Senior Hurling Championship 2024
July 6: Ferns St. Aidans 2-23, Crossabeg/Ballymurn 2-10
When the hard questions were asked of Ferns St. Aidans in McCauley Park, Bellefield on Saturday, they came up with all the answers in this Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship Group A opener.
A brace of Corey Byrne-Dunbar goals had left them with a 2-9 to 1-6 interval lead, but Crossabeg-Ballymurn seemed to draw inspiration from the heavens opening and heavy rain lashing down as they stormed into contention on the restart.
A couple of Mark Byrne frees kick-started their best spell – the first arriving after James Lawlor had saved a Jack Fortune shot with an advantage being played.
Byrne-Dunbar was then denied a hat-trick at the other end by Noel Scallan, and 30 seconds later Ferns looked to be in a spot of bother.
County panel member Mark Byrne took off like a train down the centre at the Bellefield Road end before planting a glorious shot beyond Lawlor directly off his hurl, and all of a sudden Crossabeg-Ballymurn only trailed by the minimum (2-9 to 2-8).
It was a serious test of the 2022 champions’ character, but manager Pat Bennett got the desired response as they showed no evidence of any panic and instead produced a superb 15-minute period that yielded ten points without reply.
First up, though, they had a stroke of good fortune on their side, as it must have been a marginal call to rule out a flicked goal by James White from a Jack Fortune delivery for a square ball.
That would have given Crossabeg-Ballymurn the lead, but instead they fell away rapidly as two experienced Ferns forwards led their charge to the finish line.
Veteran Paul Morris looked fresh as a daisy here, with his inter-county obligations behind him and surgery completed on a knee injury.
Already with two first-half points to his name, he added another four to quell Crossabeg-Ballymurn’s fire and leave them a well-beaten side by the finish.
One of his former Wexford colleagues, Ian Byrne, had settled Ferns with their opening two points after the break in the 40th and 41st minutes, after passes from Morris and the impressive Conor Scallan respectively.
And they took over completely after that, with Chris Turner, full-back Niall Murphy, Byrne (free) and Jonny Dwyer contributing along with that Morris quartet to leave the Gorey District side out of sight by the 55th minute (2-19 to 2-8).
Gavin Bailey and Ryan Nolan also joined the scoresheet before the end, with Noel Scallan stopping a Morris shot at the expense of a ’65 that Byrne sent over before Corey Byrne-Dunbar had to settle for a point when he was seeking a third green flag at the death.
The latter’s two opening half goals had been clinically taken, and they were badly needed by Ferns after making a slow and sluggish start.
Indeed, they trailed by 1-3 to 0-1 in the seventh minute, after Crossabeg-Ballymurn full-forward James White turned sharply when Jack Fortune sent the ball in and rattled the net at the scoreboard end.
While direct opponent Niall Murphy will have been disappointed with that concession, he was still a key performer for Ferns and managed to burst forward for a point in each half.
His championship involvement with Wexford ended after being the first man taken off in the loss to Antrim in Belfast, so it’s hard to escape the feeling that he was perhaps made a scapegoat for that setback – unfairly, in my opinion. However, Murphy showed on Saturday that he has a lot to offer.
We also got several glimpses – in the opening half especially – of how much Wexford missed Oisín Foley in 2024.
The centre-forward’s three fine points all showcased his three key attributes – an ability to win aerial possession in the half-forward line, a fantastic catching hand, and accuracy under pressure. Hopefully he will be fully fit for another crack at the inter-county scene next year.
Ferns had gradually worked their way back after that slow start with points from Niall Murphy and two Ian Byrne placed balls, the first from a ’65 after Noel Scallan kept out a Ryan Nolan strike.
And they inched ahead with their opening goal in the 15th minute, after Senior newcomer Matthew Bishop did well initially to block a Nolan shot.
The sliotar spilled into the path of Paul Morris, and he teed up Corey Byrne-Dunbar to crash to the net for a 1-4 to 1-3 advantage.
Although Oisín Foley caught the puck-out and soloed clear for the leveller, Byrne restored the Ferns lead from a free before Byrne-Dunbar pounced again.
His second goal arrived four and a half minutes after his first, and again Morris was the provider as he cut in from the left and handpassed to his unmarked team-mate who was in acres of space.
Two points apiece from play by Morris and Byrne saw Ferns extend their advantage to 2-9 to 1-6 by the interval, but they had that early third-quarter scare to overcome before taking over again.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt.); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy (0-2), Declan Byrne; Gavin Bailey (0-1), Patrick Breen, Brian Stafford; Tommy Dwyer, Rory Scallan; Jonny Dwyer (0-1), Paul Morris (0-6), Corey Byrne-Dunbar (2-1); Ryan Nolan (0-1), Chris Turner (0-1), Ian Byrne (0-10, 4 frees, 2 ’65s). Subs. – Brian O’Neill for C. Scallan, temp. (45-54), O’Neill for Nolan (59).
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Noel Scallan; Robert Murphy, David Kehoe, Matthew Bishop; Bill Eviston (capt., 0-1), Paddy Devereux, Aaron Cummins; Jack Fortune, Conor Devereux; Mark Byrne (1-6, 0-4 frees), Oisín Foley (0-3), Niall Cullen; Joe Kelly, James White (1-0), Evan Kinlough. Sub. – Glen Murphy for Kinlough (38).
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 14: Ferns St. Aidans 0-23, Naomh Éanna 1-20
Naomh Éanna and Ferns St. Aidans played out a thrilling draw to leave both still unbeaten in Group A of the Pettit’s Senior hurling championship in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday.
In a game that swung back and forth a few times, there was massive drama at the end. In the circumstances the two sides might have felt they could have won, but they will also be relieved to remain unbeaten.
Ferns were 0-23 to 1-18 ahead before Cathal Dunbar sent over a delicious line ball score to drag Gorey within one in the 59th minute.
It was about to get even more dramatic, with referee Gearóid McGrath making the correct decision when Conor McDonald was fouled under a high ball in additional time.
The St. James’ referee signalled for a penalty, checked with his umpires and stuck with his initial call, giving Naomh Éanna what appeared to be a chance to wrap up a victory that didn’t look likely for most of the second-half.
However, James Lawlor had not read that script, and the Ferns goalkeeper dived down to his right and pushed Jack Cullen’s shot behind for a ‘65. There was still time to take the dead-ball, but Cullen had a clever idea.
Instead of shooting at the posts and one would assume giving his side a high probability of levelling the game, Cullen picked out an unmarked Dunbar and the county star made no mistake from near the ‘45 to cement the draw.
The clash of the last two county champions had been one of the better games of 2024 to date, with the draw probably a fair result overall.
For Gorey, Charlie McGuckin was the stand-out performer again, registering four points from play, but Dunbar also had a very influential evening.
Ferns got four points from play from the back seven but were still beaten in that regard by Gorey. Gavin Bailey and Conor Scallan picked off nice long-range scores, but the furthest of the night had to be James Lawlor’s point from fully one hundred yards out.
Naomh Éanna appeared to get off to the perfect start, taking a 0-4 to nil lead on the back of points from PÁdraig Doyle, McGuckin, Cian Ó Tuama and McDonald.
However, Ferns scored nine of the next ten points in a -13minute spell, with Ian Byrne registering four of them to move 0-9 to 0-5 up.
McGuckin got two more lovely scores before the interval but Lawlor, Byrne and the impressive Jonny Dwyer all tacked on points at the other end to leave Ferns 0-14 to 0-9 up at half-time.
The lead shrunk immediately after the restart, but Ferns consolidated with scores from Byrne and Bailey to stay five clear with 40 minutes gone (0-17 to 0-12).
A burst of speed and cracking finish from Dunbar shot Gorey right back into the game and as it moved into the final quarter, it remained nip-and-tuck. Ferns never fell behind but eventually the pressure told and the spoils were shared.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-2, 1 free); Conor Scallan (0-1), Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Brian Stafford, Gavin Bailey (0-2), Patrick Breen; Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-1), Rory Scallan; Jonny Dwyer (0-3), Chris Turner (0-1), Tommy Dwyer; Ian Byrne (0-10, 7 frees, 1 ‘65), Paul Morris (0-2), John Breen. Subs. - Christopher O’Connor (0-1) for T. Dwyer (44), Ciarán Roberts for Breen (54).
Naomh Éanna: Jack Cushe; Brian Cushe, Cian Molloy (0-1), Gary Molloy; Charlie McGuckin (0-4), Brendan Travers, Cian Ó Tuama (0-1); Cathal Dunbar (1-4, 0-1 line ball), Seán Doyle; Jack Cullen (0-4 frees), Aodhán Doyle, Jack Doran; Conor McDonald (capt., 0-2), Pádraig Doyle (0-3, 2 frees), J.J. Twamley (0-1).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James’).
August 3: St. Anne’s Rathangan 1-21, Ferns St. Aidans 1-17
ANY WISE old GAA sage in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday for the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship clash between St. Anne's and Ferns St. Aidans would have felt that the very strong wind blowing would render an elements-assisted lead of five or six points a necessity.
