Harriers break Rocks

FAYTHE HARRIERS 0-16 TARA ROCKS 0-7

FAYTHE HARRIERS second string hung on to their Permanent TSB Junior Hurling Championship lives with a strong showing against Tara Rocks in the relegation final at Monamolin on Sunday lunchtime last.

The Pairc Charman club were simply too strong for their Gorey District opponents and would have won by a far larger margin had they not swatted 19 wides, including 12 in a second half they completely bossed.

This victory was build on a superb defensive showing. Every single one of the Harriers defenders had a good game, not one of them didn’t excel but the experienced Emmet Keeling was probably to pick of the sextet.

Sometimes just surviving relegation only delays the inevitable with a strong mixture of youth and experience there’s no reason why the Wexford Town club can’t make a run at the Junior championship next season.

For Tara Rocks, while the amalgamation has strengthened their Intermediate A side, it’s clearly weakened the second string overall and they will benefit from playing sides closer to their level in 2018.

The Harriers did a lot of their work against the breeze. A couple of superb Jack O’Leary overs helped them into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead at the end of the opening quarter. That lead, and scoreline, was doubled by the interval (0-8 to 0-4) after James Henebery knocked over three frees.

Adam McDaid made an excellent stop from a Wayne Farrell shot in the 44th minute to keep his side well ahead. Around that time the Harriers swatted six wides in a row but they eventually found their range with Shane Howard, Jack Murphy and Stephen Cummins all contributing late on.

FAYTHE HARRIERS: Adam McDaid; Sean Banville, Emmet Keeling (capt.), Danny Walsh; Fran Cleary, Alan Lynch, Ben O’Brien; Daniel Lynch (0-1), Jack Murphy (0-2, 1 free); Conor Halligan, Shane Howard (0-3), Jack O’Leary (0-2); James Henebery (0-5, 3 frees), Eoin Roche, Fiach Crowley (02). Subs. - Paul Gannon for Roche (53), Stephen Cummins (0-1) for Henebery (56), Brian Mitchell for O’Leary (57).

TARA ROCKS: Lee Owley; Damien Tobin (capt.), Enda O’Leary, Shane Tobin; Shane O’Toole, Stephen Hughes, Colm Noctor; Gearoid Ó Suilleabhain (0-1), Martin Sheehan; Emmet O’Toole, Mikey Byrne (0-4, 3 frees), Lorcan Clare; Colm O’Keeffe, Wayne Farrell, Rhys Owley (0-2). Subs. - Sean Barden for S. O’Toole (43), Donnacha McDonald for S. Tobin (43), Liam McCarthy for E. O’Toole (51).

REFEREE: Aidan Foley (Shelmaliers).