and another Morris free, that five-point deficit wasn't in any way intimidating.
Three Chin frees, with one in reply from Morris, narrowed the gap to 0-12 to 1-6 before Conall Clancy grabbed the first point of the second-half from play in the 40th minute.
A fine ball into space by Richie Kehoe then led to Chin's sole score from play, and he followed with an equalising free before county colleague Morris replied in like fashion.
The water break followed immediately, and when Ciarán Roberts and Morris (free) stretched the Ferns lead to 0-15 to 1-9 on the re-start, the game looking to be theirs for the winning.
They will be kicking themselves that it didn't work out that way, and it leaves them requiring victory over Fethard in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday in order to stay alive in this most unforgiving of formats.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor; Patrick Breen, Rory Scallan, John Breen; Ciarán Roberts (0-1), Conor Scallan, James Tonks; Ian Byrne (capt., 0-3, 2 frees), Gavin Bailey (0-2); Niall Murphy, Christopher O'Connor, Eoin Murphy; Paul Morris (0-8, 6 frees), Chris Turner (0-2), Diarmuid Doyle. Subs. - Benny Jordan for Doyle (46), Jonny Dwyer for Turner (46).
Faythe Harriers: James Henebery; Alex Lynch, Brendan Mulligan, Cormac Byrne; Richie Kehoe (capt.), Colm Heffernan, Conall Ó Crualaoich; Josh Shiel (0-1), Kyle Scallan; Richie Lawlor, Lee Chin (1-9, 1-8 frees), Michael Hanrahan; Paul Murphy, Glen Murphy-Butler (1-0), Conall Clancy (0-1). Sub. - Pádraigh Farrell for Murphy-Butler (57).
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).
July 25: Ferns St. Aidans 0-21, Fethard St. Mogue’s 1-15
Ferns St. Aidans ensured they will be competing in the business end of the Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship by producing a rousing second half fightback to overcome Fethard in an exciting Group B clash in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday evening.
A win or a draw for Faythe Harriers in next weekend’s game against Fethard would see Ferns qualify in second spot, while a victory for the seasiders would still see the Gorey District side progress as they would have a superior scoring difference to the Wexford town outfit.
Last season’s semi-finalists were staring an early championship exit in the whites of the eyes when they trailed by nine points (1-11 to 0-5) in the third minute of injury time at the end of the first half.
However, two points deep into added time before the interval whistle made their task slightly more manageable, and with players for the big occasion like Paul Morris, Benny Jordan, Ian Byrne and James Tonks really stepping up to the plate after the change of ends, they delivered when they needed it most.
Jordan, in particular, made a world of difference after being introduced to the fray in the 19th minute, helping himself to four wonderful points from play in a barnstorming display.
Fethard began the contest like a team that meant business, with Mikie Dwyer in particular running riot early on.
The classy forward got the first 1-2 on board, with the goal coming after just 19 seconds, getting a vital touch on the ground on a Bryan Power effort to divert the ball past goalkeeper James Lawlor.
He followed that up with two scores of the highest calibre, first arrowing over a peach from near the left sideline and then adding an equally brilliant, if not better, effort from the right.
Not to be completely outshone, Ciarán Dwyer contributed a fine score in the eighth minute, before Ferns finally got off the mark a minute later, with Christopher ‘Bitzy’ O’Connor splitting the posts.
Fethard continued to get in their faces though, putting the next three scores on the board through a Graham O’Grady free, Mikie Dywer and Jesse Foley to build up a 1-6 to 0-1 advantage by the 21st minute.
Garrett Foley cleared plenty of ball from his centre-back berth in the opening half, and the Fethard forwards never gave the Ferns rearguard a moment’s respite, turning over possession on a number of occasions, putting enormous pressure on their efforts to utilise the short puck-out.
Ferns did manage to get the scoreboard ticking over with Paul Morris (free) and the freshly-introduced Benny Jordan registering points, either side of an O’Grady placed ball.
However, Fethard continued to dominate and three O’Grady placed balls added to scores from Ciaran Dwyer, with the solitary Ferns reply coming from an Ian Byrne free, stretched the advantage to nine points by the third minute of first half injury time.
Ferns did manage to gain some impetus with two points before the whistle sounded for the break, with Benny Jordan following up a Morris free by knocking over a super effort from the left to leave them trailing by 1-11 to 0-7 at the break.