However, that theory was debunked in some style by St. Anne's who, having been behind at half-time by 1-11 to 0-9 after playing with the wind, turned in a superb display thereafter to win by 1-21 to 1-17 and sit proudly at the top of Group A on six points.
The second-half effort from St. Anne's was a masterclass in efficiency, scoring 1-12 from 13 shots at the goal with a meagre defence only conceding three points from play. Mind you, the Ferns cause wasn't helped by an unhealthy total of ten second-half wides.
The Rathangan men started the second-half well with a couple of beautiful points from the two Liams, Rochford and 'Ógie', but the orchestrator of the fine first-half performance for Ferns, Paul Morris, pointed quickly in response.
That was added to by an excellent line ball point from Ian Byrne to maintain the Ferns lead of five (1-13 to 0-11) on the 35-minute mark.
However, St. Anne's took over for more or less the rest of the game. They mixed up their approach, using the short game to good effect though the likes of Diarmuid O'Keeffe and Brian Kavanagh, while young Páidí Doyle was also prominent.
However, when required St. Anne's won some excellent long ball in the half-forward line from the Morans, Andrew and Justin, and in particular Cillian Byrne whose fielding was exemplary in that period.
While the hard work was being done out the field, it needed finishers and 1-6 without reply completely changed the complexion of the contest, as on the three-quarters mark St. Anne's led by 1-17 to 1-13.
Scorer in chief in this spell was Kyle Kennedy who accounted for 1-4, with the goal coming in the 37th minute, after the sharp full-forward was the quickest to strike a loose ball near the goal after a long delivery from a free by Andy Kennedy.
Ferns did press for a goal in the last quarter and it took good defensive work from the St. Anne's rearguard to swat away of a couple of dangerous high balls into the square.
With Liam Rochford adding his third and fourth points from play for St. Anne's, there was no way back for Ferns, and even the very late dismissal of Liam Óg McGovern for a second yellow card offence had little impact on the game.
The first-half had been so different as the sides were level on five occasions on their way to sharing twelve points (0-6 each) at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter belonged to Ferns with the two red-helmeted players, Gavin Bailey and Paul Morris, particularly instrumental in the excellent play from their team.
The Ferns display was embellished by a splendid major in the 28th minute. A puck-out from goalie James Lawlor was caught by the lively Jonny Dwyer, who fed Rory Scallan running through.
He in turn slipped a pass to Ian Byrne, who stepped inside a St. Anne's defender to give Andy Kennedy no chance in the goal with a stinging low shot to the net.
One suspects that both of these sides may well end up prominent after the business end of the championship starts in late September.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-1 free); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Patrick Breen (0-1), Gavin Bailey, Brian Stafford; Paul Morris (0-2), Rory Scallan; Chris Turner, Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-2), Jonny Dwyer (0-1); Rory Scallan, Ian Byrne (1-9, 0-7 frees, 0-1 line ball), John Breen. Subs. - Ryan Nolan for T. Dwyer (35), Christopher O'Connor (0-1) for Turner (43), Ciarán Roberts for J. Breen (59).
St. Anne's: Andy Kennedy; Tomás Cullen, Kevin Breen, Finn Ryan; Brian Kavanagh (0-1), Diarmuid O'Keeffe, Páidí Doyle; Liam Rochford (0-4), Eoin Ryan; Cillian Byrne (0-1 line ball), Justin Moran (capt., 0-2), Mark Furlong (0-1); Kyle Kennedy (1-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 '65), Liam Óg McGovern (0-1), Andrew Moran (0-2). Sub. - Darragh Furlong (0-1) for Furlong (HT).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James').
August 25: Ferns St. Aidans 0-27, Glynn-Barntown 1-15
FERNS ST. Aidans made light of an early second-half rumbling by Glynn-Barntown to ultimately coast to a first victory since round one after Sunday's fourth round Pettitt's Senior hurling championship Group A clash in McCauley Park, Bellefield.
A late first-half blitz powered the winners into a 0-12 to 0-7 interval advantage, and they maintained a five-point gap (0-15 to 0-10) before Glynn-Barntown seemed to be coming to life.
That was sparked by a 38th-minute goal from Daragh Murphy after Conor Mahoney and Patrick Berry had each forced blocks, and the outstanding Liam Donoghue added a quick brace of points to level for the fourth time after 40 minutes (1-12 to 0-15).
But Ferns quickly re-established superiority - easing clear by 0-24 to 1-13 after 49 minutes - and really Pat Bennett's charges might have preferred a sterner test heading into the knockout stages, although they must finish off the group first, with a game against Oulart-The Ballagh on Sunday.
Glynn-Barntown face table-toppers St. Anne's that same day seeking a considerable response to this largely flat showing outside of the brilliance of Liam Donoghue, who was a problem for Ferns throughout.
The Wexford District men were boosted when goalie and captain Mark Fanning rehabbed satisfactorily from a hamstring injury sustained in the football a week earlier to take his place between the sticks.
The sides traded early scores before Conor Mahoney and John Leacy (four frees) had Fanning's outfit 0-6 to 0-4 clear after 17 minutes.
Ferns St. Aidans 'keeper and captain James Lawlor got on target from distance with a point after a one-two from a free with Jonny Dwyer, who then drew the sides level for the second time after 19 minutes (0-6 each).
And after the bright Rory Scallan had a lead-score for the winners negated by Cormac Cooney, Ferns St. Aidans took control during the closing stages of the first-half.
Ian Byrne (three) and Paul Morris (two) drove the red and whites clear, while wing-back Ciarán Roberts was released by Morris in added-time to force a save when maybe he should have released to Rory Scallan, who was better placed to capitalise.
Regardless, Ferns retired leading by 0-12 to 0-7 before the sides shared the first six points of the second-half after Eoin Murphy entered the fray for the winners while Tommy Dwyer underwent a head injury assessment.
Glynn-Barntown then suddenly showed signs of promise with that unanswered burst of 1-2 without reply to regain parity on 1-12 to 0-15 after 40 minutes.
But with Benny Jordan sprung from the bench by Ferns in his first appearance of the championship after suspension, Pat Bennett's charges had it all their own way thereafter as Glynn-Barntown simply fell limp.
Most strikingly, the Killurin men left Gavin Bailey unmarked in the centre of the Ferns defence, and Bailey helped himself to a couple of quality points as the 2022 champions soared clear, with four straight Paul Morris scores completing a surge to a 0-24 to 1-13 lead after 49 minutes.
John Leacy pegged it back to 0-24 to 1-15 with a couple of frees. But it was only of cosmetic effect as Glynn-Barntown were comfortably second-best by now, and a free and a '65 from Ian Byrne, together with Rory Scallan's fifth of the evening, put the ribbons on Ferns' return to the winners' column.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-1); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Patrick Breen, Gavin Bailey (0-2), Ciarán Roberts; Ian Byrne (0-10, 7 frees, 1 '65), Rory Scallan (0-5); Tommy Dwyer, Paul Morris (0-6), Jonny Dwyer (0-1); Chris Turner, Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-1), Ryan Nolan. Subs. - Eoin Murphy (0-1) for T. Dwyer (HT), Brian Stafford for N. Murphy, temp. (33-34), Benny Jordan for Nolan (40), Stafford for Roberts (50), John Breen for Turner (53), Christopher O'Connor for J. Dwyer (55), James Tonks for Byrne-Dunbar (58).
Glynn-Barntown: Mark Fanning (capt.); Kevin Crean, Pádraig Donnelly, Ger Dempsey; Michael O'Regan, Michael Furlong, Darragh Carley (0-1); Cormac Cooney (0-1), Michael Laffan; Conor Mahoney (0-1), John Leacy (0-8 frees), Callum McDonald; Liam Donoghue (0-4), Daragh Murphy (1-0), Patrick Berry. Subs. - Ríoghan Crosbie for Laffan (52), Robbie Hillis for McDonald (52), Fionn Cooney for Mahoney (55).
Referee: James Owens (Askamore).
September 1: Ferns St. Aidans 3-19, Oulart-The Ballagh 3-15
THERE WAS no shortage of lively fare in Monamolin on Sunday as Group A of the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship drew to a close, even though both sides were well aware in advance of the more significant challenges to follow.
Oulart-The Ballagh knew that a do-or-die clash with Rapparees awaited them regardless of the outcome, whereas Ferns St. Aidans had already avoided any potential relegation worries ahead of a game that they didn't wrap up until Ryan Nolan struck their third goal in the 55th minute.
The 2022 champions did have an outside chance of going directly into the quarter-finals, but that would have required a loss for Naomh Éanna as well as the victory they fashioned here themselves.
And with the Gorey men clearly in no mood to slip up from an early stage, the focus shifted to taking third spot as Ferns brought their final points tally to seven.
The possibility existed beforehand that all three front-runners might have shared that total by the end, although that would have also required a loss for St. Anne's and a draw from Naomh Éanna.
And even in such a scenario, Ferns would have been third in the 'mini league', while a two-way tie with the Rathangan men wouldn't have gone their way either on the head-to-head rule.
