2022 Underage Finals
September 11, U13 Hurling Div. 3 Final: Ferns St. Aidans 4-3, Cloughbawn 2-7
The exploits of goalscoring corner-forward Conor Leacy proved vital for Ferns St. Aidans as they claimed the New Ross Standard Under-13 hurling Division 3 championship crown in Chadwicks Wexford Park.
Often with these under-age finals, managers put some of their less developed hurlers in the two corners, hoping that they might whip on something or produce a moment of magic, but Ferns had other tactics.
Instead they played one of their most gifted players in that position and it paid the ultimate dividends, with Leacy registering 3-2 of his side’s tally in a tough, physical battle against an impressive Cloughbawn outfit.
This was a very even game throughout and Ferns got nothing easy. Every match-up around the field was a genuine contest and it made for a fantastic game of hurling in horrific conditions.
One senses both of these sides enjoyed the slick underfoot pitch. Ferns were able to move the ball quickly and with precision inside, with captain Bobby Murray outstanding in the number 11 position.
Cloughbawn had a little more patience to their attacks and were keen to run at the Ferns defence, forcing them into countless transgressions. Leacy and Murray got the opening two points for Ferns but Cloughbawn began chipping away at their advantage with dead-balls. Brian Kennedy popped over a ’50 before adding two frees as his side hit the front for the first time.
After going twelve minutes without a score, Leacy tied it up, only for Cloughbawn to raise white flags through Patrick Tyrell and Kennedy to make it 0-5 to 0-3.
Despite the lead they had built, the Castleboro side’s goal had lived a charmed life but Ferns did finally break through just before the interval when Leacy goaled after Josh Butler had initially saved Enda Byrne’s shot.
Leading by 1-3 to 0-5 at the interval, Ferns took less than a minute after the resumption to inflict serious damage on Cloughbawn. Again Byrne was involved and again it was Leacy applying the finishing touches.
Kennedy knocked over a free but his side looked in big trouble when Bobby Murray pulled to the net in the 29th minute. Yet, his side would score just once more and it would prove vital (3-3 to 0-6).
Cloughbawn threw absolutely everything at their opponents in the last ten minutes, but with Aidan Bowe and his defence outstanding there was no way back. A late Cathal Redmond free did flick off a defender’s hurl to the net, but there was no time left and Ferns took the title.
Ferns St. Aidans: Aidan Bowe; Adam Kehoe, Ryan Rossiter, Paddy Kinsella; Cian Redmond, Ben Cleere, Charlie Murray; Ben Gahan, Enda Byrne; Aaron Ronan, Bobby Murray (capt., 1-1), Bill Moulds; Conor Leacy (3-2), Cian Kavanagh, Richard Bowe. Subs. - Jack Skelton for R. Bowe (34), Ian Hanley for Kavanagh (42), also Seamus Doyle, Alan Lau, Jake Morris, Charlie Kelly, Lee Allen, Andrew Fortune, Jack Byrne, Liam Kinsella, Oisín Breen.
Cloughbawn: Josh Butler; Donnagh Joyce, Darragh Kavanagh, Edmund Murphy; Darragh McManus, Andrew Murphy, Ryan O’Leary; Stephen Murphy (1-0), Patrick Tyrell (0-1); Brian Kennedy (0-6, 5 frees, 1 ’50), Cathal Redmond (1-0 free), Gavin Redmond; Charlie Redmond, Johnny Foley, Charlie Lawler. Subs. - Anthony Sweetman for E. Murphy (21), Aaron Tyrell for C. Lawler (41), also John Murphy, Fionn Kehoe, Aidan Murphy, Aaron Doyle, Bill Furlong, Patrick Fay.
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).
October 2, U13 Football Div. 3 Shield Final: St. Brigid’s Blackwater 5-7, Ferns St. Aidans 1-10
Blackwater powered to an impressive victory over Ferns St. Aidans in the New Ross Standard Under-13 football Division 3 shield final in St. Patrick’s Park.
A frantic first-half saw very little separate the two sides, but Blackwater turned on the style in the second period, with Eoghan Kehoe and Jacob Madden causing havoc in the Ferns half to power their side to an impressive success.
As well as the two dangermen performed in front of goal, the support cast was superb too. Defensively they put in a fantastic shift and were able to restrict a talented outfit to no easy scores over the course of the 50 minutes.
They were led back there by an excellent showing from Frankie Cullen. Named at full-forward, the powerful defender was able to show his skillset is perfectly suited to being the lynchpin of defence too.
Jack Skelton got the first score on the board in the second minute for Ferns, but Blackwater soon showed the talent they possessed in their attacking ranks when Jacob Madden collected and drilled past Andrew Fortune in the Ferns goal.
