Junior Hurling Championship 2023
July 2: Rapparees 0-16, Ferns St. Aidans 0-15
RAPPAREES SECURED a last-gasp victory over local rivals Ferns St. Aidan's in a keenly-contested Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship Group B encounter in Ferns on Sunday.
The Cathedral town men looked to be in a spot of bother when playing the entire final quarter with 14 men after substitute Brian Cronin received a red card for interfering with an opponent's helmet, scarcely three minutes after entering the field.
In an arm wrestle that often threatened to spill over into fisticuffs without ever doing so, the hosts could never really make their numerical superiority count, but still had chances to sneak it down the home straight.
Brian Stafford had opened Ferns' account after two minutes, with Rapparees responding as Matt Kinnaird launched over a bomb from a mile out and the outstanding Floyd Murphy nicked the first of his five points from play.
Seán Walsh was almost faultless from frees throughout for the locals, and he converted two to edge them 0-3 to 0-2 ahead by the seventh minute, with Rapps goalkeeper Regan Treacy responding with a free from his own half soon after. Bill Peare also converted a '65, but a neat point from James Kinsella and two more Walsh frees gave Ferns what proved to be their biggest lead of the entire contest (0-6 to 0-4).
The Rapps responded through another Treacy long-ranger, with Floyd Murphy picking off two nice points from play.
Walsh punished a foul on Kinsella with his fifth successful free of the half, and also pointed from Pádraig Walsh's lay-off to make it 0-8 to 0-7.
However, Gary Murphy opened his account with the leveller immediately afterwards, with Floyd Murphy and Tommy Foley (free) giving Rapparees a 0-10 to 0-8 lead by the interval.
The two Murphys provided the first two scores after the break as well, with Floyd settling for a point in the aftermath of Barry O'Toole having a goal attempt thwarted at the other end.
Seán Walsh hit a much-needed point for Ferns on 40 minutes to reduce their arrears to three, with Gary Murphy cancelling that out shortly before Cronin was dismissed after an altercation with Stafford.
Ferns briefly rallied, with the O'Toole brothers, Conor and Peter, launching over a point apiece from their half-back line, either side of Walsh adding another free.
But Mikey McVeigh struck a relieving point to make it 0-14 to 0-12 on 52 minutes, with P.J. O'Neill pegging another back for Ferns.
After Gary Murphy tagged on a free, Stafford and Walsh again restored parity two minutes into injury-time.
However, after possessing a one hundred per cent record on placed balls up to then, Walsh was off-cue from two just outside his range, before a needlessly conceded free allowed Gary Murphy to coolly slot over the winner with the last puck of the game.
Ferns St. Aidans: Michael Walsh; Brian O'Neill (Clone, capt.), Willie Bolger, Paddy O'Hagan; Brian 'Whack' O'Neill, Conor O'Toole (0-1), Peter O'Toole (0-1); Barry O'Toole, Seán Murphy; Brian Stafford (0-2), Seán Walsh (0-9, 7 frees), Pádraig Bolger; P.J O'Neill (0-1), Pádraig Walsh, James Kinsella (0-1). Subs. - Derek Thorpe for Kinsella, inj. (33), Liam Byrne for B. O'Toole (43), Pádraig Kinsella for P. Walsh (55), Shane Stafford for P. Bolger (55).
Rapparees: Regan Treacy (0-2 frees); Matt Kinnaird (0-1), Anthony Murphy, Ronan Kervick; Anthony Peare, Bill Peare (0-1 '65), Jack Byrne; Dylan McVeigh, Patrick O'Shea; Gary Murphy (0-5, 3 frees), Floyd Murphy (0-5), Tommy Foley (0-1 free); Diarmuid Byrne, Mikey McVeigh (0-1), Mikey Dempsey. Subs. - Cathal Ryan for Kervick (35), Brian Cronin for A. Peare (42), John Ryan for Dempsey (51), Craig Peare for Byrne (55), Billy Redmond for Foley (60).
Referee: Stephen Murphy (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 9: Ferns St. Aidans 0-17, Kilmore 0-15
FERNS ST. Aidan's hauled themselves over the line to a crucial second round victory on home soil against a battling finish from Kilmore in Sunday's Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship Group B duel.
The sides were inseparable for a fourth time with some six minutes of normal time remaining (0-14 apiece) when Derek Thorpe and reliable placed-ball shooter Seán Walsh (two) produced the decisive blows.
Kilmore still pushed them hard in the closing stages, dropping in threats from a '65 and a free in a concerted bid to try to extract something from the tie, with substitute Paddy Byrne pegging back a point.
But the Ian Byrne-managed Ferns held out to avenge last year's unfortunate 2-10 to 1-11 opening defeat away to the same opposition as the red and whites responded to this season's opening setback against Rapparees, while Kilmore had already clipped the Rathnure second-string.
This already congested section - all teams are on a win and loss after two rounds - sees Kilmore host the Glynn-Barntown seconds on Sunday when Ferns St. Aidan's welcome Rathnure.
Ferns St. Aidan's twice hit the front in the opening stages against Kilmore as Seán Walsh (free) and Brian Stafford drew responses from Seán Carley and Aaron Goff respectively.
Walsh and his rival top-shooter Tom White then exchanged scores before White had two on the trot (one free) to shift things in Kilmore's direction by 0-5 to 0-3.
Defender Peter O'Toole and the wily Derek Thorpe sandwiched a Tom Byrne point to get it back to 0-6 to 0-5 before the seasiders began to assert some authority in the first-half.
White added a couple of frees - Dillon Crowley forcing one of those - before Tom Byrne boosted their advantage by 0-9 to 0-5.