A typical poacher's hat-trick from the wily Nicky Kirwan kept Oulart-The Ballagh firmly in the hunt until the closing minutes, and it was a commendable effort on the whole from the losers considering their ever-growing injury list.
The progress of some of their brighter prospects to Senior ranks has no doubt been fast-tracked by the absence of the likes of Shaun Murphy, Eoin Moore, Jack Roche and the latest casualty, Billy Dunne.
Players like Lee Doyle, Séamus Ormonde and Conor Blake will be all the better for the experience they have gained in recent weeks, while Simon Roche was always going to be an automatic choice at this level and has the potential to build on his very promising under-age career with Wexford.
As for Ferns St. Aidans, the movement of Corey Byrne-Dunbar was a joy to watch as he matched Kirwan's 3-3 haul with an equally impressive 2-6.
Manager Pat Bennett - who has linked up again with Davy Fitzgerald for an adventure in Antrim next year - seems to have given his talented attacker the freedom to roam and drift as he sees fit, and this ploy yielded a profitable return on Sunday.
Chris Turner had opened the scoring for Ferns before Nicky Kirwan netted for the first time in the third minute, lashing home from close range after successive handpasses by Ian Storey and Conor O'Leary created the opening.
Simon Roche added a fine point from long distance, but the gap of three that it created didn't last long as a generally even first quarter ended with sides deadlocked (1-4 to 0-7).
Roche, Conor Blake and Darryl Gray added to Oulart-The Ballagh's tally, while Ian Byrne contributed three points, including one from play, for Ferns before his enforced departure in the 16th minute - replaced by Benny Jordan whose son, Michael, was a Rackard League medal winner for the red and blacks earlier in the year.
The lively Corey Byrne-Dunbar had also caught a James Lawlor puck-out and opened his account, shortly after Darragh Hayes denied him a goal with a smart save that ended in a follow-up second point for Chris Turner.
The teams were still level when Byrne-Dunbar stood over a 20-metre free in the 18th minute and fired it low to the net, and Ferns extended their lead to a game-high four points at one stage before a late brace of Nicky Kirwan frees left Oulart-The Ballagh trailing at the break by 1-9 to 1-7.
The new half was only 14 seconds old when Byrne-Dunbar struck again, this time from play after a solid tackle by Ryan Nolan saw the sliotar spill loose when a defender was first to the ball.
For a team struggling for consistency, Oulart-The Ballagh's response was excellent as they hit 1-2 without reply to draw level once more by the 40th minute.
First up, though, another Byrne-Dunbar goal was disallowed for a foul by Nolan in the build-up.
Nicky Kirwan ('65) and Conor O'Leary nailed points before a menacing run by Byrne-Dunbar near the right endline was foiled by a fine tackle from Lee Doyle.
Kirwan availed of a Martin Óg Storey handpass to rattle the net again, after Simon Roche pounced initially on an error and fed Darryl Gray whose shot was saved.
Ferns hadn't scored in ten minutes before Jordan steadied the ship and restored their lead with a point, but Oulart-The Ballagh were undeterred as they netted for a third time with a move seldom seen in the modern game.
It was all about effective ground hurling as Conor Blake pulled inside to Niall Redmond, and he in turn first-timed it across the square for a stretching Kirwan to bundle home for his hat-trick (3-9 to 2-10).
Adam McRedmond added a point, and Ferns needed to dig deep to fight back.
However, a massive five-minute spell yielded 1-4 on the bounce and that ultimately made all the difference, with Gavin Bailey, Corey Byrne-Dunbar, substitute Jonny Dwyer and Byrne-Dunbar (free) picking off points before their third goal arrived.
Paul Morris caught a James Tonks delivery and handpassed to Ryan Nolan, with the corner-forward rattling the net in his last involvement to establish a 3-16 to 3-12 lead.
A spirited Oulart-The Ballagh made it a two-point game as one last burst yielded scores from Anthony Roche and Conor Blake (free), but Ferns made sure of a hard-earned success that should stand to them against Oylegate-Glenbrien in the preliminary quarter-final thanks to the last three points from Byrne-Dunbar (free), Rory Scallan and Patrick Breen.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt.); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Patrick Breen (0-1), Gavin Bailey (0-1), Ciarán Roberts; Eoin Murphy (0-1), Rory Scallan (0-2); Chris Turner (0-2), Ian Byrne (0-3, 2 frees), Corey Byrne-Dunbar (2-6, 1-2 frees, 0-1 '65); John Breen, Paul Morris (0-1), Ryan Nolan (1-0). Subs. - Benny Jordan (0-1) for I. Byrne, inj. (16), Brian Stafford for Roberts (HT), James Tonks for D. Byrne (37), Jonny Dwyer (0-1) for Breen (49), Christopher O'Connor for Nolan (56).
Oulart-The Ballagh: Darragh Hayes; Ian Storey, Dennis Morton, Lee Doyle; Conor O'Leary (0-1), Anthony Roche (capt., 0-1), Niall Redmond; Darryl Gray (0-1), Séamus Ormonde; Adam McRedmond (0-1), Simon Roche (0-3), Conor Blake (0-4, 2 frees); Tommy Storey, Martin Óg Storey, Nicky Kirwan (3-3, 0-3 frees). Subs. - Peter Sutton for T. Storey (49), Conor Goff for O'Leary (56), Tommy Storey for McRedmond, inj. (60+4).
Referee: Dan Crosby (Kilmore).
September 21, Preliminary quarter-final: Ferns St. Aidans 1-24, Oylegate-Glenbrien 1-21 (aet)
EOIN MURPHY'S goal midway through the first period of extra-time proved the key score in floodlit Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday, as Ferns St. Aidans overcame Oylegate-Glenbrien's best performance of the season to claim victory in the second of the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship preliminary quarter-finals.
It was a nice measure of revenge for the 2022 victors, who had relinquished their title to the boys in blue in their last-eight tie twelve months ago, and in truth it would have been a travesty if a team with seven points chalked up in their group had departed at this early stage.
However, third- and fourth-place finishers are quite vulnerable under the current format, a point borne out by the departure of the 2023 runners-up who will feel they are as good, if not better, than several of the teams still in contention.
They had forced extra-time here with the last puck after two-plus additional minutes, with Séamus Casey converting a free that Damien Reck secured on a solo run (1-17 to 0-20).
Casey drove another free over via the stick of rival netminder James Lawlor after 41 seconds of extra-time before Eoin Murphy levelled, with the eagle-eyed umpires at the Clonard end spotting that goalkeeper Aaron Duggan had controlled his shot from behind the crossbar.
And after another exchange between Casey (free) and the prolific Ian Byrne - who amassed an excellent 18 points in total - Murphy was about to leave an even bigger imprint on proceedings.
A long free by James Lawlor was caught by Corey Byrne-Dunbar - who hadn't been as prominent in general play as usual - but he provided a vital assist here as his handpass inside found Murphy who crashed home to establish a 1-22 to 1-19 lead.
That three-point gap was still in place at the last interval, after a further exchange between impressive youngster Seán Rowley and Ian Byrne (free), and Paul Morris widened it to four from a pass delivered out from the left corner by Byrne-Dunbar when the play resumed.
Oylegate-Glenbrien struck two wides before substitute Jack Hennessy hit their last point after a one-two with Shane Doran in the fourth minute, so there was still plenty of time to bridge that gap.
However, that proved to be the last score, with cramp setting in and bodies dropping all over the field before Damien Reck was dismissed for a late foul on Gavin Bailey.
Considering their form had been patchy at best in the group games, Oylegate-Glenbrien did operate a lot closer to their county final levels from last year, although that will be scant consolation at this stage.
It was a big game for Ferns St. Aidans to win, and now the prospect of facing St. Martin's in a repeat of their 2022 final victory will have neutrals rubbing their hands in anticipation.
With a free-count of 23-15 in their favour over the 80-plus minutes, Ian Byrne had ample opportunities to show his prowess from placed balls and he certainly obliged with some excellent finishing.
However, Ferns must have been somewhat concerned at half-time when they trailed by 0-13 to 0-9, having struck ten wides compared to just three from their more economical rivals.
Four points was a fair amount of ground to make up against such decent opposition, but they kept their cool and managed to edge ahead early in the last quarter before shipping the blow of an Oylegate-Glenbrien goal.
That arrived in the 57th minute, when Shane Reck raced on to the break from Aaron Duggan's long free and, while he could have shot himself, he instead handpassed to his left for the recently-introduced Jamie Reck to supply the finish and create a 1-16 to 0-17 lead.
Ferns were staring defeat in the face at that stage, but three Ian Byrne frees - the last one from a considerable distance behind his own 65-metre line - restored their lead before Séamus Casey brought the game to extra-time.
The eventual victors had won the toss and opened on a positive note with the first three points from Byrne ('65 and free) and Paul Morris, who was very lively in the early stages in particular.
Casey opened Oylegate-Glenbrien's account from a free, and they chipped away to draw level on 0-4 each by the twelfth minute, with Conor Heffernan, Seán Rowley and Podge Doran responding to a second score from Morris.