After Morris and O’Grady exchanged frees in the opening minute of the second half, Ferns upped their intensity, scoring five points on the trot to get back within two by the 37th minute.
Morris added another placed ball, before cutting inside and grabbing his first from play, while Ian Byrne plundered a nice score from a tight angle as well as a booming free, sandwiching a brilliant long-range effort from the on-song Benny Jordan.
O’Grady briefly stopped the rot with a free, but Ferns were motoring now and team captain Ian Byrne grabbed his fourth, another stylish score, before Jordan was at it again, swinging over another eye-catching effort from distance.
A Paul Morris point off his left drew them level for the first time in the 45th minute, and, after the water break, James Tonks edged them ahead with 51 minutes on the clock.
Fethard tried manfully to stop the incessant red and white striped tide, with Ciarán Dwyer restoring parity, but points from substitute Tommy Dwyer and Paul Morris gave Ferns a two-point advantage with time running out.
A Ciarán Dwyer free in injury time brought the seasiders back to within the minimum, but points from Christopher O’Connor and substitute Jonny Dwyer in the fifth minute of time added on brought a three-point win for Ferns.
The absence of regular free-taker Mark Wallace through suspension was keenly felt by Fethard when the game was in the melting pot, as four scoreable frees went awry.
They now have their backs against the wall, but all is not lost, as they go into Friday’s game with Faythe Harriers knowing that a two-point victory will earn them a quarter-final berth.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor; Rory Scallan, John Breen, Ciarán Roberts; Patrick Breen, Conor Scallan, James Tonks (0-1); Eoin Murphy (0-1), Gavin Bailey; Ian Byrne (capt., 0-4, 2 frees), Paul Morris (0-7, 4 frees), Christopher O’Connor (0-2); Chris Turner, Diarmuid Doyle, Niall Murphy. Subs: Benny Jordan (0-4) for J. Breen (18), Declan Byrne for R. Scallan (27), Jonny Dwyer (0-1) for Turner (41), Tommy Dwyer (0-1) for P. Breen (48), Ryan Nolan for Doyle (55).
Fethard: Darren Foley; Dylan Whelan, Rúairí Tubrid, Daniel Mullan; Richie Waters, Garrett Foley (capt.), Joe Sutton; Graham O’Grady (0-7, 6 frees, 1 ’65), Daire Barden; Ciarán Dwyer (0-4, 1 free), Eddie Power, Jesse Foley (0-1); Bryan Power, Mikie Dwyer (1-3), Kevin Rowe. Sub: Aaron Murphy for Foley (inj., 57)
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater)
August 8, quarter-final: Naomh Eanna 1-17, Ferns St. Aidans 0-13
A well-worked 58th-minute goal from Aodhán Doyle sent Naomh Éanna on their way to victory as they gained revenge over Ferns St. Aidan's in the quarter-final of the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship at a sunny Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday evening.
At the same stage last year the Gorey men meekly surrendered their county crown against the same opposition, but there was to be no capitulation this time around as they finished strongly to move a step closer to regaining the crown they won with such flair in 2018.
Trainer Willie Cleary seems to have them in tip-top shape as one notable aspect of their three victories to date is how they closed out their games, not bowing until the final whistle.
Against Rapparees, in their opening match, they were reliant on a controversially-awarded Conor McDonald injury time penalty to get over the line, while a late Charlie McGuckin goal helped them to a hard-fought victory over Shelmaliers.
On Saturday, up until that crucial Doyle goal, extra-time looked a distinct possibility, but Ferns faltered alarmingly after the concession of the major.
When the green flag was raised it gave the Gorey men a 1-14 to 0-13 advantage, but they simply cruised to victory after that, with the goalscorer popping over a point and his brother, Pádraig, adding three frees to get the job done.
There's not many that would have predicted such a clearcut margin of victory when Conor McDonald pointed in the 57th minute to edge Naomh Éanna ahead for the first time in the second-half, but that's exactly what transpired, with the county star playing a pivotal role in the barnstorming finish.
County star McDonald had a relatively quiet game by his own sky-high standards, but again he stood tall when it mattered most and the game was in the melting pot.
After plundering the score that gave them a late lead, he then won possession in typical fashion in the build-up to the goal, before drawing a free that gave them more breathing space moments later.
Fellow attacking ace Cathal Dunbar struggled to make his mark on the contest, although he did show his blistering pace when bearing down on goal late in the first-half, but shot wide of the left post, a chance you would expect him to tuck away if his confidence was high.