But Kilmore weren't able to milk the most of their potential at that stage as Ferns St. Aidan's reeled it back to 0-12 to 0-9 at the break with four additions via frees from Walsh.
And he arrowed over a seventh individual score on the resumption, before Kilmore regained a four-point margin as Dean Farrell got off the mark before turning provider for Conor Moore to make it 0-14 to 0-10.
Ferns St. Aidan's were showing renewed energy, though, and master finisher Walsh tagged on three more frees to leave Kilmore fuming as the home side tied on 0-14 each.
And the locals did what was needed at either end of the pitch subsequently to ensure they are right in the mix for qualification entering round three.
Ferns St. Aidans: Michael Walsh; Seán Murphy, Willie Bolger (joint-capt.), Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole (0-1), Conor O'Toole, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidan's); Brian O'Neill (Clone, joint-capt.), Brian Stafford (0-1); Pádraig Bolger, Seán Walsh (0-13, 12 frees, 1 '65), P.J. O'Neill; Derek Thorpe (0-2), James Kinsella, Liam Byrne. Subs. - Shane Stafford for P. Bolger, Pádraig Walsh for P.J. O'Neill, Shane Breen for B. O'Neill (St. Aidan's).
Kilmore: Graham Mernagh; Dillon Crowley, Stevie Cousins, Aaron Kielthy; Denis Kenny, Criostóir Reville, William Carley; Páraic Reville (capt.), Shane Goff; Tom White (0-8, 5 frees), Tom Byrne (0-2), Seán Carley (0-1); Aaron Goff (0-1), Dean Farrell (0-1), Conor Moore (0-1). Subs. - Paddy Byrne (0-1) for Farrell, Josh Berry for S. Carley, Ryan Millar-Sinnott for Kenny.
Referee: Niall O'Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 16: Ferns St. Aidans 1-19, Rathnure 2-10
THE FERNS St. Aidans campaign appears to be taking shape as they notched a second successive win in Group B of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship when casting aside Rathnure by 1-19 to 2-10 in Sunday's round three clash of the second strings in Ferns.
Indeed, despite a narrow defeat to neighbours Rapparees in the opening round, they are firmly enconsced in the qualification shake-up now, although the group itself is something of a minefield with every team managing at least one win within it thus far.
Ferns will travel to St. Fintan's next, while Rathnure will host Glynn-Barntown.
The hosts took a while to shake off a plucky but limited Rathnure outfit, and could only really sit comfortably after Seán Walsh buried a penalty ten minutes from time.
He had opened proceedings from a second-minute free, with Jason Lawlor doing likewise from his own half shortly afterwards.
The Enniscorthy District lads went on to enjoy their brightest spell of the entire game when Lawlor repeated his tricks with another long-range free before his sideline cut cleared the defence and Stephen Reilly was alert to the possibilities when he drilled to the net.
Ferns hit three wides on the way to 14 overall before Walsh aided James Kinsella to flight over on ten minutes, while two more Walsh frees made it 1-2 to 0-4 midway through the first-half.
Harry Codd forced a turnover and lashed over a nice point for Rathnure, with the Staffords, Brian and Shane - one of four sets of brothers to feature for Ferns along with Conor and Peter O'Toole, P.J. and Brian O'Neill (Clone), and James and Pádraig Kinsella - responding as Brian twice teed up Shane for a brace.
Conor O'Toole also located Walsh to edge them 0-7 to 1-3 in front approaching half-time, although matters were water-tight by that juncture as Owen Lennon and Codd (free) traded blows with P.J. O'Neill.
There was a sense that Ferns were finding their mojo on the restart, though, as a pair of Walsh frees (the latter following a heavy hit on P.J. O'Neill that necessitated his removal soon after) preceded substitute Pádraig Kinsella's sideline cut being tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Kyle Martin.
Rebuttals from Lennon and Lawlor were cancelled out by Brian O'Neill (Clone) and a further two Walsh frees as the locals held sway by 0-14 to 1-8.
And their lead doubled on 50 minutes when substitute Pádraig Walsh was taken down by a late pull in the square, and Seán Walsh gave Martin no chance from the penalty that arose.
They tagged on a succession of points from play before the end through Brian Stafford (two), Brian 'Whack' O'Neill and Pádraig Walsh (two).
Michael Walsh also denied Jason Lawlor with a fine save from a penalty, although the latter made amends with a consolation goal in injury-time.
Ferns St. Aidans: Michael Walsh; Paddy O'Hagan, Willie Bolger, Seán Murphy; Peter O'Toole, Conor O'Toole, Brian 'Whack' O'Neill (0-1); Brian Stafford (0-2), Brian O'Neill (Clone, capt., 0-1); Liam Byrne, Seán Walsh (1-8, 0-7 frees, 1-0 pen.), P.J. O'Neill (0-1); Derek Thorpe, James Kinsella (0-1), Shane Stafford (0-2). Subs. - Pádraig Kinsella (0-1 line ball) for J. Kinsella (HT), Barry O'Toole for P.J. O'Neill, inj. (37), Pádraig Bolger for Byrne (41), Pádraig Walsh (0-2) for Thorpe (47).
Rathnure: Kyle Martin; Brian Lawler, Domhnall McGahan (capt.), Brian O'Neill; Aodhán Foley, Declan Foley, Jamie Lennon; Jason Lawlor (1-3, 0-2 frees), Owen Lennon (0-2); Harry Codd (0-4, 2 65s, 1 free), Dean Redmond, Seánie Redmond; Syl Barron (0-1), Teddy O'Connor, Stephen Reilly (1-0). Subs. - Ciarán Donnellan for Lennon, inj. (23), Liam Barron for Donnellan (57).