Chris Turner pulled across goal and wide from a Morris handpass before the sides remained level an additional five times as the second quarter continued.
However, it went from 9-9 to 13-9 in favour of Oylegate-Glenbrien at half-time, with Jim White and three late Séamus Casey frees giving them that hard-earned but welcome cushion.
Ferns were back to parity by the 40th minute (14-14), with Ian Byrne landing another four frees plus one from play to just one score at the other end, from Seán Rowley.
Casey hit the next brace for Oylegate-Glenbrien, with the second a fine strike from play close to the right sideline, but three Byrne frees for Ferns meant they were 17-16 in front when Jamie Reck pounced for that opening goal.
The Gorey District side's personnel hasn't changed to any great extent since their county final win of two years ago, and they turned to four of the old guard to make contributions off the bench.
They have been involved in a lot of tight contests since rising to prominence, and it took a significant effort to strike late when they were two points in arrears.
Aaron Duggan made a near-post save from Paul Morris, but he had an advantage at the time and Damien Reck was booked before Ian Byrne made it a one-point game from the free.
His equaliser arrived after Mike Kelly was penalised and yellow-carded for leading with the elbow when in possession, and the lead score was a monster effort from distance before Séamus Casey hit back.
Eoin Murphy's return from his travels has provided the Pat Bennett-managed side with a major boost, and his 1-1 in the first period of extra-time made the world of difference in what ranked as the best of the four preliminary quarter-finals.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt.); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Ciarán Roberts, Patrick Breen, Gavin Bailey; Eoin Murphy (1-1), Rory Scallan (0-1); John Breen, Paul Morris (0-3), Chris Turner; Ryan Nolan (0-1), Corey Byrne-Dunbar, Ian Byrne (0-18, 15 frees, 1 '65). Subs. - Christopher O'Connor for Nolan (43), Tommy Dwyer for Breen (48), Benny Jordan for Turner (56), Brian Stafford for Roberts (HT ET), James Tonks for C. Scallan (77), Nolan for Bailey, inj. (80).
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Aaron Duggan; Tomás Cosgrave, Mike Kelly, Paudie Casey; Peter Rowley, Shane Reck (capt.), Damien Reck; Pa Cullen, Conor Heffernan (0-1); Joe Dunne (0-1), Séamus Casey (0-10, 9 frees), Jim White (0-2); Shane Doran (0-1), Podge Doran (0-1), Seán Rowley (0-4). Subs. - Fiachra Hourihane for Cullen (HT), Jamie Reck (1-0) for White, inj. (50), Jack Hennessy (0-1) for Cosgrave, inj. (55), Mark Kavanagh for P. Rowley, inj. (ET), Evan Kelly for P. Casey, inj. (HT ET), Paudie Casey for S. Casey, inj. (75), Séamus Casey for S. Doran (80+2).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James').
October 6, quarter-final: St. Martin’s 1-20, Ferns St. Aidans 0-14
NEUTRAL HOPES for a repeat of the one-point cliff-hanger between the sides in the 2022 decider were quickly discounted in a very dull opening to proceedings in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday, with St. Martin's coasting to a handy nine-point win over sub-standard Ferns St. Aidans in a disappointing Pettitt's Senior hurling championship quarter-final.
They partly gained amends for their loss two years ago in the process, but they won't spend too long patting themselves on the back as the victory will be soon forgotten unless they back it up against Naomh Éanna in the penultimate round.
This game felt more like an insignificant challenge than a championship showdown, not helped of course by 20 first-half frees and another 17 after the interval.
It did look like an actual hurling match might break out on a few fleeting occasions, but the fare was as flat as a pancake for the most part and held little interest for anyone bar the St. Martin's supporters.
Their side did what they needed to advance and were reasonably impressive in doing so, showing no ill-effects in the process from the five-week lay-off since their last game.
Ferns St. Aidans, in contrast, enjoyed a win over Oylegate-Glenbrien in that spell and were expected to be a lot more competitive here.
Perhaps the extra-time required on that occasion took more out of them than we realised, as they looked a jaded team in this instantly forgettable contest. They haven't introduced enough fresh talent since their memorable 2022 win, and a lot of their great servants don't appear to have anything left in the tank.
In contrast, St. Martin's look to be in a situation where the competition for places is pushing everyone on, especially with their second-string also qualified for the Intermediate 'A' semi-final.
The first three substitutes introduced all claimed scores, with the athleticism of Barry O'Connor an absolute nightmare for tiring Ferns defenders to deal with.
And while Rory O'Connor only scored one of his ten points from play, he was fouled regularly and didn't need to produce any of his trademark magic because it simply wasn't required against such below-par opposition.
Having said that, one sublime piece of skill early in the second-half deserved a better reward, when he scooped the sliotar over the advancing James Lawlor and was most unfortunate to see his audacious effort rebounding into play off the crossbar.
Poor and all as Ferns were, they had still improved on an 0-11 to 0-6 interval deficit to trail by a mere 13-11 when the only goal arrived.
At no stage did St. Martin's appear to be under serious pressure, but by the same token it might concern their mentors somewhat that the game hadn't been wrapped up approaching the end of the third quarter.
All that changed following one of several soft frees awarded, with this one going to the eventual winners after Patrick Breen appeared to collide with Rory O'Connor under the stand, rather than purposefully foul him.
While I'm no mind-reader, O'Connor seemed to think the same judging by his big smile in a friendly-looking exchange with Breen before the next ball was struck.
And when the sliotar landed around the Clonard-end square, substitute Conor Coleman saw his first shot saved by James Lawlor before regaining his composure to lash home at the second attempt and create a 1-13 to 0-11 lead.
It was plain sailing all the way for St. Martin's after that, outscoring their rivals 7-3 and keeping a clean sheet despite conceding a late penalty.
Ian Byrne was fouled and Paddy O'Connor collected a yellow card just before leaving the fray, with the Ferns man seeing his low shot saved by a dive to the left by his namesake, Dylan, between the Martin's posts.
Referee Brendan Martin took an accidental knock in that bout of play and required medical treatment for a minor injury in one of the few moments - along with Rory O'Connor's outbreak of skill - that managed to take onlookers out of their slumber.
After the equally poor fare in the first quarter-final on the previous evening - admittedly not helped by the weather - this was another knockout game that did nothing to enhance the prospects of this championship formula being retained for a second year.
Rory O'Connor's one and only score from play arrived after 46 seconds, but he added seven frees in a stop-start half as his side moved into that 11-6 interval advantage.
One of those 'points', from Darren Codd in the 16th minute, was quite clearly wide, and it was just as well this game wasn't close because the last thing the County Board needed was another score-based controversy on top of the Fethard versus HWH-Bunclody saga.
Ferns captain and goalkeeper James Lawlor was afforded the time and space to ping one over from play in the tenth minute, but they were clearly not at the races as they conceded five on the bounce between the 16th and 25th minutes to trail by 0-10 to 0-3.
Contributing three of the last four scores in the half afterwards might have offered a semblance of hope, but the strong Martin's rearguard with veteran Daithí Waters prominent ensured key men Paul Morris (held scoreless) and Corey Byrne-Dunbar (kept quiet by Joe Barrett) never got into the game.
Having said that, wind-aided Ferns still hit the opening three points on the restart from Eoin Murphy, Ian Byrne (free) and Byrne-Dunbar, while being thankful that the woodwork denied Rory O'Connor.
Darren Codd replied - with a legitimate finish this time - before Jonny Dwyer (who had converted a trademark line ball just before the break) and free-taker Byrne somehow made it a one-point game after 40 minutes (12-11).
Maybe the pedestrian nature of proceedings earlier meant that St. Martin's had started to cruise, because that scoreline in no way reflected the difference in performance levels between the teams.
If that was the case, it was probably no harm in the long run that they got a jolt, and they weren't long about steering back on the right course courtesy of that Conor Coleman goal.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-1); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Ciarán Roberts, Gavin Bailey, Patrick Breen; Eoin Murphy (0-1), Rory Scallan; Chris Turner (0-1), Ian Byrne (0-7 frees), Jonny Dwyer (0-2, 1 line ball); Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-2), Paul Morris, Ryan Nolan. Subs. - Brian Stafford for Roberts (HT), Benny Jordan for Nolan (46), John Breen for Dwyer, inj. (49), Tommy Dwyer for Turner (53), James Tonks for D. Byrne (55).
St. Martin's: Dylan Byrne; Eoin O'Leary, Patrick O'Connor (0-1), Joe Barrett; Daithí Waters, Joe O'Connor, Philip Dempsey; David Codd (0-1), Jake Firman (0-1); Darren Codd (0-3), Jack O'Connor, Ben Maddock; Jack Devereux (0-1), Rory O'Connor (0-10, 9 frees), Kyle Firman. Subs. - Barry O'Connor (0-1) for Maddock (38), Conor Coleman (1-1) for Devereux (41), Joe Coleman (0-1) for K. Firman (53), Sam Audsley for Joe O'Connor (56), Conor Firman (capt.) for P. O'Connor (60+3).
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).
