Champs bow out
Martin’s make amends for 2015 final
THIS GAME in Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday was about progression to the last four and nothing else, but by the same token the St. Martin’s men will be very glad to have finally got last year’s surprise county final defeat to St. James’ out of their systems.
The Wexford District side felt they didn’t do themselves justice in that encounter last October, but there could be no denying that their Ramsgrange rivals were fully deserving winners of the 2015 title.
Ironically, the reverse could be said about this quarter-final clash in the Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship which was notable for the failure of St. James’ to score in the last 28 minutes.
St. Martin’s were the superior side on the whole but didn’t quite manage to put the outcome to rest until substitute Joe Coleman kicked an insurance point deep into added time.
As for St. James’, they surrendered their crown with a fight, but they were left to rue two key incidents which fell into the ‘what might have been category’.
The first arrived in the eleventh minute when Adam Parle and Shane Murphy combined to put Kevin O’Grady through, but his piledriver for goal was superbly knocked over the bar by netminder Tomás Hayes. It was a priceless save from the St. Martin’s viewpoint, because a goal at that stage would have been a massive tonic for St. James’.
The second incident occurred in the 44th minute, after St. Martin’s had managed to edge 9-8 ahead. O’Grady’s raking ball found Shane Murphy who, availing of a slip by Daithí Hayes on the sodden surface, made ground before popping the ball up for Adam Parle.
However, Parle didn’t get a strong connection on the ball, and Tomás Hayes was on hand again to save his side’s bacon, albeit with greater ease this time around.
St. James’ had won the toss and opted to play with the wind, so they wouldn’t have been happy with a slender interval lead of 0-7 to 0-6.
Indeed, they were very slow to start, with Ryan Murphy getting St. Martin’s off the mark in the second minute before Ciarán Lyng showed he was very much up for this encounter with scores from a free and from play.
He may have been used sparingly in recent times with qualification already secured due to injury and exams, but on his day there is no better forward in Wexford and he showed it once again on this stage. Always a threat, he finished with three points from play on a difficult day for forwards, a feat only matched by Kevin O’Grady for St. James’.
A Matthew O’Hanlon free got the 2015 champions off the mark in the ninth minute, and this was the first of four on the trot as Mark Molloy added the second before a brace from O’Grady - from that goal chance and then a tap-over free which made it 0-4 to 0-3.
A booming ’45 into the wind by Jack O’Connor restored parity before his delivery picked out Ciarán Lyng for another point. Graeme Molloy made a good block on his former county colleague to prevent a possible goal, and O’Connor then struck again - this time from a free - to stretch the Martin’s lead to 6-4 in the 25th minute.
The men in maroon didn’t kick their sole first-half wide until added time, courtesy of Lyng, and by that stage they had fallen behind after three scores on the trot from O’Grady (two) and an Adam Parle free.
Parle split the posts again from play 65 seconds into the new half as the rain which had started at the interval began to worsen.
Remarkably though, it proved to be the last St. James’ score, although each and every one of the six points added to get their rivals over the line were hard-earned.
A Lyng free narrowed the gap before Daithí Waters, Aaron Maddock and Barry O’Connor all featured in a move finished by Paudie Kelly to equalise in the 37th minute (0-8 each).
Lyng edged his side ahead after getting to an under-hit shot by Ryan Murphy before netminder John Ryan and turning swiftly.
Substitute Brian Molloy had an effort saved by Tomás Hayes before Adam Parle couldn’t make the most of his goal chance, and St. Martin’s availed of the let-off to move downfield and pick off a point from Ciarán Redmond (10-8).
St. James’ squandered a point chance with a short free which came to nothing, and less than a minute later Jake Firman had widened the gap to three.
Both sides struck three wides apiece thereafter before Joe Coleman accepted a crossfield pass from Firman in added time and, ignoring calls to ‘keep the ball’, pumped it over the bar to finally put this contest to rest.
St. Martin’s: Tomás Hayes; Conor Firman, Daithí Hayes, Harry O’Connor; Jake Firman (0-1), Aaron Maddock, Jack O’Connor (0-2, 1 ’45, 1 free); Daithí Waters (capt.), Patrick O’Connor; Edward O’Byrne, Paudie Kelly (0-1), Rory O’Connor; Ciarán Lyng (0-5, 2 frees), Barry O’Connor, Ryan Murphy (0-1). Subs. - Ciarán Redmond (0-1) for O’Byrne (39), Seán Stafford for Kelly (52), Joe Coleman (0-1) for B. O’Connor (52), Mikey Coleman for Maddock (60+1).
St. James’: John Ryan; Greg Doyle, Jason Barron, Paul Barron; Graeme Molloy, Robbie Barron, David Doyle; Brendan Doyle (capt.), Matthew O’Hanlon (0-1 free); Mark Molloy (0-1), Kevin O’Grady (0-4, 1 free), Daniel Keating; Adam Parle (0-2, 1 free), Liam Murphy, Shane Murphy. Subs. - Brian Molloy for L. Murphy (37), Jack O’Brien for D. Doyle (47), Tommy Walsh for Keating (55), Donal Barron for S. Murphy (59), Andy Walsh for M. Molloy (60+1).
Referee: John Carton (Monageer-Boolavogue).