Referee: Niall O'Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 23: St. Fintan’s 3-14, Ferns St. Aidans 1-12
HOSTS ST. Fintan's booked their place in the knockout stages of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship with a clearcut Group B win over Ferns St. Aidans on Sunday.
Following a close-fought first-half, three goals in seven minutes midway through the second period saw the home team open up a decisive gap.
Conditions for hurling were perfect in Ballymore when the ball was thrown in at midday on Sunday, with the home team playing with a slight wind advantage.
Jack O'Leary opened the scoring with two points from frees - he only missed one all day - before Conor Day added the first from play, a nice point from the left wing.
Ferns responded with two points from Seán Walsh, both from frees. Walsh finished with eight points, all from placed balls.
Ferns had dropped a couple of balls short before Liam Byrnes's effort from 35 yards floated under the crossbar for a goal after 14 minutes.
Pádraig Kinsella quickly added a point from the wing, with Walsh adding another free, and Ferns were two points to the good.
That was to be as good as it would get for the visitors. Four without reply from St. Fintan's put them ahead again, the pick of them from Edmond Cleary from midfield, but a further free for Ferns left it level at the break (0-8 to 1-5).
A point from John Kelly, his second, put St. Fintan's back in front, followed by an exchange of frees.
Then St. Fintan's grabbed a point following a quick indirect free after a stoppage for a head injury, before they turned over the ball on the Ferns '21 and Conor Day was hauled down in the square.
Jack O'Leary buried the penalty and, within two minutes, Jamie Codd grabbed a second goal following a good move down the left-hand side to make it 2-11 to 1-8.
A third goal followed when a high ball into the goalmouth was finished to the net by Liam Crowley.
Ferns tacked on a couple of nice late scores from Conor O'Toole and Brian 'BON' O'Neill, the first from halfway, and the second following a great run up the middle.
However, the home side had the final say, with impressive substitute Dan Kelly knocking a point over from 50 metres to ensure an eight-point win.
St. Fintan's have three wins from four, and will make the short journey to Kilmore next Sunday. That will determine who finishes top of a competitive group, where every team had a win after two rounds.
Ferns, meanwhile, will play Glynn-Barntown, with the winners guaranteed third place in the group.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Peter Nolan, Willie Bolger, Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole, Conor O'Toole (0-1) Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Brian O'Neill (Clone, 0-1), Brian Stafford (0-1 free); Liam Byrne (1-0), Seán Walsh (0-8 frees), James Kinsella; Shane Stafford, Pádraig Walsh, Pádraig Kinsella (0-1). Subs. - Pádraig Bolger for S. Stafford (31), Shane Breen for P. Walsh (39), Andy Cash for J. Kinsella (48), Edward Walsh for S. Walsh (48).
St. Fintan's: Tom Cullen; Rich Kelly, Quinlan Kelly, Peter Goldsmith; Darragh Wafer, Frank Staples (capt.), Edmond Cleary (0-2); Jake Cleary, Adam Devereux; Jack O'Leary (1-6, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen.), Eoin O'Callaghan, Liam Crowley (1-1); Jamie Codd (1-0), Conor Day (0-1), John Kelly (0-2). Subs. - Eoin Cummins for Cleary (41), Dan Kelly (0-2) for C. Day (41), David Moore for Codd (50).
Referee: Damien Donovan (Volunteers).
July 30: Glynn-Barntown 1-13, Ferns St. Aidans 1-11
A JOSH Carley goal with ten minutes remaining proved to be the crucial score as Glynn-Barntown made sure of their place in the quarter-finals of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship with a hard-fought Group B win in a soggy Killurin on Sunday.
As it transpired, their opponents also gained a place in the last eight due to Rathnure's victory over Rapparees, with Ferns progressing ahead of the Blackstairs side on the head-to-head rule.
The hosts held a two-point advantage at the break (0-8 to 0-6), but when Pádraig Walsh blasted to the net seven minutes after the change of ends it edged Ferns in front for the first time.
However, Carley's goal swung the pendulum back in favour of the home side and, despite Ferns applying late pressure, they held out for the victory that saw them finish third in the table.
The sides couldn't be separated after the first quarter, with Pa Greene (two) and Conor Lyne registering for Glynn-Barntown and the visitors replying through two Seán Walsh placed balls and a Derek Thorpe score.
It could have been better for Ferns, as one of the Walsh points came from a penalty, after Pádraig Kinsella had been fouled, but he blazed his effort over the bar.
The home side then scored three points on the trot, with Michael Doyle, Cian Turner and Brendan Doyle all splitting the posts, before Barry O'Toole stopped the rot for Ferns with 20 minutes on the clock.
The gap remained at two at the break, with points from Pa Greene (free) and Brendan Doyle sandwiching two Seán Walsh placed balls.
After Seán Walsh and Greene had swapped scores following the change of ends, Ferns struck the front when Derek Thorpe teed up Pádraig Walsh, who smashed the ball past Ciarán Joyce.
The lead didn't last long though, with Cian Turner immediately drawing Glynn-Barntown level, and Josh Carley edged them back in front with a point following a flowing move involving Michael Doyle and Callum McDonald, when he probably had a goal on his mind.
He did have the green flag waving in the 51st minute though, firing a ground stroke past Mick Walsh to give the Wexford District side a 1-11 to 1-8 lead.
Ferns St. Aidans did manage to get back to within one, thanks to a James Kinsella point and Peter O'Toole free, but Cian Turner split the posts twice, either side of another Kinsella score, to get them over the line.