Jack Cullen was again outstanding in the half-back line, while captain Brendan Travers showed great composure and leadership while Gary Molloy got through a mountain of work in a roaming brief.
After Cullen arrowed over a trademark long-range effort with less than 20 seconds on the clock, Naomh Éanna suffered an early blow when Eoin Molloy was withdrawn due to injury after just three minutes.
However, the Gorey town side responded well to the setback and, after the excellent Gavin Bailey had levelled, they managed to build up a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage by the water break.
Conor McDonald fizzed over an outstanding point from the right sideline, before two Pádraig Doyle placed balls extended their advantage, and although Ian Byrne contributed a good score off his left, Charlie McGuckin then split the posts to restore the three-point buffer.
With Niall Murphy seeing plenty of the ball in his free role, Ferns began to get a firmer foothold in the second quarter, and they were back on terms by the 24th minute, with Ian Byrne and Paul Morris converting frees and the hard-working Declan Byrne firing over a long-range point.
Naomh Éanna got their noses back in front when the tireless Brendan Travers burst up the right sideline and slotted over an inspirational score, but Ferns quickly deadened the roars, taking a one-point advantage (0-9 to 0-8) into the break, thanks to scores from Paul Morris (two), Ian Byrne and Benny Jordan, with Eoin Conroy and Pádraig Doyle responding.
Gorey did have a chance to take a lead into the interval, when Cathal Dunbar showed a clean pair of heels to the Ferns defence in the fifth minute of injury time, but his finish didn't match the approach play as he shot off target.
Two Paul Morris scores early in the second-half gave Ferns a three-point advantage, first converting a free that he won himself, and then striking over a nice effort off his left.
However, Naomh Éanna weren't going away this time and a Pádraig Doyle free, followed by a booming Jack Cullen placed ball, brought them back to within the minimum.
Diarmuid Doyle, who entered the fray at half-time, knocked over two eye-catching effort for Ferns either side of a Pádraig Doyle free and '65, to maintain Ferns' slender advantage with less than ten minutes remaining.
Another Doyle free brought Naomh Éanna back on level terms, and they were ahead for the first time since the 27th minute with 56 minutes on the clock when Conor McDonald gathered a Seán Doyle delivery and picked off a point.
A minute later the game was all but won. McDonald again won possession before picking out substitute Darragh Hughes, whose crossfield pass found Aodhán Doyle in space, and although James Lawlor blocked his initial effort, he swept home at the second attempt.
Aodhán Doyle then added a point seconds later, before they sealed the deal in style with two Pádraig Doyle frees.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor; Patrick Breen, John Breen, Ciarán Roberts; James Tonks, Conor Scallan, Declan Byrne (0-1); Niall Murphy, Gavin Bailey (capt., 0-1); Benny Jordan (0-1), Paul Morris (0-5, 3 frees), Ian Byrne (0-3, 2 frees); Christopher O'Connor, Jonny Dwyer, Eoin Murphy. Subs. - Diarmuid Doyle (0-2) for E. Murphy (HT), Tommy Dwyer for O'Connor (49), Eoin Murphy for Roberts (60).
Naomh Éanna: Jack Cushe; Peter Travers, Brendan Travers (capt., 0-1), Eoin Conroy (0-1); Seán Doyle, Eoin Molloy, Jack Cullen (0-2, 1 free); Aodhán Doyle (1-1), Gary Molloy; Charlie McGuckin (0-1), Pádraig Doyle (0-9, 8 frees, 1 '65), Cian Molloy; Cathal Dunbar, Conor McDonald (0-2), David O'Brien. Subs. - Tom Stafford for E. Molloy, inj. (3), Darragh Hughes for McDonald, temp. (40-42), Darragh Hughes for O'Brien (49), Gearóid Cullen for C. Molloy (59), Jack Doran for P. Doyle (60+2).
Referee: Barry Redmond (Na Fianna Clonard).
We didn't need to wait until Saturday afternoon in Bellefield to learn that the outstanding Lee Chin is the beating heart of the Faythe Harriers Senior hurling team.
However, the score that followed his equalising goal near the end of this absorbing Pettitt's championship Group B opener suggested that he may finally be getting the help that was so evidently required to turn the Wexford town men from perennial strugglers into potential contenders.
At times unstoppable, Chin had a direct hand in all bar two points of the 2-11 tally that proved enough to pip a Ferns St. Aidan's side guilty of some self-destructive acts in a thrilling finish.