When the hard questions were asked of Ferns St. Aidans in McCauley Park, Bellefield on Saturday, they came up with all the answers in this Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship Group A opener.
A brace of Corey Byrne-Dunbar goals had left them with a 2-9 to 1-6 interval lead, but Crossabeg-Ballymurn seemed to draw inspiration from the heavens opening and heavy rain lashing down as they stormed into contention on the restart.
A couple of Mark Byrne frees kick-started their best spell – the first arriving after James Lawlor had saved a Jack Fortune shot with an advantage being played.
Byrne-Dunbar was then denied a hat-trick at the other end by Noel Scallan, and 30 seconds later Ferns looked to be in a spot of bother.
County panel member Mark Byrne took off like a train down the centre at the Bellefield Road end before planting a glorious shot beyond Lawlor directly off his hurl, and all of a sudden Crossabeg-Ballymurn only trailed by the minimum (2-9 to 2-8).
It was a serious test of the 2022 champions’ character, but manager Pat Bennett got the desired response as they showed no evidence of any panic and instead produced a superb 15-minute period that yielded ten points without reply.
First up, though, they had a stroke of good fortune on their side, as it must have been a marginal call to rule out a flicked goal by James White from a Jack Fortune delivery for a square ball.
That would have given Crossabeg-Ballymurn the lead, but instead they fell away rapidly as two experienced Ferns forwards led their charge to the finish line.
Veteran Paul Morris looked fresh as a daisy here, with his inter-county obligations behind him and surgery completed on a knee injury.
Already with two first-half points to his name, he added another four to quell Crossabeg-Ballymurn’s fire and leave them a well-beaten side by the finish.
One of his former Wexford colleagues, Ian Byrne, had settled Ferns with their opening two points after the break in the 40th and 41st minutes, after passes from Morris and the impressive Conor Scallan respectively.
And they took over completely after that, with Chris Turner, full-back Niall Murphy, Byrne (free) and Jonny Dwyer contributing along with that Morris quartet to leave the Gorey District side out of sight by the 55th minute (2-19 to 2-8).
Gavin Bailey and Ryan Nolan also joined the scoresheet before the end, with Noel Scallan stopping a Morris shot at the expense of a ’65 that Byrne sent over before Corey Byrne-Dunbar had to settle for a point when he was seeking a third green flag at the death.
The latter’s two opening half goals had been clinically taken, and they were badly needed by Ferns after making a slow and sluggish start.
Indeed, they trailed by 1-3 to 0-1 in the seventh minute, after Crossabeg-Ballymurn full-forward James White turned sharply when Jack Fortune sent the ball in and rattled the net at the scoreboard end.
While direct opponent Niall Murphy will have been disappointed with that concession, he was still a key performer for Ferns and managed to burst forward for a point in each half.
His championship involvement with Wexford ended after being the first man taken off in the loss to Antrim in Belfast, so it’s hard to escape the feeling that he was perhaps made a scapegoat for that setback – unfairly, in my opinion. However, Murphy showed on Saturday that he has a lot to offer.
We also got several glimpses – in the opening half especially – of how much Wexford missed Oisín Foley in 2024.
The centre-forward’s three fine points all showcased his three key attributes – an ability to win aerial possession in the half-forward line, a fantastic catching hand, and accuracy under pressure. Hopefully he will be fully fit for another crack at the inter-county scene next year.
Ferns had gradually worked their way back after that slow start with points from Niall Murphy and two Ian Byrne placed balls, the first from a ’65 after Noel Scallan kept out a Ryan Nolan strike.
And they inched ahead with their opening goal in the 15th minute, after Senior newcomer Matthew Bishop did well initially to block a Nolan shot.
The sliotar spilled into the path of Paul Morris, and he teed up Corey Byrne-Dunbar to crash to the net for a 1-4 to 1-3 advantage.
Although Oisín Foley caught the puck-out and soloed clear for the leveller, Byrne restored the Ferns lead from a free before Byrne-Dunbar pounced again.
His second goal arrived four and a half minutes after his first, and again Morris was the provider as he cut in from the left and handpassed to his unmarked team-mate who was in acres of space.
Two points apiece from play by Morris and Byrne saw Ferns extend their advantage to 2-9 to 1-6 by the interval, but they had that early third-quarter scare to overcome before taking over again.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt.); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy (0-2), Declan Byrne; Gavin Bailey (0-1), Patrick Breen, Brian Stafford; Tommy Dwyer, Rory Scallan; Jonny Dwyer (0-1), Paul Morris (0-6), Corey Byrne-Dunbar (2-1); Ryan Nolan (0-1), Chris Turner (0-1), Ian Byrne (0-10, 4 frees, 2 ’65s). Subs. – Brian O’Neill for C. Scallan, temp. (45-54), O’Neill for Nolan (59).
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Noel Scallan; Robert Murphy, David Kehoe, Matthew Bishop; Bill Eviston (capt., 0-1), Paddy Devereux, Aaron Cummins; Jack Fortune, Conor Devereux; Mark Byrne (1-6, 0-4 frees), Oisín Foley (0-3), Niall Cullen; Joe Kelly, James White (1-0), Evan Kinlough. Sub. – Glen Murphy for Kinlough (38).
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).
July 14: Ferns St. Aidans 0-23, Naomh Éanna 1-20
Naomh Éanna and Ferns St. Aidans played out a thrilling draw to leave both still unbeaten in Group A of the Pettit’s Senior hurling championship in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday.
In a game that swung back and forth a few times, there was massive drama at the end. In the circumstances the two sides might have felt they could have won, but they will also be relieved to remain unbeaten.
Ferns were 0-23 to 1-18 ahead before Cathal Dunbar sent over a delicious line ball score to drag Gorey within one in the 59th minute.
It was about to get even more dramatic, with referee Gearóid McGrath making the correct decision when Conor McDonald was fouled under a high ball in additional time.
The St. James’ referee signalled for a penalty, checked with his umpires and stuck with his initial call, giving Naomh Éanna what appeared to be a chance to wrap up a victory that didn’t look likely for most of the second-half.
However, James Lawlor had not read that script, and the Ferns goalkeeper dived down to his right and pushed Jack Cullen’s shot behind for a ‘65. There was still time to take the dead-ball, but Cullen had a clever idea.
Instead of shooting at the posts and one would assume giving his side a high probability of levelling the game, Cullen picked out an unmarked Dunbar and the county star made no mistake from near the ‘45 to cement the draw.
The clash of the last two county champions had been one of the better games of 2024 to date, with the draw probably a fair result overall.
For Gorey, Charlie McGuckin was the stand-out performer again, registering four points from play, but Dunbar also had a very influential evening.
Ferns got four points from play from the back seven but were still beaten in that regard by Gorey. Gavin Bailey and Conor Scallan picked off nice long-range scores, but the furthest of the night had to be James Lawlor’s point from fully one hundred yards out.
Naomh Éanna appeared to get off to the perfect start, taking a 0-4 to nil lead on the back of points from PÁdraig Doyle, McGuckin, Cian Ó Tuama and McDonald.
However, Ferns scored nine of the next ten points in a -13minute spell, with Ian Byrne registering four of them to move 0-9 to 0-5 up.
McGuckin got two more lovely scores before the interval but Lawlor, Byrne and the impressive Jonny Dwyer all tacked on points at the other end to leave Ferns 0-14 to 0-9 up at half-time.
The lead shrunk immediately after the restart, but Ferns consolidated with scores from Byrne and Bailey to stay five clear with 40 minutes gone (0-17 to 0-12).
A burst of speed and cracking finish from Dunbar shot Gorey right back into the game and as it moved into the final quarter, it remained nip-and-tuck. Ferns never fell behind but eventually the pressure told and the spoils were shared.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-2, 1 free); Conor Scallan (0-1), Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Brian Stafford, Gavin Bailey (0-2), Patrick Breen; Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-1), Rory Scallan; Jonny Dwyer (0-3), Chris Turner (0-1), Tommy Dwyer; Ian Byrne (0-10, 7 frees, 1 ‘65), Paul Morris (0-2), John Breen. Subs. - Christopher O’Connor (0-1) for T. Dwyer (44), Ciarán Roberts for Breen (54).
Naomh Éanna: Jack Cushe; Brian Cushe, Cian Molloy (0-1), Gary Molloy; Charlie McGuckin (0-4), Brendan Travers, Cian Ó Tuama (0-1); Cathal Dunbar (1-4, 0-1 line ball), Seán Doyle; Jack Cullen (0-4 frees), Aodhán Doyle, Jack Doran; Conor McDonald (capt., 0-2), Pádraig Doyle (0-3, 2 frees), J.J. Twamley (0-1).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James’).
August 3: St. Anne’s Rathangan 1-21, Ferns St. Aidans 1-17
ANY WISE old GAA sage in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday for the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship clash between St. Anne's and Ferns St. Aidans would have felt that the very strong wind blowing would render an elements-assisted lead of five or six points a necessity.
However, that theory was debunked in some style by St. Anne's who, having been behind at half-time by 1-11 to 0-9 after playing with the wind, turned in a superb display thereafter to win by 1-21 to 1-17 and sit proudly at the top of Group A on six points.