Glynn-Barntown now take on St. Patrick's in the quarter-final in St. Patrick's Park, Enniscorthy on Sunday morning at 11.30 a.m., while Ferns St. Aidans face unbeaten Group A table-toppers Clongeen in Bree at the same time.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Seán Murphy, Willie Bolger (joint-capt.), Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole (0-2 frees), Conor O'Toole, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Liam Byrne, Pádraig Bolger; Barry O'Toole (0-1), Seán Walsh (0-5, 3 frees, 1 pen., 1 '65), James Kinsella (0-2); Pádraig Kinsella, Pádraig Walsh (1-0), Derek Thorpe (0-1). Sub. - Shane Stafford for Murphy (46).
Glynn-Barntown: Ciarán Joyce; Thomas Doyle, Matthew Banville, Dave Roche; Frankie Hynes, Michael O'Regan, Shane Codd (capt.); Conor Lyne (0-1), Daire Barron; Aaron Kehoe, Pa Greene (0-4, 3 frees), Michael Doyle (0-1); Cian Turner (0-4, 1 free), Brendan Doyle (0-2), Callum McDonald. Sub. - Josh Carley (1-1) for Kehoe (HT).
Referee: Philip Murphy (Faythe Harriers).
August 6, quarter-final: Clongeen 1-18, Ferns St. Aidans 0-12
CLONGEEN held rivals Ferns St. Aidans scoreless from play until the 39th minute in this Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship quarter-final in Bree on Sunday, and yet they still couldn't fully relax until goal machine Seamie Kiely netted his sixth of the campaign thus far to fully seal the deal midway through the last quarter.
His assured finish into the roof of the net in the 53rd minute - after Darryl Murphy made the hard yards by cutting in from the left - left last year's Junior 'A' title winners with a healthy 1-18 to 0-11 lead, and there was no way back for the Gorey District men who were without two key figures in Brian O'Neill (Clone) and Brian Stafford - both of whom were promoted to Senior ranks one week earlier.
It was the start of a miserable day for the Ferns St. Aidans club, although it's fair to say that this defeat wouldn't have been as surprising as the one endured by their Seniors five and a half hours later.
They were totally reliant on the ever-accurate Seán Walsh for their first six points until substitute P.J. O'Neill eventually lightened the load in the 39th minute (0-13 to 0-7), but Clongeen already bore the look of likely winners by that stage.
Mickey Laffan's men have made a seamless transition to the higher grade, but the acid test is coming this Saturday when they face Shamrocks - a Senior club as recently as 2015 - in the semi-final at his home base in Killurin.
With county Under-20 Michael Dundon anxious not to cause further damage to his strapped right hamstring, the late involvement of veteran Páraic Cullen for the first time in this campaign was an additional bonus for Clongeen.
A player of his experience may yet have a lot to offer in the closing stages of a tight game, and that's precisely what could be in store next Saturday, even though Clongeen comfortably accounted for their Enniscorthy rivals in the group stages by 4-15 to 0-12.
Another wily fox, Emmet Kent, posed a constant first-half threat in the left corner of the attack when they had the aid of the wind.
Ferns tried three different men to keep him at bay, with Seán Murphy followed by Willie Bolger before his injury led to the arrival of Peter Nolan - still going strong a full 26 years after featuring on the Wexford Minor football team, having managed that same side in the more recent past.
Clongeen held a double-scores half-time lead (0-10 to 0-5), but Ferns manager and Senior player Ian Byrne would have appreciated the role of Seán Walsh in keeping that margin relatively tight as his fellow free-taker was the team's sole scorer.
Wing-back Ger Foxe judged the wind to perfection for one of Clongeen's best points in the 20th minute, and they carried a bigger threat overall as Jamesie Rochford (two), Cathal Murphy, Danny O'Grady, Emmet Kent and Cian O'Grady-Fortune all chipped in from play.
Long-server Mick Walsh made one fine save to keep out a Kent shot midway through the first quarter, and it was certainly a gritty show overall from Ferns as they only trailed by three points before Kent (free) and O'Grady-Fortune scored approaching the break.
Pádraig Kinsella got on the end of a Pádraig Walsh lob from the left to find the net a mere 30 seconds into the new half, but referee Dan Crosby ruled it out for a square ball offence.
With Shane Cahill, Enda Murphy and Jamie Keating giving nothing away at the back, the gap only dropped to four points on one occasion, with Clongeen always looking to have a clear advantage until centre-forward Seamie Kiely made fully sure of their safe passage to a fourth county semi-final in successive years, although the other three were at the lower Junior 'A' level.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Seán Murphy, Willie Bolger (capt.), Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole, Conor O'Toole (0-1 free), Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Liam Byrne, Pádraig Bolger; Barry O'Toole, Seán Walsh (0-10, 9 frees), James Kinsella; Pádraig Kinsella, Pádraig Walsh, Derek Thorpe. Subs. - Peter Nolan for W. Bolger, inj. (28), P.J. O'Neill (0-1) for B. O'Toole (35), Shane Stafford for Thorpe (52), Shane Breen for P. Kinsella (55).
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Jamie Keating, Enda Murphy, Paul Curtis; Patrick Finn, Shane Cahill (capt.), Ger Foxe (0-2); Michael Dundon (0-1), Danny O'Grady (0-1); Cian O'Grady-Fortune (0-2), Seamie Kiely (1-0), Darryl Murphy (0-1); Cathal Murphy (0-1), Jamesie Rochford (0-2), Emmet Kent (0-8, 6 frees, 1 '65). Subs. - Peter Anthony Wall for Finn (39), Paudie Cahill for J. Rochford (42), Páraic Cullen for Dundon (55), Cian Murphy-Kehoe for C. Murphy (57), Robbie Rochford for Kent (58).