In the early stages it was Ferns pushing the issue and a couple of Bobby Murray points followed to tie the game (0-3 to 1-0).
Blackwater had just the one score on the board approaching the last eight minutes of the half, but a Seán Whelan point broke their scoring hiatus.
They went further ahead when Madden fired in his second goal after a great Kehoe run, but they were pegged back when Bill Moulds latched onto a break in behind and slotted past Alex Atkinson in the Blackwater goal.
A Conor Whelan point gave his side a 2-2 to 1-3 interval lead, but Ferns had a quick burst after the interval as Aaron Ronan and Murray brought them level. The sides remained deadlocked after Madden (two) exchanged points with Conor Lacey and Cian Kavanagh.
However, as the game moved torwards the final quarter Blackwater found the gaps. After Madden pointed a free, Kehoe got through for a goal, and Madden matched that major after outstanding work by Oisín Whelan a minute later.
Now 4-5 to 1-7 ahead, Blackwater were able to control the final ten minutes. Ferns kept battling with a trio of Conor Lacey points, but a goal and point from Kehoe and another successful free-kick from Madden wrapped up the shield for Blackwater.
Ferns St. Aidans: Andrew Fortune; Adam Kehoe, Aidan Bowe, Paddy Kinsella; Ben Gahan, Ben Cleere, Alan Lau; Enda Byrne, Aaron Ronan (0-1); Bill Moulds (capt., 1-0), Bobby Murray (0-3), Conor Lacey (0-4, 2 frees); Ian Hanley, Cian Kavanagh (0-1), Jack Skelton (0-1). Subs. (rolling) - Charlie Murray, Richard Browne, Jake Morris, Seamus Doyle, Charlie Kelly, Cian Redmond, Jack Byrne, Lee Allen, also Ryan Rossiter (inj.), Liam Kinsella, Oisín Breen.
Blackwater: Alex Atkinson; Seán Cash, Frankie Cullen, Bobby Dillane; Oisín Whelan, Oliver Power (capt.), Rúairi Doyle; Seán Whelan (0-1), Jack Walsh; Johnny Corrigan, Eoghan Kehoe (2-1), Leo Sinnott; Conor Corrigan, Jacob Madden (3-4, 0-3 frees), Conor Whelan (0-1). Subs. (rolling) - Ben Corrigan, Callum Dixon, Xavier McKenzie-Young, Rory Power, Dylan Barrett, Rory Lacey, Oliver Walsh, Seán O’Leary.
Referee: Francis Neville (Shelmaliers).
The exploits of goalscoring corner-forward Conor Leacy proved vital for Ferns St. Aidans as they claimed the New Ross Standard Under-13 hurling Division 3 championship crown in Chadwicks Wexford Park.
Often with these under-age finals, managers put some of their less developed hurlers in the two corners, hoping that they might whip on something or produce a moment of magic, but Ferns had other tactics.
Instead they played one of their most gifted players in that position and it paid the ultimate dividends, with Leacy registering 3-2 of his side’s tally in a tough, physical battle against an impressive Cloughbawn outfit.
This was a very even game throughout and Ferns got nothing easy. Every match-up around the field was a genuine contest and it made for a fantastic game of hurling in horrific conditions.
One senses both of these sides enjoyed the slick underfoot pitch. Ferns were able to move the ball quickly and with precision inside, with captain Bobby Murray outstanding in the number 11 position.
Cloughbawn had a little more patience to their attacks and were keen to run at the Ferns defence, forcing them into countless transgressions. Leacy and Murray got the opening two points for Ferns but Cloughbawn began chipping away at their advantage with dead-balls. Brian Kennedy popped over a ’50 before adding two frees as his side hit the front for the first time.
After going twelve minutes without a score, Leacy tied it up, only for Cloughbawn to raise white flags through Patrick Tyrell and Kennedy to make it 0-5 to 0-3.
Despite the lead they had built, the Castleboro side’s goal had lived a charmed life but Ferns did finally break through just before the interval when Leacy goaled after Josh Butler had initially saved Enda Byrne’s shot.
Leading by 1-3 to 0-5 at the interval, Ferns took less than a minute after the resumption to inflict serious damage on Cloughbawn. Again Byrne was involved and again it was Leacy applying the finishing touches.
Kennedy knocked over a free but his side looked in big trouble when Bobby Murray pulled to the net in the 29th minute. Yet, his side would score just once more and it would prove vital (3-3 to 0-6).
Cloughbawn threw absolutely everything at their opponents in the last ten minutes, but with Aidan Bowe and his defence outstanding there was no way back. A late Cathal Redmond free did flick off a defender’s hurl to the net, but there was no time left and Ferns took the title.