The Gorey District men won their meeting last year by five points, and they appeared to be well placed again in a tight contest when they struck the first two scores after the second-half water break to increase their lead to 0-15 to 1-9.
Ciarán Roberts availed of a heavy touch by a Harriers defender following a Jonny Dwyer line ball to convert, before a stray handpass from the opposition ended with Paul Morris giving his team that three-point cushion.
It looked like fortune was going to favour Ferns then, after a needless free was conceded for a late challenge on Conall Clancy whose scoring attempt had been safely gathered by James Lawlor, his county Under-20 colleague from last year.
Chin stepped up for what appeared to be a straightforward conversion but hooked it left and wide, but his response to that rare error was precisely what one would expect from a player of his calibre.
Referee Joe Kelly penalised a Ferns defender, who wasn't under pressure, for a throw, and dissent turned a likely tap-over free into a potential goal chance.
That's exactly what Chin thought too and, even though the men on the line must have known his intentions, they were powerless to prevent his exocet from rattling the net and bringing the Harriers back to level terms in the 58th minute (2-9 to 0-15).
And they almost added what would have been a game-clinching third, as the tenacity of Colm Heffernan near the endline re-cycled the ball for Conall Ó Crualaoich, whose pulled pass was driven wide by Glen Murphy-Butler.
Even though Gavin Bailey - head and shoulders the best Ferns player throughout - won a vital free around midfield to alleviate some pressure, the chance to feed their attack was squandered.
Instead, a short pass found James Tonks who was blocked by Chin, but the latter's wide off the left flank was followed by the eighth and last for the Harriers, from substitute Pádraigh Farrell (Ferns had eleven).
With the outcome finely poised, the score that I referred to in the second paragraph above delivered hope for a brighter future.
At a time when wise heads were required more than anything else, with 90 seconds of the 60 minutes left, Richie Lawlor passed to Kyle Scallan, who in turn found Josh Shiel - that was one Leinster Minor medal winner to another, and to another again, with all three making their Senior championship debuts.
Shiel's slick finish edged the Harriers ahead by 2-10 to 0-15, and there was enough in that spell lasting no more than ten seconds to underline why so many hurling enthusiasts are intrigued by the quality of young player filtering through down Páirc Charman way.
Naturally enough, it took all three time to grow into this game, and their emergence doesn't hide the fact that if a day arrives when Lee Chin is well contained, then the winners will have to continue working very hard on developing a more rounded team.
His value was underlined clearly again when he won a free after that tonic Shiel score and blasted it over from roughly 95 metres, leaving Ferns in need of a goal to snatch victory.
While Paul Morris did manage to work a point after Eoin Murphy and Ian Byrne created some space, referee Joe Kelly immediately called for the ball to leave the Harriers celebrating their first win on opening day since beating Rapparees in 2017.
The most noteworthy sub-plot to this game was the Waterford influence on the respective sidelines, with Derek McGrath a key figure in 'Sack' Walsh's backroom team, while Pat Bennett has returned to assist Ferns manager Joe Morris for another campaign.
The onerous task of policing Lee Chin fell to Conor Scallan, although the direct marking duties were taken over for a spell in the second-half by Niall Murphy, after Scallan committed another foul while on a yellow card.
The All Star was at full-forward by that stage, having roamed far and wide both before and after, while soccer star Paul 'Spot' Murphy was an interesting - and quite effective - additional defender for long periods.
Conall Ó Crualaoich also turned up both in defence and attack at various stages for the winners, while John Breen was the loose Ferns player in defence during the first-half when Patrick Breen marked Conall Clancy, and Rory Scallan was on Glen Murphy-Butler.
Niall Murphy covered a lot of ground, and varied roles, for his team, while on the Harriers side it was great to see captain Richie Kehoe delivering a succession of second-half clearances on his big comeback game following long-term injury.
Colm Heffernan was in that bracket too and has lost none of his trademark bite, while a word of praise is due to Cormac Byrne - son of a Ferns man - who stuck to Paul Morris like glue and kept him as quiet as any defender could possibly wish.
Both sides let off steam in a brief row after the throw-in, with Conor Scallan collecting a yellow card before Niall Murphy joined him in the notebook for a separate foul on Lee Chin.
The Harriers had opted to play against the breeze first and, while they only scored once from play before the break, it proved a most crucial moment.