The second-half effort from St. Anne's was a masterclass in efficiency, scoring 1-12 from 13 shots at the goal with a meagre defence only conceding three points from play. Mind you, the Ferns cause wasn't helped by an unhealthy total of ten second-half wides.
The Rathangan men started the second-half well with a couple of beautiful points from the two Liams, Rochford and 'Ógie', but the orchestrator of the fine first-half performance for Ferns, Paul Morris, pointed quickly in response.
That was added to by an excellent line ball point from Ian Byrne to maintain the Ferns lead of five (1-13 to 0-11) on the 35-minute mark.
However, St. Anne's took over for more or less the rest of the game. They mixed up their approach, using the short game to good effect though the likes of Diarmuid O'Keeffe and Brian Kavanagh, while young Páidí Doyle was also prominent.
However, when required St. Anne's won some excellent long ball in the half-forward line from the Morans, Andrew and Justin, and in particular Cillian Byrne whose fielding was exemplary in that period.
While the hard work was being done out the field, it needed finishers and 1-6 without reply completely changed the complexion of the contest, as on the three-quarters mark St. Anne's led by 1-17 to 1-13.
Scorer in chief in this spell was Kyle Kennedy who accounted for 1-4, with the goal coming in the 37th minute, after the sharp full-forward was the quickest to strike a loose ball near the goal after a long delivery from a free by Andy Kennedy.
Ferns did press for a goal in the last quarter and it took good defensive work from the St. Anne's rearguard to swat away of a couple of dangerous high balls into the square.
With Liam Rochford adding his third and fourth points from play for St. Anne's, there was no way back for Ferns, and even the very late dismissal of Liam Óg McGovern for a second yellow card offence had little impact on the game.
The first-half had been so different as the sides were level on five occasions on their way to sharing twelve points (0-6 each) at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter belonged to Ferns with the two red-helmeted players, Gavin Bailey and Paul Morris, particularly instrumental in the excellent play from their team.
The Ferns display was embellished by a splendid major in the 28th minute. A puck-out from goalie James Lawlor was caught by the lively Jonny Dwyer, who fed Rory Scallan running through.
He in turn slipped a pass to Ian Byrne, who stepped inside a St. Anne's defender to give Andy Kennedy no chance in the goal with a stinging low shot to the net.
One suspects that both of these sides may well end up prominent after the business end of the championship starts in late September.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-1 free); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Patrick Breen (0-1), Gavin Bailey, Brian Stafford; Paul Morris (0-2), Rory Scallan; Chris Turner, Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-2), Jonny Dwyer (0-1); Rory Scallan, Ian Byrne (1-9, 0-7 frees, 0-1 line ball), John Breen. Subs. - Ryan Nolan for T. Dwyer (35), Christopher O'Connor (0-1) for Turner (43), Ciarán Roberts for J. Breen (59).
St. Anne's: Andy Kennedy; Tomás Cullen, Kevin Breen, Finn Ryan; Brian Kavanagh (0-1), Diarmuid O'Keeffe, Páidí Doyle; Liam Rochford (0-4), Eoin Ryan; Cillian Byrne (0-1 line ball), Justin Moran (capt., 0-2), Mark Furlong (0-1); Kyle Kennedy (1-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 '65), Liam Óg McGovern (0-1), Andrew Moran (0-2). Sub. - Darragh Furlong (0-1) for Furlong (HT).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James').
August 25: Ferns St. Aidans 0-27, Glynn-Barntown 1-15
FERNS ST. Aidans made light of an early second-half rumbling by Glynn-Barntown to ultimately coast to a first victory since round one after Sunday's fourth round Pettitt's Senior hurling championship Group A clash in McCauley Park, Bellefield.
A late first-half blitz powered the winners into a 0-12 to 0-7 interval advantage, and they maintained a five-point gap (0-15 to 0-10) before Glynn-Barntown seemed to be coming to life.
That was sparked by a 38th-minute goal from Daragh Murphy after Conor Mahoney and Patrick Berry had each forced blocks, and the outstanding Liam Donoghue added a quick brace of points to level for the fourth time after 40 minutes (1-12 to 0-15).
But Ferns quickly re-established superiority - easing clear by 0-24 to 1-13 after 49 minutes - and really Pat Bennett's charges might have preferred a sterner test heading into the knockout stages, although they must finish off the group first, with a game against Oulart-The Ballagh on Sunday.
Glynn-Barntown face table-toppers St. Anne's that same day seeking a considerable response to this largely flat showing outside of the brilliance of Liam Donoghue, who was a problem for Ferns throughout.
The Wexford District men were boosted when goalie and captain Mark Fanning rehabbed satisfactorily from a hamstring injury sustained in the football a week earlier to take his place between the sticks.
The sides traded early scores before Conor Mahoney and John Leacy (four frees) had Fanning's outfit 0-6 to 0-4 clear after 17 minutes.
Ferns St. Aidans 'keeper and captain James Lawlor got on target from distance with a point after a one-two from a free with Jonny Dwyer, who then drew the sides level for the second time after 19 minutes (0-6 each).
And after the bright Rory Scallan had a lead-score for the winners negated by Cormac Cooney, Ferns St. Aidans took control during the closing stages of the first-half.
Ian Byrne (three) and Paul Morris (two) drove the red and whites clear, while wing-back Ciarán Roberts was released by Morris in added-time to force a save when maybe he should have released to Rory Scallan, who was better placed to capitalise.
Regardless, Ferns retired leading by 0-12 to 0-7 before the sides shared the first six points of the second-half after Eoin Murphy entered the fray for the winners while Tommy Dwyer underwent a head injury assessment.
Glynn-Barntown then suddenly showed signs of promise with that unanswered burst of 1-2 without reply to regain parity on 1-12 to 0-15 after 40 minutes.
But with Benny Jordan sprung from the bench by Ferns in his first appearance of the championship after suspension, Pat Bennett's charges had it all their own way thereafter as Glynn-Barntown simply fell limp.
Most strikingly, the Killurin men left Gavin Bailey unmarked in the centre of the Ferns defence, and Bailey helped himself to a couple of quality points as the 2022 champions soared clear, with four straight Paul Morris scores completing a surge to a 0-24 to 1-13 lead after 49 minutes.
John Leacy pegged it back to 0-24 to 1-15 with a couple of frees. But it was only of cosmetic effect as Glynn-Barntown were comfortably second-best by now, and a free and a '65 from Ian Byrne, together with Rory Scallan's fifth of the evening, put the ribbons on Ferns' return to the winners' column.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-1); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Patrick Breen, Gavin Bailey (0-2), Ciarán Roberts; Ian Byrne (0-10, 7 frees, 1 '65), Rory Scallan (0-5); Tommy Dwyer, Paul Morris (0-6), Jonny Dwyer (0-1); Chris Turner, Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-1), Ryan Nolan. Subs. - Eoin Murphy (0-1) for T. Dwyer (HT), Brian Stafford for N. Murphy, temp. (33-34), Benny Jordan for Nolan (40), Stafford for Roberts (50), John Breen for Turner (53), Christopher O'Connor for J. Dwyer (55), James Tonks for Byrne-Dunbar (58).
Glynn-Barntown: Mark Fanning (capt.); Kevin Crean, Pádraig Donnelly, Ger Dempsey; Michael O'Regan, Michael Furlong, Darragh Carley (0-1); Cormac Cooney (0-1), Michael Laffan; Conor Mahoney (0-1), John Leacy (0-8 frees), Callum McDonald; Liam Donoghue (0-4), Daragh Murphy (1-0), Patrick Berry. Subs. - Ríoghan Crosbie for Laffan (52), Robbie Hillis for McDonald (52), Fionn Cooney for Mahoney (55).
Referee: James Owens (Askamore).
September 1: Ferns St. Aidans 3-19, Oulart-The Ballagh 3-15
THERE WAS no shortage of lively fare in Monamolin on Sunday as Group A of the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship drew to a close, even though both sides were well aware in advance of the more significant challenges to follow.
Oulart-The Ballagh knew that a do-or-die clash with Rapparees awaited them regardless of the outcome, whereas Ferns St. Aidans had already avoided any potential relegation worries ahead of a game that they didn't wrap up until Ryan Nolan struck their third goal in the 55th minute.
The 2022 champions did have an outside chance of going directly into the quarter-finals, but that would have required a loss for Naomh Éanna as well as the victory they fashioned here themselves.
And with the Gorey men clearly in no mood to slip up from an early stage, the focus shifted to taking third spot as Ferns brought their final points tally to seven.
The possibility existed beforehand that all three front-runners might have shared that total by the end, although that would have also required a loss for St. Anne's and a draw from Naomh Éanna.
And even in such a scenario, Ferns would have been third in the 'mini league', while a two-way tie with the Rathangan men wouldn't have gone their way either on the head-to-head rule.
A typical poacher's hat-trick from the wily Nicky Kirwan kept Oulart-The Ballagh firmly in the hunt until the closing minutes, and it was a commendable effort on the whole from the losers considering their ever-growing injury list.