Referee: Dan Crosby (Kilmore).
RAPPAREES SECURED a last-gasp victory over local rivals Ferns St. Aidan's in a keenly-contested Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship Group B encounter in Ferns on Sunday.
The Cathedral town men looked to be in a spot of bother when playing the entire final quarter with 14 men after substitute Brian Cronin received a red card for interfering with an opponent's helmet, scarcely three minutes after entering the field.
In an arm wrestle that often threatened to spill over into fisticuffs without ever doing so, the hosts could never really make their numerical superiority count, but still had chances to sneak it down the home straight.
Brian Stafford had opened Ferns' account after two minutes, with Rapparees responding as Matt Kinnaird launched over a bomb from a mile out and the outstanding Floyd Murphy nicked the first of his five points from play.
Seán Walsh was almost faultless from frees throughout for the locals, and he converted two to edge them 0-3 to 0-2 ahead by the seventh minute, with Rapps goalkeeper Regan Treacy responding with a free from his own half soon after. Bill Peare also converted a '65, but a neat point from James Kinsella and two more Walsh frees gave Ferns what proved to be their biggest lead of the entire contest (0-6 to 0-4).
The Rapps responded through another Treacy long-ranger, with Floyd Murphy picking off two nice points from play.
Walsh punished a foul on Kinsella with his fifth successful free of the half, and also pointed from Pádraig Walsh's lay-off to make it 0-8 to 0-7.
However, Gary Murphy opened his account with the leveller immediately afterwards, with Floyd Murphy and Tommy Foley (free) giving Rapparees a 0-10 to 0-8 lead by the interval.
The two Murphys provided the first two scores after the break as well, with Floyd settling for a point in the aftermath of Barry O'Toole having a goal attempt thwarted at the other end.
Seán Walsh hit a much-needed point for Ferns on 40 minutes to reduce their arrears to three, with Gary Murphy cancelling that out shortly before Cronin was dismissed after an altercation with Stafford.
Ferns briefly rallied, with the O'Toole brothers, Conor and Peter, launching over a point apiece from their half-back line, either side of Walsh adding another free.
But Mikey McVeigh struck a relieving point to make it 0-14 to 0-12 on 52 minutes, with P.J. O'Neill pegging another back for Ferns.
After Gary Murphy tagged on a free, Stafford and Walsh again restored parity two minutes into injury-time.
However, after possessing a one hundred per cent record on placed balls up to then, Walsh was off-cue from two just outside his range, before a needlessly conceded free allowed Gary Murphy to coolly slot over the winner with the last puck of the game.
Ferns St. Aidans: Michael Walsh; Brian O'Neill (Clone, capt.), Willie Bolger, Paddy O'Hagan; Brian 'Whack' O'Neill, Conor O'Toole (0-1), Peter O'Toole (0-1); Barry O'Toole, Seán Murphy; Brian Stafford (0-2), Seán Walsh (0-9, 7 frees), Pádraig Bolger; P.J O'Neill (0-1), Pádraig Walsh, James Kinsella (0-1). Subs. - Derek Thorpe for Kinsella, inj. (33), Liam Byrne for B. O'Toole (43), Pádraig Kinsella for P. Walsh (55), Shane Stafford for P. Bolger (55).
Rapparees: Regan Treacy (0-2 frees); Matt Kinnaird (0-1), Anthony Murphy, Ronan Kervick; Anthony Peare, Bill Peare (0-1 '65), Jack Byrne; Dylan McVeigh, Patrick O'Shea; Gary Murphy (0-5, 3 frees), Floyd Murphy (0-5), Tommy Foley (0-1 free); Diarmuid Byrne, Mikey McVeigh (0-1), Mikey Dempsey. Subs. - Cathal Ryan for Kervick (35), Brian Cronin for A. Peare (42), John Ryan for Dempsey (51), Craig Peare for Byrne (55), Billy Redmond for Foley (60).
Referee: Stephen Murphy (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 9: Ferns St. Aidans 0-17, Kilmore 0-15
FERNS ST. Aidan's hauled themselves over the line to a crucial second round victory on home soil against a battling finish from Kilmore in Sunday's Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship Group B duel.
The sides were inseparable for a fourth time with some six minutes of normal time remaining (0-14 apiece) when Derek Thorpe and reliable placed-ball shooter Seán Walsh (two) produced the decisive blows.
Kilmore still pushed them hard in the closing stages, dropping in threats from a '65 and a free in a concerted bid to try to extract something from the tie, with substitute Paddy Byrne pegging back a point.
But the Ian Byrne-managed Ferns held out to avenge last year's unfortunate 2-10 to 1-11 opening defeat away to the same opposition as the red and whites responded to this season's opening setback against Rapparees, while Kilmore had already clipped the Rathnure second-string.
This already congested section - all teams are on a win and loss after two rounds - sees Kilmore host the Glynn-Barntown seconds on Sunday when Ferns St. Aidan's welcome Rathnure.
Ferns St. Aidan's twice hit the front in the opening stages against Kilmore as Seán Walsh (free) and Brian Stafford drew responses from Seán Carley and Aaron Goff respectively.
Walsh and his rival top-shooter Tom White then exchanged scores before White had two on the trot (one free) to shift things in Kilmore's direction by 0-5 to 0-3.
Defender Peter O'Toole and the wily Derek Thorpe sandwiched a Tom Byrne point to get it back to 0-6 to 0-5 before the seasiders began to assert some authority in the first-half.
White added a couple of frees - Dillon Crowley forcing one of those - before Tom Byrne boosted their advantage by 0-9 to 0-5.