A Gavin Bailey point just after the water break left Ferns clear by 0-7 to 0-3, with Paul Morris (two frees), Ian Byrne (two frees and play), and Chris Turner on target earlier.
All three Harriers points came from Chin frees, and he made the telling burst down the middle at the start of the second quarter to release Glen Murphy-Butler for a timely goal.
Even though the eventual winners didn't score again before half-time, whereas Ferns moved 0-11 to 1-3 clear courtesy of Turner, Morris (free), Bailey, and another Morris free, that five-point deficit wasn't in any way intimidating.
Three Chin frees, with one in reply from Morris, narrowed the gap to 0-12 to 1-6 before Conall Clancy grabbed the first point of the second-half from play in the 40th minute.
A fine ball into space by Richie Kehoe then led to Chin's sole score from play, and he followed with an equalising free before county colleague Morris replied in like fashion.
The water break followed immediately, and when Ciarán Roberts and Morris (free) stretched the Ferns lead to 0-15 to 1-9 on the re-start, the game looking to be theirs for the winning.
They will be kicking themselves that it didn't work out that way, and it leaves them requiring victory over Fethard in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday in order to stay alive in this most unforgiving of formats.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor; Patrick Breen, Rory Scallan, John Breen; Ciarán Roberts (0-1), Conor Scallan, James Tonks; Ian Byrne (capt., 0-3, 2 frees), Gavin Bailey (0-2); Niall Murphy, Christopher O'Connor, Eoin Murphy; Paul Morris (0-8, 6 frees), Chris Turner (0-2), Diarmuid Doyle. Subs. - Benny Jordan for Doyle (46), Jonny Dwyer for Turner (46).
Faythe Harriers: James Henebery; Alex Lynch, Brendan Mulligan, Cormac Byrne; Richie Kehoe (capt.), Colm Heffernan, Conall Ó Crualaoich; Josh Shiel (0-1), Kyle Scallan; Richie Lawlor, Lee Chin (1-9, 1-8 frees), Michael Hanrahan; Paul Murphy, Glen Murphy-Butler (1-0), Conall Clancy (0-1). Sub. - Pádraigh Farrell for Murphy-Butler (57).
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).
July 25: Ferns St. Aidans 0-21, Fethard St. Mogue’s 1-15
Ferns St. Aidans ensured they will be competing in the business end of the Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship by producing a rousing second half fightback to overcome Fethard in an exciting Group B clash in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday evening.
A win or a draw for Faythe Harriers in next weekend’s game against Fethard would see Ferns qualify in second spot, while a victory for the seasiders would still see the Gorey District side progress as they would have a superior scoring difference to the Wexford town outfit.
Last season’s semi-finalists were staring an early championship exit in the whites of the eyes when they trailed by nine points (1-11 to 0-5) in the third minute of injury time at the end of the first half.
However, two points deep into added time before the interval whistle made their task slightly more manageable, and with players for the big occasion like Paul Morris, Benny Jordan, Ian Byrne and James Tonks really stepping up to the plate after the change of ends, they delivered when they needed it most.
Jordan, in particular, made a world of difference after being introduced to the fray in the 19th minute, helping himself to four wonderful points from play in a barnstorming display.
Fethard began the contest like a team that meant business, with Mikie Dwyer in particular running riot early on.
The classy forward got the first 1-2 on board, with the goal coming after just 19 seconds, getting a vital touch on the ground on a Bryan Power effort to divert the ball past goalkeeper James Lawlor.
He followed that up with two scores of the highest calibre, first arrowing over a peach from near the left sideline and then adding an equally brilliant, if not better, effort from the right.
Not to be completely outshone, Ciarán Dwyer contributed a fine score in the eighth minute, before Ferns finally got off the mark a minute later, with Christopher ‘Bitzy’ O’Connor splitting the posts.
Fethard continued to get in their faces though, putting the next three scores on the board through a Graham O’Grady free, Mikie Dywer and Jesse Foley to build up a 1-6 to 0-1 advantage by the 21st minute.
Garrett Foley cleared plenty of ball from his centre-back berth in the opening half, and the Fethard forwards never gave the Ferns rearguard a moment’s respite, turning over possession on a number of occasions, putting enormous pressure on their efforts to utilise the short puck-out.
Ferns did manage to get the scoreboard ticking over with Paul Morris (free) and the freshly-introduced Benny Jordan registering points, either side of an O’Grady placed ball.