The progress of some of their brighter prospects to Senior ranks has no doubt been fast-tracked by the absence of the likes of Shaun Murphy, Eoin Moore, Jack Roche and the latest casualty, Billy Dunne.
Players like Lee Doyle, Séamus Ormonde and Conor Blake will be all the better for the experience they have gained in recent weeks, while Simon Roche was always going to be an automatic choice at this level and has the potential to build on his very promising under-age career with Wexford.
As for Ferns St. Aidans, the movement of Corey Byrne-Dunbar was a joy to watch as he matched Kirwan's 3-3 haul with an equally impressive 2-6.
Manager Pat Bennett - who has linked up again with Davy Fitzgerald for an adventure in Antrim next year - seems to have given his talented attacker the freedom to roam and drift as he sees fit, and this ploy yielded a profitable return on Sunday.
Chris Turner had opened the scoring for Ferns before Nicky Kirwan netted for the first time in the third minute, lashing home from close range after successive handpasses by Ian Storey and Conor O'Leary created the opening.
Simon Roche added a fine point from long distance, but the gap of three that it created didn't last long as a generally even first quarter ended with sides deadlocked (1-4 to 0-7).
Roche, Conor Blake and Darryl Gray added to Oulart-The Ballagh's tally, while Ian Byrne contributed three points, including one from play, for Ferns before his enforced departure in the 16th minute - replaced by Benny Jordan whose son, Michael, was a Rackard League medal winner for the red and blacks earlier in the year.
The lively Corey Byrne-Dunbar had also caught a James Lawlor puck-out and opened his account, shortly after Darragh Hayes denied him a goal with a smart save that ended in a follow-up second point for Chris Turner.
The teams were still level when Byrne-Dunbar stood over a 20-metre free in the 18th minute and fired it low to the net, and Ferns extended their lead to a game-high four points at one stage before a late brace of Nicky Kirwan frees left Oulart-The Ballagh trailing at the break by 1-9 to 1-7.
The new half was only 14 seconds old when Byrne-Dunbar struck again, this time from play after a solid tackle by Ryan Nolan saw the sliotar spill loose when a defender was first to the ball.
For a team struggling for consistency, Oulart-The Ballagh's response was excellent as they hit 1-2 without reply to draw level once more by the 40th minute.
First up, though, another Byrne-Dunbar goal was disallowed for a foul by Nolan in the build-up.
Nicky Kirwan ('65) and Conor O'Leary nailed points before a menacing run by Byrne-Dunbar near the right endline was foiled by a fine tackle from Lee Doyle.
Kirwan availed of a Martin Óg Storey handpass to rattle the net again, after Simon Roche pounced initially on an error and fed Darryl Gray whose shot was saved.
Ferns hadn't scored in ten minutes before Jordan steadied the ship and restored their lead with a point, but Oulart-The Ballagh were undeterred as they netted for a third time with a move seldom seen in the modern game.
It was all about effective ground hurling as Conor Blake pulled inside to Niall Redmond, and he in turn first-timed it across the square for a stretching Kirwan to bundle home for his hat-trick (3-9 to 2-10).
Adam McRedmond added a point, and Ferns needed to dig deep to fight back.
However, a massive five-minute spell yielded 1-4 on the bounce and that ultimately made all the difference, with Gavin Bailey, Corey Byrne-Dunbar, substitute Jonny Dwyer and Byrne-Dunbar (free) picking off points before their third goal arrived.
Paul Morris caught a James Tonks delivery and handpassed to Ryan Nolan, with the corner-forward rattling the net in his last involvement to establish a 3-16 to 3-12 lead.
A spirited Oulart-The Ballagh made it a two-point game as one last burst yielded scores from Anthony Roche and Conor Blake (free), but Ferns made sure of a hard-earned success that should stand to them against Oylegate-Glenbrien in the preliminary quarter-final thanks to the last three points from Byrne-Dunbar (free), Rory Scallan and Patrick Breen.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt.); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Patrick Breen (0-1), Gavin Bailey (0-1), Ciarán Roberts; Eoin Murphy (0-1), Rory Scallan (0-2); Chris Turner (0-2), Ian Byrne (0-3, 2 frees), Corey Byrne-Dunbar (2-6, 1-2 frees, 0-1 '65); John Breen, Paul Morris (0-1), Ryan Nolan (1-0). Subs. - Benny Jordan (0-1) for I. Byrne, inj. (16), Brian Stafford for Roberts (HT), James Tonks for D. Byrne (37), Jonny Dwyer (0-1) for Breen (49), Christopher O'Connor for Nolan (56).
Oulart-The Ballagh: Darragh Hayes; Ian Storey, Dennis Morton, Lee Doyle; Conor O'Leary (0-1), Anthony Roche (capt., 0-1), Niall Redmond; Darryl Gray (0-1), Séamus Ormonde; Adam McRedmond (0-1), Simon Roche (0-3), Conor Blake (0-4, 2 frees); Tommy Storey, Martin Óg Storey, Nicky Kirwan (3-3, 0-3 frees). Subs. - Peter Sutton for T. Storey (49), Conor Goff for O'Leary (56), Tommy Storey for McRedmond, inj. (60+4).
Referee: Dan Crosby (Kilmore).
September 21, Preliminary quarter-final: Ferns St. Aidans 1-24, Oylegate-Glenbrien 1-21 (aet)
EOIN MURPHY'S goal midway through the first period of extra-time proved the key score in floodlit Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday, as Ferns St. Aidans overcame Oylegate-Glenbrien's best performance of the season to claim victory in the second of the Pettitt's Senior hurling championship preliminary quarter-finals.
It was a nice measure of revenge for the 2022 victors, who had relinquished their title to the boys in blue in their last-eight tie twelve months ago, and in truth it would have been a travesty if a team with seven points chalked up in their group had departed at this early stage.
However, third- and fourth-place finishers are quite vulnerable under the current format, a point borne out by the departure of the 2023 runners-up who will feel they are as good, if not better, than several of the teams still in contention.
They had forced extra-time here with the last puck after two-plus additional minutes, with Séamus Casey converting a free that Damien Reck secured on a solo run (1-17 to 0-20).
Casey drove another free over via the stick of rival netminder James Lawlor after 41 seconds of extra-time before Eoin Murphy levelled, with the eagle-eyed umpires at the Clonard end spotting that goalkeeper Aaron Duggan had controlled his shot from behind the crossbar.
And after another exchange between Casey (free) and the prolific Ian Byrne - who amassed an excellent 18 points in total - Murphy was about to leave an even bigger imprint on proceedings.
A long free by James Lawlor was caught by Corey Byrne-Dunbar - who hadn't been as prominent in general play as usual - but he provided a vital assist here as his handpass inside found Murphy who crashed home to establish a 1-22 to 1-19 lead.
That three-point gap was still in place at the last interval, after a further exchange between impressive youngster Seán Rowley and Ian Byrne (free), and Paul Morris widened it to four from a pass delivered out from the left corner by Byrne-Dunbar when the play resumed.
Oylegate-Glenbrien struck two wides before substitute Jack Hennessy hit their last point after a one-two with Shane Doran in the fourth minute, so there was still plenty of time to bridge that gap.
However, that proved to be the last score, with cramp setting in and bodies dropping all over the field before Damien Reck was dismissed for a late foul on Gavin Bailey.
Considering their form had been patchy at best in the group games, Oylegate-Glenbrien did operate a lot closer to their county final levels from last year, although that will be scant consolation at this stage.
It was a big game for Ferns St. Aidans to win, and now the prospect of facing St. Martin's in a repeat of their 2022 final victory will have neutrals rubbing their hands in anticipation.
With a free-count of 23-15 in their favour over the 80-plus minutes, Ian Byrne had ample opportunities to show his prowess from placed balls and he certainly obliged with some excellent finishing.
However, Ferns must have been somewhat concerned at half-time when they trailed by 0-13 to 0-9, having struck ten wides compared to just three from their more economical rivals.
Four points was a fair amount of ground to make up against such decent opposition, but they kept their cool and managed to edge ahead early in the last quarter before shipping the blow of an Oylegate-Glenbrien goal.
That arrived in the 57th minute, when Shane Reck raced on to the break from Aaron Duggan's long free and, while he could have shot himself, he instead handpassed to his left for the recently-introduced Jamie Reck to supply the finish and create a 1-16 to 0-17 lead.
Ferns were staring defeat in the face at that stage, but three Ian Byrne frees - the last one from a considerable distance behind his own 65-metre line - restored their lead before Séamus Casey brought the game to extra-time.
The eventual victors had won the toss and opened on a positive note with the first three points from Byrne ('65 and free) and Paul Morris, who was very lively in the early stages in particular.
Casey opened Oylegate-Glenbrien's account from a free, and they chipped away to draw level on 0-4 each by the twelfth minute, with Conor Heffernan, Seán Rowley and Podge Doran responding to a second score from Morris.
Chris Turner pulled across goal and wide from a Morris handpass before the sides remained level an additional five times as the second quarter continued.