But Kilmore weren't able to milk the most of their potential at that stage as Ferns St. Aidan's reeled it back to 0-12 to 0-9 at the break with four additions via frees from Walsh.
And he arrowed over a seventh individual score on the resumption, before Kilmore regained a four-point margin as Dean Farrell got off the mark before turning provider for Conor Moore to make it 0-14 to 0-10.
Ferns St. Aidan's were showing renewed energy, though, and master finisher Walsh tagged on three more frees to leave Kilmore fuming as the home side tied on 0-14 each.
And the locals did what was needed at either end of the pitch subsequently to ensure they are right in the mix for qualification entering round three.
Ferns St. Aidans: Michael Walsh; Seán Murphy, Willie Bolger (joint-capt.), Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole (0-1), Conor O'Toole, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidan's); Brian O'Neill (Clone, joint-capt.), Brian Stafford (0-1); Pádraig Bolger, Seán Walsh (0-13, 12 frees, 1 '65), P.J. O'Neill; Derek Thorpe (0-2), James Kinsella, Liam Byrne. Subs. - Shane Stafford for P. Bolger, Pádraig Walsh for P.J. O'Neill, Shane Breen for B. O'Neill (St. Aidan's).
Kilmore: Graham Mernagh; Dillon Crowley, Stevie Cousins, Aaron Kielthy; Denis Kenny, Criostóir Reville, William Carley; Páraic Reville (capt.), Shane Goff; Tom White (0-8, 5 frees), Tom Byrne (0-2), Seán Carley (0-1); Aaron Goff (0-1), Dean Farrell (0-1), Conor Moore (0-1). Subs. - Paddy Byrne (0-1) for Farrell, Josh Berry for S. Carley, Ryan Millar-Sinnott for Kenny.
Referee: Niall O'Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 16: Ferns St. Aidans 1-19, Rathnure 2-10
THE FERNS St. Aidans campaign appears to be taking shape as they notched a second successive win in Group B of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship when casting aside Rathnure by 1-19 to 2-10 in Sunday's round three clash of the second strings in Ferns.
Indeed, despite a narrow defeat to neighbours Rapparees in the opening round, they are firmly enconsced in the qualification shake-up now, although the group itself is something of a minefield with every team managing at least one win within it thus far.
Ferns will travel to St. Fintan's next, while Rathnure will host Glynn-Barntown.
The hosts took a while to shake off a plucky but limited Rathnure outfit, and could only really sit comfortably after Seán Walsh buried a penalty ten minutes from time.
He had opened proceedings from a second-minute free, with Jason Lawlor doing likewise from his own half shortly afterwards.
The Enniscorthy District lads went on to enjoy their brightest spell of the entire game when Lawlor repeated his tricks with another long-range free before his sideline cut cleared the defence and Stephen Reilly was alert to the possibilities when he drilled to the net.
Ferns hit three wides on the way to 14 overall before Walsh aided James Kinsella to flight over on ten minutes, while two more Walsh frees made it 1-2 to 0-4 midway through the first-half.
Harry Codd forced a turnover and lashed over a nice point for Rathnure, with the Staffords, Brian and Shane - one of four sets of brothers to feature for Ferns along with Conor and Peter O'Toole, P.J. and Brian O'Neill (Clone), and James and Pádraig Kinsella - responding as Brian twice teed up Shane for a brace.
Conor O'Toole also located Walsh to edge them 0-7 to 1-3 in front approaching half-time, although matters were water-tight by that juncture as Owen Lennon and Codd (free) traded blows with P.J. O'Neill.
There was a sense that Ferns were finding their mojo on the restart, though, as a pair of Walsh frees (the latter following a heavy hit on P.J. O'Neill that necessitated his removal soon after) preceded substitute Pádraig Kinsella's sideline cut being tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Kyle Martin.
Rebuttals from Lennon and Lawlor were cancelled out by Brian O'Neill (Clone) and a further two Walsh frees as the locals held sway by 0-14 to 1-8.
And their lead doubled on 50 minutes when substitute Pádraig Walsh was taken down by a late pull in the square, and Seán Walsh gave Martin no chance from the penalty that arose.
They tagged on a succession of points from play before the end through Brian Stafford (two), Brian 'Whack' O'Neill and Pádraig Walsh (two).
Michael Walsh also denied Jason Lawlor with a fine save from a penalty, although the latter made amends with a consolation goal in injury-time.
Ferns St. Aidans: Michael Walsh; Paddy O'Hagan, Willie Bolger, Seán Murphy; Peter O'Toole, Conor O'Toole, Brian 'Whack' O'Neill (0-1); Brian Stafford (0-2), Brian O'Neill (Clone, capt., 0-1); Liam Byrne, Seán Walsh (1-8, 0-7 frees, 1-0 pen.), P.J. O'Neill (0-1); Derek Thorpe, James Kinsella (0-1), Shane Stafford (0-2). Subs. - Pádraig Kinsella (0-1 line ball) for J. Kinsella (HT), Barry O'Toole for P.J. O'Neill, inj. (37), Pádraig Bolger for Byrne (41), Pádraig Walsh (0-2) for Thorpe (47).
Rathnure: Kyle Martin; Brian Lawler, Domhnall McGahan (capt.), Brian O'Neill; Aodhán Foley, Declan Foley, Jamie Lennon; Jason Lawlor (1-3, 0-2 frees), Owen Lennon (0-2); Harry Codd (0-4, 2 65s, 1 free), Dean Redmond, Seánie Redmond; Syl Barron (0-1), Teddy O'Connor, Stephen Reilly (1-0). Subs. - Ciarán Donnellan for Lennon, inj. (23), Liam Barron for Donnellan (57).