However, Fethard continued to dominate and three O’Grady placed balls added to scores from Ciaran Dwyer, with the solitary Ferns reply coming from an Ian Byrne free, stretched the advantage to nine points by the third minute of first half injury time.
Ferns did manage to gain some impetus with two points before the whistle sounded for the break, with Benny Jordan following up a Morris free by knocking over a super effort from the left to leave them trailing by 1-11 to 0-7 at the break.
After Morris and O’Grady exchanged frees in the opening minute of the second half, Ferns upped their intensity, scoring five points on the trot to get back within two by the 37th minute.
Morris added another placed ball, before cutting inside and grabbing his first from play, while Ian Byrne plundered a nice score from a tight angle as well as a booming free, sandwiching a brilliant long-range effort from the on-song Benny Jordan.
O’Grady briefly stopped the rot with a free, but Ferns were motoring now and team captain Ian Byrne grabbed his fourth, another stylish score, before Jordan was at it again, swinging over another eye-catching effort from distance.
A Paul Morris point off his left drew them level for the first time in the 45th minute, and, after the water break, James Tonks edged them ahead with 51 minutes on the clock.
Fethard tried manfully to stop the incessant red and white striped tide, with Ciarán Dwyer restoring parity, but points from substitute Tommy Dwyer and Paul Morris gave Ferns a two-point advantage with time running out.
A Ciarán Dwyer free in injury time brought the seasiders back to within the minimum, but points from Christopher O’Connor and substitute Jonny Dwyer in the fifth minute of time added on brought a three-point win for Ferns.
The absence of regular free-taker Mark Wallace through suspension was keenly felt by Fethard when the game was in the melting pot, as four scoreable frees went awry.
They now have their backs against the wall, but all is not lost, as they go into Friday’s game with Faythe Harriers knowing that a two-point victory will earn them a quarter-final berth.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor; Rory Scallan, John Breen, Ciarán Roberts; Patrick Breen, Conor Scallan, James Tonks (0-1); Eoin Murphy (0-1), Gavin Bailey; Ian Byrne (capt., 0-4, 2 frees), Paul Morris (0-7, 4 frees), Christopher O’Connor (0-2); Chris Turner, Diarmuid Doyle, Niall Murphy. Subs: Benny Jordan (0-4) for J. Breen (18), Declan Byrne for R. Scallan (27), Jonny Dwyer (0-1) for Turner (41), Tommy Dwyer (0-1) for P. Breen (48), Ryan Nolan for Doyle (55).
Fethard: Darren Foley; Dylan Whelan, Rúairí Tubrid, Daniel Mullan; Richie Waters, Garrett Foley (capt.), Joe Sutton; Graham O’Grady (0-7, 6 frees, 1 ’65), Daire Barden; Ciarán Dwyer (0-4, 1 free), Eddie Power, Jesse Foley (0-1); Bryan Power, Mikie Dwyer (1-3), Kevin Rowe. Sub: Aaron Murphy for Foley (inj., 57)
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater)
August 8, quarter-final: Naomh Eanna 1-17, Ferns St. Aidans 0-13
A well-worked 58th-minute goal from Aodhán Doyle sent Naomh Éanna on their way to victory as they gained revenge over Ferns St. Aidan's in the quarter-final of the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship at a sunny Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday evening.
At the same stage last year the Gorey men meekly surrendered their county crown against the same opposition, but there was to be no capitulation this time around as they finished strongly to move a step closer to regaining the crown they won with such flair in 2018.
Trainer Willie Cleary seems to have them in tip-top shape as one notable aspect of their three victories to date is how they closed out their games, not bowing until the final whistle.
Against Rapparees, in their opening match, they were reliant on a controversially-awarded Conor McDonald injury time penalty to get over the line, while a late Charlie McGuckin goal helped them to a hard-fought victory over Shelmaliers.
On Saturday, up until that crucial Doyle goal, extra-time looked a distinct possibility, but Ferns faltered alarmingly after the concession of the major.
When the green flag was raised it gave the Gorey men a 1-14 to 0-13 advantage, but they simply cruised to victory after that, with the goalscorer popping over a point and his brother, Pádraig, adding three frees to get the job done.
There's not many that would have predicted such a clearcut margin of victory when Conor McDonald pointed in the 57th minute to edge Naomh Éanna ahead for the first time in the second-half, but that's exactly what transpired, with the county star playing a pivotal role in the barnstorming finish.