Ferns St. Aidans: Aidan Bowe; Adam Kehoe, Ryan Rossiter, Paddy Kinsella; Cian Redmond, Ben Cleere, Charlie Murray; Ben Gahan, Enda Byrne; Aaron Ronan, Bobby Murray (capt., 1-1), Bill Moulds; Conor Leacy (3-2), Cian Kavanagh, Richard Bowe. Subs. - Jack Skelton for R. Bowe (34), Ian Hanley for Kavanagh (42), also Seamus Doyle, Alan Lau, Jake Morris, Charlie Kelly, Lee Allen, Andrew Fortune, Jack Byrne, Liam Kinsella, Oisín Breen.
Cloughbawn: Josh Butler; Donnagh Joyce, Darragh Kavanagh, Edmund Murphy; Darragh McManus, Andrew Murphy, Ryan O’Leary; Stephen Murphy (1-0), Patrick Tyrell (0-1); Brian Kennedy (0-6, 5 frees, 1 ’50), Cathal Redmond (1-0 free), Gavin Redmond; Charlie Redmond, Johnny Foley, Charlie Lawler. Subs. - Anthony Sweetman for E. Murphy (21), Aaron Tyrell for C. Lawler (41), also John Murphy, Fionn Kehoe, Aidan Murphy, Aaron Doyle, Bill Furlong, Patrick Fay.
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).
October 2, U13 Football Div. 3 Shield Final: St. Brigid’s Blackwater 5-7, Ferns St. Aidans 1-10
Blackwater powered to an impressive victory over Ferns St. Aidans in the New Ross Standard Under-13 football Division 3 shield final in St. Patrick’s Park.
A frantic first-half saw very little separate the two sides, but Blackwater turned on the style in the second period, with Eoghan Kehoe and Jacob Madden causing havoc in the Ferns half to power their side to an impressive success.
As well as the two dangermen performed in front of goal, the support cast was superb too. Defensively they put in a fantastic shift and were able to restrict a talented outfit to no easy scores over the course of the 50 minutes.
They were led back there by an excellent showing from Frankie Cullen. Named at full-forward, the powerful defender was able to show his skillset is perfectly suited to being the lynchpin of defence too.
Jack Skelton got the first score on the board in the second minute for Ferns, but Blackwater soon showed the talent they possessed in their attacking ranks when Jacob Madden collected and drilled past Andrew Fortune in the Ferns goal.
In the early stages it was Ferns pushing the issue and a couple of Bobby Murray points followed to tie the game (0-3 to 1-0).
Blackwater had just the one score on the board approaching the last eight minutes of the half, but a Seán Whelan point broke their scoring hiatus.
They went further ahead when Madden fired in his second goal after a great Kehoe run, but they were pegged back when Bill Moulds latched onto a break in behind and slotted past Alex Atkinson in the Blackwater goal.
A Conor Whelan point gave his side a 2-2 to 1-3 interval lead, but Ferns had a quick burst after the interval as Aaron Ronan and Murray brought them level. The sides remained deadlocked after Madden (two) exchanged points with Conor Lacey and Cian Kavanagh.
However, as the game moved torwards the final quarter Blackwater found the gaps. After Madden pointed a free, Kehoe got through for a goal, and Madden matched that major after outstanding work by Oisín Whelan a minute later.
Now 4-5 to 1-7 ahead, Blackwater were able to control the final ten minutes. Ferns kept battling with a trio of Conor Lacey points, but a goal and point from Kehoe and another successful free-kick from Madden wrapped up the shield for Blackwater.
Ferns St. Aidans: Andrew Fortune; Adam Kehoe, Aidan Bowe, Paddy Kinsella; Ben Gahan, Ben Cleere, Alan Lau; Enda Byrne, Aaron Ronan (0-1); Bill Moulds (capt., 1-0), Bobby Murray (0-3), Conor Lacey (0-4, 2 frees); Ian Hanley, Cian Kavanagh (0-1), Jack Skelton (0-1). Subs. (rolling) - Charlie Murray, Richard Browne, Jake Morris, Seamus Doyle, Charlie Kelly, Cian Redmond, Jack Byrne, Lee Allen, also Ryan Rossiter (inj.), Liam Kinsella, Oisín Breen.
Blackwater: Alex Atkinson; Seán Cash, Frankie Cullen, Bobby Dillane; Oisín Whelan, Oliver Power (capt.), Rúairi Doyle; Seán Whelan (0-1), Jack Walsh; Johnny Corrigan, Eoghan Kehoe (2-1), Leo Sinnott; Conor Corrigan, Jacob Madden (3-4, 0-3 frees), Conor Whelan (0-1). Subs. (rolling) - Ben Corrigan, Callum Dixon, Xavier McKenzie-Young, Rory Power, Dylan Barrett, Rory Lacey, Oliver Walsh, Seán O’Leary.
Referee: Francis Neville (Shelmaliers).