Referee: Niall O'Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 23: St. Fintan’s 3-14, Ferns St. Aidans 1-12
HOSTS ST. Fintan's booked their place in the knockout stages of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship with a clearcut Group B win over Ferns St. Aidans on Sunday.
Following a close-fought first-half, three goals in seven minutes midway through the second period saw the home team open up a decisive gap.
Conditions for hurling were perfect in Ballymore when the ball was thrown in at midday on Sunday, with the home team playing with a slight wind advantage.
Jack O'Leary opened the scoring with two points from frees - he only missed one all day - before Conor Day added the first from play, a nice point from the left wing.
Ferns responded with two points from Seán Walsh, both from frees. Walsh finished with eight points, all from placed balls.
Ferns had dropped a couple of balls short before Liam Byrnes's effort from 35 yards floated under the crossbar for a goal after 14 minutes.
Pádraig Kinsella quickly added a point from the wing, with Walsh adding another free, and Ferns were two points to the good.
That was to be as good as it would get for the visitors. Four without reply from St. Fintan's put them ahead again, the pick of them from Edmond Cleary from midfield, but a further free for Ferns left it level at the break (0-8 to 1-5).
A point from John Kelly, his second, put St. Fintan's back in front, followed by an exchange of frees.
Then St. Fintan's grabbed a point following a quick indirect free after a stoppage for a head injury, before they turned over the ball on the Ferns '21 and Conor Day was hauled down in the square.
Jack O'Leary buried the penalty and, within two minutes, Jamie Codd grabbed a second goal following a good move down the left-hand side to make it 2-11 to 1-8.
A third goal followed when a high ball into the goalmouth was finished to the net by Liam Crowley.
Ferns tacked on a couple of nice late scores from Conor O'Toole and Brian 'BON' O'Neill, the first from halfway, and the second following a great run up the middle.
However, the home side had the final say, with impressive substitute Dan Kelly knocking a point over from 50 metres to ensure an eight-point win.
St. Fintan's have three wins from four, and will make the short journey to Kilmore next Sunday. That will determine who finishes top of a competitive group, where every team had a win after two rounds.
Ferns, meanwhile, will play Glynn-Barntown, with the winners guaranteed third place in the group.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Peter Nolan, Willie Bolger, Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole, Conor O'Toole (0-1) Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Brian O'Neill (Clone, 0-1), Brian Stafford (0-1 free); Liam Byrne (1-0), Seán Walsh (0-8 frees), James Kinsella; Shane Stafford, Pádraig Walsh, Pádraig Kinsella (0-1). Subs. - Pádraig Bolger for S. Stafford (31), Shane Breen for P. Walsh (39), Andy Cash for J. Kinsella (48), Edward Walsh for S. Walsh (48).
St. Fintan's: Tom Cullen; Rich Kelly, Quinlan Kelly, Peter Goldsmith; Darragh Wafer, Frank Staples (capt.), Edmond Cleary (0-2); Jake Cleary, Adam Devereux; Jack O'Leary (1-6, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen.), Eoin O'Callaghan, Liam Crowley (1-1); Jamie Codd (1-0), Conor Day (0-1), John Kelly (0-2). Subs. - Eoin Cummins for Cleary (41), Dan Kelly (0-2) for C. Day (41), David Moore for Codd (50).
Referee: Damien Donovan (Volunteers).
July 30: Glynn-Barntown 1-13, Ferns St. Aidans 1-11
A JOSH Carley goal with ten minutes remaining proved to be the crucial score as Glynn-Barntown made sure of their place in the quarter-finals of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship with a hard-fought Group B win in a soggy Killurin on Sunday.
As it transpired, their opponents also gained a place in the last eight due to Rathnure's victory over Rapparees, with Ferns progressing ahead of the Blackstairs side on the head-to-head rule.
The hosts held a two-point advantage at the break (0-8 to 0-6), but when Pádraig Walsh blasted to the net seven minutes after the change of ends it edged Ferns in front for the first time.
However, Carley's goal swung the pendulum back in favour of the home side and, despite Ferns applying late pressure, they held out for the victory that saw them finish third in the table.
The sides couldn't be separated after the first quarter, with Pa Greene (two) and Conor Lyne registering for Glynn-Barntown and the visitors replying through two Seán Walsh placed balls and a Derek Thorpe score.
It could have been better for Ferns, as one of the Walsh points came from a penalty, after Pádraig Kinsella had been fouled, but he blazed his effort over the bar.
The home side then scored three points on the trot, with Michael Doyle, Cian Turner and Brendan Doyle all splitting the posts, before Barry O'Toole stopped the rot for Ferns with 20 minutes on the clock.
The gap remained at two at the break, with points from Pa Greene (free) and Brendan Doyle sandwiching two Seán Walsh placed balls.
After Seán Walsh and Greene had swapped scores following the change of ends, Ferns struck the front when Derek Thorpe teed up Pádraig Walsh, who smashed the ball past Ciarán Joyce.
The lead didn't last long though, with Cian Turner immediately drawing Glynn-Barntown level, and Josh Carley edged them back in front with a point following a flowing move involving Michael Doyle and Callum McDonald, when he probably had a goal on his mind.
He did have the green flag waving in the 51st minute though, firing a ground stroke past Mick Walsh to give the Wexford District side a 1-11 to 1-8 lead.
Ferns St. Aidans did manage to get back to within one, thanks to a James Kinsella point and Peter O'Toole free, but Cian Turner split the posts twice, either side of another Kinsella score, to get them over the line.