County star McDonald had a relatively quiet game by his own sky-high standards, but again he stood tall when it mattered most and the game was in the melting pot.
After plundering the score that gave them a late lead, he then won possession in typical fashion in the build-up to the goal, before drawing a free that gave them more breathing space moments later.
Fellow attacking ace Cathal Dunbar struggled to make his mark on the contest, although he did show his blistering pace when bearing down on goal late in the first-half, but shot wide of the left post, a chance you would expect him to tuck away if his confidence was high.
Jack Cullen was again outstanding in the half-back line, while captain Brendan Travers showed great composure and leadership while Gary Molloy got through a mountain of work in a roaming brief.
After Cullen arrowed over a trademark long-range effort with less than 20 seconds on the clock, Naomh Éanna suffered an early blow when Eoin Molloy was withdrawn due to injury after just three minutes.
However, the Gorey town side responded well to the setback and, after the excellent Gavin Bailey had levelled, they managed to build up a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage by the water break.
Conor McDonald fizzed over an outstanding point from the right sideline, before two Pádraig Doyle placed balls extended their advantage, and although Ian Byrne contributed a good score off his left, Charlie McGuckin then split the posts to restore the three-point buffer.
With Niall Murphy seeing plenty of the ball in his free role, Ferns began to get a firmer foothold in the second quarter, and they were back on terms by the 24th minute, with Ian Byrne and Paul Morris converting frees and the hard-working Declan Byrne firing over a long-range point.
Naomh Éanna got their noses back in front when the tireless Brendan Travers burst up the right sideline and slotted over an inspirational score, but Ferns quickly deadened the roars, taking a one-point advantage (0-9 to 0-8) into the break, thanks to scores from Paul Morris (two), Ian Byrne and Benny Jordan, with Eoin Conroy and Pádraig Doyle responding.
Gorey did have a chance to take a lead into the interval, when Cathal Dunbar showed a clean pair of heels to the Ferns defence in the fifth minute of injury time, but his finish didn't match the approach play as he shot off target.
Two Paul Morris scores early in the second-half gave Ferns a three-point advantage, first converting a free that he won himself, and then striking over a nice effort off his left.
However, Naomh Éanna weren't going away this time and a Pádraig Doyle free, followed by a booming Jack Cullen placed ball, brought them back to within the minimum.
Diarmuid Doyle, who entered the fray at half-time, knocked over two eye-catching effort for Ferns either side of a Pádraig Doyle free and '65, to maintain Ferns' slender advantage with less than ten minutes remaining.
Another Doyle free brought Naomh Éanna back on level terms, and they were ahead for the first time since the 27th minute with 56 minutes on the clock when Conor McDonald gathered a Seán Doyle delivery and picked off a point.
A minute later the game was all but won. McDonald again won possession before picking out substitute Darragh Hughes, whose crossfield pass found Aodhán Doyle in space, and although James Lawlor blocked his initial effort, he swept home at the second attempt.
Aodhán Doyle then added a point seconds later, before they sealed the deal in style with two Pádraig Doyle frees.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor; Patrick Breen, John Breen, Ciarán Roberts; James Tonks, Conor Scallan, Declan Byrne (0-1); Niall Murphy, Gavin Bailey (capt., 0-1); Benny Jordan (0-1), Paul Morris (0-5, 3 frees), Ian Byrne (0-3, 2 frees); Christopher O'Connor, Jonny Dwyer, Eoin Murphy. Subs. - Diarmuid Doyle (0-2) for E. Murphy (HT), Tommy Dwyer for O'Connor (49), Eoin Murphy for Roberts (60).
Naomh Éanna: Jack Cushe; Peter Travers, Brendan Travers (capt., 0-1), Eoin Conroy (0-1); Seán Doyle, Eoin Molloy, Jack Cullen (0-2, 1 free); Aodhán Doyle (1-1), Gary Molloy; Charlie McGuckin (0-1), Pádraig Doyle (0-9, 8 frees, 1 '65), Cian Molloy; Cathal Dunbar, Conor McDonald (0-2), David O'Brien. Subs. - Tom Stafford for E. Molloy, inj. (3), Darragh Hughes for McDonald, temp. (40-42), Darragh Hughes for O'Brien (49), Gearóid Cullen for C. Molloy (59), Jack Doran for P. Doyle (60+2).
Referee: Barry Redmond (Na Fianna Clonard).
