’Wood hit form
Part one of notable double
HORESWOOD 4-3 FETHARD 2-2
HORESWOOD TOOK a while to shake off the nerves but eventually found their form to take the New Ross Standard Under-13 hurling Division 3 shield in Gusserane.
Any time these two local rivals meet in a competitive fixture you can safely expect both sides will give everything they have to the cause. This was no different and Fethard were a vitally important component in a tense, tight decider.
The most impressive aspect of both of these sides was their unwillingness to give away anything defensively. Both sets of backs were superb throughout but, considering how much pressure they were under, the performance of the Fethard full-back line was particularly impressive.
Missing playmaker Cillian Byrne, Fethard still came out of the blocks with plenty of positivity and got their first goal on the board in the eighth minute. Mark Foley saw his initial shot saved by Joe Byrne but Darren Roche followed up to pull home.
Pádraig Wall made an impressive save from Conor O’Leary at the other end but there was no stopping Conor Lyng’s closerange pull after Tom Dempsey’s free caused a huge scramble in the goalmouth.
William Foley converted a free and Lyng fired home again after the excellent Cormac Shannon’s shot bounced down off the cross- bar to give Horeswood a 2-1 to 1-0 interval lead.
However, David Conway got a point back soon after the re-start to set up an intriguing second period.
Lyng forced a third major over the line, only for Mark Foley to collect and drill home a classy response at the other end (3-1 to 2-1).
Conway put two between the sides but Foley scored two superb dead-balls and Shannon got the late goal his performance deserved to cement victory.
Fethard will learn from this season and come back stronger, and for Horeswood they completed a notable double with a last-gasp New Ross Standard Under-13 football Division 5 championship final win against Kilmore.
Horeswood: Joe Byrne; Rory Hunt, Callum Murphy, Dion Whitty; Robert Foley, Thomas Cummins, Keelan Fuhrmann; Tom Dempsey, Jason Roberts; Conor Lyng (3-0), William Foley (capt., 0-3 frees), Cormac Shannon (1-0); Richard Rice, Conor O’Leary, Mark O’Leary. Subs. - Cian Crosbie, Seán Óg Lyng, Darragh Bowe, Ben Parker.
Fethard: Pádraig Wall; Rory Sutton, Tomasso Hickey, Max Nunan; Jack Colfer, Kian Sutton, Eoin McLoughlin; Lennon Foley, Pádraig Gleeson (capt.); Ben Foley, David Conway (0-2 frees), Shayne Murphy; Jamie Morrissey, Darren Roche (1-0), Nathan Butler. Subs. (rolling) - Mark Foley (10), Darragh Kennedy, Oisín Gleeson, also Cillian Byrne.
Referee: James Mullally (Gusserane).