Glynn-Barntown now take on St. Patrick's in the quarter-final in St. Patrick's Park, Enniscorthy on Sunday morning at 11.30 a.m., while Ferns St. Aidans face unbeaten Group A table-toppers Clongeen in Bree at the same time.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Seán Murphy, Willie Bolger (joint-capt.), Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole (0-2 frees), Conor O'Toole, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Liam Byrne, Pádraig Bolger; Barry O'Toole (0-1), Seán Walsh (0-5, 3 frees, 1 pen., 1 '65), James Kinsella (0-2); Pádraig Kinsella, Pádraig Walsh (1-0), Derek Thorpe (0-1). Sub. - Shane Stafford for Murphy (46).
Glynn-Barntown: Ciarán Joyce; Thomas Doyle, Matthew Banville, Dave Roche; Frankie Hynes, Michael O'Regan, Shane Codd (capt.); Conor Lyne (0-1), Daire Barron; Aaron Kehoe, Pa Greene (0-4, 3 frees), Michael Doyle (0-1); Cian Turner (0-4, 1 free), Brendan Doyle (0-2), Callum McDonald. Sub. - Josh Carley (1-1) for Kehoe (HT).
Referee: Philip Murphy (Faythe Harriers).
August 6, quarter-final: Clongeen 1-18, Ferns St. Aidans 0-12
CLONGEEN held rivals Ferns St. Aidans scoreless from play until the 39th minute in this Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship quarter-final in Bree on Sunday, and yet they still couldn't fully relax until goal machine Seamie Kiely netted his sixth of the campaign thus far to fully seal the deal midway through the last quarter.
His assured finish into the roof of the net in the 53rd minute - after Darryl Murphy made the hard yards by cutting in from the left - left last year's Junior 'A' title winners with a healthy 1-18 to 0-11 lead, and there was no way back for the Gorey District men who were without two key figures in Brian O'Neill (Clone) and Brian Stafford - both of whom were promoted to Senior ranks one week earlier.
It was the start of a miserable day for the Ferns St. Aidans club, although it's fair to say that this defeat wouldn't have been as surprising as the one endured by their Seniors five and a half hours later.
They were totally reliant on the ever-accurate Seán Walsh for their first six points until substitute P.J. O'Neill eventually lightened the load in the 39th minute (0-13 to 0-7), but Clongeen already bore the look of likely winners by that stage.
Mickey Laffan's men have made a seamless transition to the higher grade, but the acid test is coming this Saturday when they face Shamrocks - a Senior club as recently as 2015 - in the semi-final at his home base in Killurin.
With county Under-20 Michael Dundon anxious not to cause further damage to his strapped right hamstring, the late involvement of veteran Páraic Cullen for the first time in this campaign was an additional bonus for Clongeen.
A player of his experience may yet have a lot to offer in the closing stages of a tight game, and that's precisely what could be in store next Saturday, even though Clongeen comfortably accounted for their Enniscorthy rivals in the group stages by 4-15 to 0-12.
Another wily fox, Emmet Kent, posed a constant first-half threat in the left corner of the attack when they had the aid of the wind.
Ferns tried three different men to keep him at bay, with Seán Murphy followed by Willie Bolger before his injury led to the arrival of Peter Nolan - still going strong a full 26 years after featuring on the Wexford Minor football team, having managed that same side in the more recent past.
Clongeen held a double-scores half-time lead (0-10 to 0-5), but Ferns manager and Senior player Ian Byrne would have appreciated the role of Seán Walsh in keeping that margin relatively tight as his fellow free-taker was the team's sole scorer.
Wing-back Ger Foxe judged the wind to perfection for one of Clongeen's best points in the 20th minute, and they carried a bigger threat overall as Jamesie Rochford (two), Cathal Murphy, Danny O'Grady, Emmet Kent and Cian O'Grady-Fortune all chipped in from play.
Long-server Mick Walsh made one fine save to keep out a Kent shot midway through the first quarter, and it was certainly a gritty show overall from Ferns as they only trailed by three points before Kent (free) and O'Grady-Fortune scored approaching the break.
Pádraig Kinsella got on the end of a Pádraig Walsh lob from the left to find the net a mere 30 seconds into the new half, but referee Dan Crosby ruled it out for a square ball offence.
With Shane Cahill, Enda Murphy and Jamie Keating giving nothing away at the back, the gap only dropped to four points on one occasion, with Clongeen always looking to have a clear advantage until centre-forward Seamie Kiely made fully sure of their safe passage to a fourth county semi-final in successive years, although the other three were at the lower Junior 'A' level.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Seán Murphy, Willie Bolger (capt.), Paddy O'Hagan; Peter O'Toole, Conor O'Toole (0-1 free), Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Liam Byrne, Pádraig Bolger; Barry O'Toole, Seán Walsh (0-10, 9 frees), James Kinsella; Pádraig Kinsella, Pádraig Walsh, Derek Thorpe. Subs. - Peter Nolan for W. Bolger, inj. (28), P.J. O'Neill (0-1) for B. O'Toole (35), Shane Stafford for Thorpe (52), Shane Breen for P. Kinsella (55).
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Jamie Keating, Enda Murphy, Paul Curtis; Patrick Finn, Shane Cahill (capt.), Ger Foxe (0-2); Michael Dundon (0-1), Danny O'Grady (0-1); Cian O'Grady-Fortune (0-2), Seamie Kiely (1-0), Darryl Murphy (0-1); Cathal Murphy (0-1), Jamesie Rochford (0-2), Emmet Kent (0-8, 6 frees, 1 '65). Subs. - Peter Anthony Wall for Finn (39), Paudie Cahill for J. Rochford (42), Páraic Cullen for Dundon (55), Cian Murphy-Kehoe for C. Murphy (57), Robbie Rochford for Kent (58).
Referee: Dan Crosby (Kilmore).