However, it went from 9-9 to 13-9 in favour of Oylegate-Glenbrien at half-time, with Jim White and three late Séamus Casey frees giving them that hard-earned but welcome cushion.
Ferns were back to parity by the 40th minute (14-14), with Ian Byrne landing another four frees plus one from play to just one score at the other end, from Seán Rowley.
Casey hit the next brace for Oylegate-Glenbrien, with the second a fine strike from play close to the right sideline, but three Byrne frees for Ferns meant they were 17-16 in front when Jamie Reck pounced for that opening goal.
The Gorey District side's personnel hasn't changed to any great extent since their county final win of two years ago, and they turned to four of the old guard to make contributions off the bench.
They have been involved in a lot of tight contests since rising to prominence, and it took a significant effort to strike late when they were two points in arrears.
Aaron Duggan made a near-post save from Paul Morris, but he had an advantage at the time and Damien Reck was booked before Ian Byrne made it a one-point game from the free.
His equaliser arrived after Mike Kelly was penalised and yellow-carded for leading with the elbow when in possession, and the lead score was a monster effort from distance before Séamus Casey hit back.
Eoin Murphy's return from his travels has provided the Pat Bennett-managed side with a major boost, and his 1-1 in the first period of extra-time made the world of difference in what ranked as the best of the four preliminary quarter-finals.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt.); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Ciarán Roberts, Patrick Breen, Gavin Bailey; Eoin Murphy (1-1), Rory Scallan (0-1); John Breen, Paul Morris (0-3), Chris Turner; Ryan Nolan (0-1), Corey Byrne-Dunbar, Ian Byrne (0-18, 15 frees, 1 '65). Subs. - Christopher O'Connor for Nolan (43), Tommy Dwyer for Breen (48), Benny Jordan for Turner (56), Brian Stafford for Roberts (HT ET), James Tonks for C. Scallan (77), Nolan for Bailey, inj. (80).
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Aaron Duggan; Tomás Cosgrave, Mike Kelly, Paudie Casey; Peter Rowley, Shane Reck (capt.), Damien Reck; Pa Cullen, Conor Heffernan (0-1); Joe Dunne (0-1), Séamus Casey (0-10, 9 frees), Jim White (0-2); Shane Doran (0-1), Podge Doran (0-1), Seán Rowley (0-4). Subs. - Fiachra Hourihane for Cullen (HT), Jamie Reck (1-0) for White, inj. (50), Jack Hennessy (0-1) for Cosgrave, inj. (55), Mark Kavanagh for P. Rowley, inj. (ET), Evan Kelly for P. Casey, inj. (HT ET), Paudie Casey for S. Casey, inj. (75), Séamus Casey for S. Doran (80+2).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James').
October 6, quarter-final: St. Martin’s 1-20, Ferns St. Aidans 0-14
NEUTRAL HOPES for a repeat of the one-point cliff-hanger between the sides in the 2022 decider were quickly discounted in a very dull opening to proceedings in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday, with St. Martin's coasting to a handy nine-point win over sub-standard Ferns St. Aidans in a disappointing Pettitt's Senior hurling championship quarter-final.
They partly gained amends for their loss two years ago in the process, but they won't spend too long patting themselves on the back as the victory will be soon forgotten unless they back it up against Naomh Éanna in the penultimate round.
This game felt more like an insignificant challenge than a championship showdown, not helped of course by 20 first-half frees and another 17 after the interval.
It did look like an actual hurling match might break out on a few fleeting occasions, but the fare was as flat as a pancake for the most part and held little interest for anyone bar the St. Martin's supporters.
Their side did what they needed to advance and were reasonably impressive in doing so, showing no ill-effects in the process from the five-week lay-off since their last game.
Ferns St. Aidans, in contrast, enjoyed a win over Oylegate-Glenbrien in that spell and were expected to be a lot more competitive here.
Perhaps the extra-time required on that occasion took more out of them than we realised, as they looked a jaded team in this instantly forgettable contest. They haven't introduced enough fresh talent since their memorable 2022 win, and a lot of their great servants don't appear to have anything left in the tank.
In contrast, St. Martin's look to be in a situation where the competition for places is pushing everyone on, especially with their second-string also qualified for the Intermediate 'A' semi-final.
The first three substitutes introduced all claimed scores, with the athleticism of Barry O'Connor an absolute nightmare for tiring Ferns defenders to deal with.
And while Rory O'Connor only scored one of his ten points from play, he was fouled regularly and didn't need to produce any of his trademark magic because it simply wasn't required against such below-par opposition.
Having said that, one sublime piece of skill early in the second-half deserved a better reward, when he scooped the sliotar over the advancing James Lawlor and was most unfortunate to see his audacious effort rebounding into play off the crossbar.
Poor and all as Ferns were, they had still improved on an 0-11 to 0-6 interval deficit to trail by a mere 13-11 when the only goal arrived.
At no stage did St. Martin's appear to be under serious pressure, but by the same token it might concern their mentors somewhat that the game hadn't been wrapped up approaching the end of the third quarter.
All that changed following one of several soft frees awarded, with this one going to the eventual winners after Patrick Breen appeared to collide with Rory O'Connor under the stand, rather than purposefully foul him.
While I'm no mind-reader, O'Connor seemed to think the same judging by his big smile in a friendly-looking exchange with Breen before the next ball was struck.
And when the sliotar landed around the Clonard-end square, substitute Conor Coleman saw his first shot saved by James Lawlor before regaining his composure to lash home at the second attempt and create a 1-13 to 0-11 lead.
It was plain sailing all the way for St. Martin's after that, outscoring their rivals 7-3 and keeping a clean sheet despite conceding a late penalty.
Ian Byrne was fouled and Paddy O'Connor collected a yellow card just before leaving the fray, with the Ferns man seeing his low shot saved by a dive to the left by his namesake, Dylan, between the Martin's posts.
Referee Brendan Martin took an accidental knock in that bout of play and required medical treatment for a minor injury in one of the few moments - along with Rory O'Connor's outbreak of skill - that managed to take onlookers out of their slumber.
After the equally poor fare in the first quarter-final on the previous evening - admittedly not helped by the weather - this was another knockout game that did nothing to enhance the prospects of this championship formula being retained for a second year.
Rory O'Connor's one and only score from play arrived after 46 seconds, but he added seven frees in a stop-start half as his side moved into that 11-6 interval advantage.
One of those 'points', from Darren Codd in the 16th minute, was quite clearly wide, and it was just as well this game wasn't close because the last thing the County Board needed was another score-based controversy on top of the Fethard versus HWH-Bunclody saga.
Ferns captain and goalkeeper James Lawlor was afforded the time and space to ping one over from play in the tenth minute, but they were clearly not at the races as they conceded five on the bounce between the 16th and 25th minutes to trail by 0-10 to 0-3.
Contributing three of the last four scores in the half afterwards might have offered a semblance of hope, but the strong Martin's rearguard with veteran Daithí Waters prominent ensured key men Paul Morris (held scoreless) and Corey Byrne-Dunbar (kept quiet by Joe Barrett) never got into the game.
Having said that, wind-aided Ferns still hit the opening three points on the restart from Eoin Murphy, Ian Byrne (free) and Byrne-Dunbar, while being thankful that the woodwork denied Rory O'Connor.
Darren Codd replied - with a legitimate finish this time - before Jonny Dwyer (who had converted a trademark line ball just before the break) and free-taker Byrne somehow made it a one-point game after 40 minutes (12-11).
Maybe the pedestrian nature of proceedings earlier meant that St. Martin's had started to cruise, because that scoreline in no way reflected the difference in performance levels between the teams.
If that was the case, it was probably no harm in the long run that they got a jolt, and they weren't long about steering back on the right course courtesy of that Conor Coleman goal.
Ferns St. Aidans: James Lawlor (capt., 0-1); Conor Scallan, Niall Murphy, Declan Byrne; Ciarán Roberts, Gavin Bailey, Patrick Breen; Eoin Murphy (0-1), Rory Scallan; Chris Turner (0-1), Ian Byrne (0-7 frees), Jonny Dwyer (0-2, 1 line ball); Corey Byrne-Dunbar (0-2), Paul Morris, Ryan Nolan. Subs. - Brian Stafford for Roberts (HT), Benny Jordan for Nolan (46), John Breen for Dwyer, inj. (49), Tommy Dwyer for Turner (53), James Tonks for D. Byrne (55).
St. Martin's: Dylan Byrne; Eoin O'Leary, Patrick O'Connor (0-1), Joe Barrett; Daithí Waters, Joe O'Connor, Philip Dempsey; David Codd (0-1), Jake Firman (0-1); Darren Codd (0-3), Jack O'Connor, Ben Maddock; Jack Devereux (0-1), Rory O'Connor (0-10, 9 frees), Kyle Firman. Subs. - Barry O'Connor (0-1) for Maddock (38), Conor Coleman (1-1) for Devereux (41), Joe Coleman (0-1) for K. Firman (53), Sam Audsley for Joe O'Connor (56), Conor Firman (capt.) for P. O'Connor (60+3).
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).
