Ferns battle back for important first victory
FERNS ST. AIDAN’S ST. ANNE’S 1-16 1-14
TRAILING BY three points with less than five minutes of normal time remaining, Ferns St. Aidan’s battled back to snatch a critical victory in Group A of the Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship in Bellefield on Sunday.
With four sides in this group looking fairly evenly matched, results against one another are of vital importance and these teams knew it. Despite the sticky temperature, neither side let up for a second in a game that was played at a frantic pace throughout.
There was 54 minutes on the clock and it was 1-14 to 1-11 when Liam Og McGovern scored his third point of the contest, the first in the period that wasn’t registered by Mark Furlong.
It was St Anne’s third point in a row and they seemed to have weathered a ferocious Ferns St. Aidan’s storm.
That couldn’t have been further from the truth as the Gorey District side went on a scoring rampage. Brendan Jordan started the revival with a long-range minor, and Jonny Dwyer then narrowed the gap to one just as the clock hit 60 minutes.
Sensing blood, Ferns swarmed. Ian Byrne levelled the game with his eighth point but it was his ninth, which came after excellent work by Tommy Murphy, that gave his side their second lead, the first since they were ahead by 0-2 to 0-1.
They still didn’t ease off the gas and Christopher O’Connor made the lead two, turning over the next puck-out to apply the dagger. As well as being frantic, it was a thoroughly entertaining game of hurling.
St. Anne’s welcomed Liam Og McGovern back into the team but Diarmuid O’Keeffe was still absent. As trade-offs go it was fairly even, as Ferns were also missing an inspirational score-getter in Paul Morris, meaning neither was at full strength.
Ferns had that early slender lead by the twelfth minute but McGovern, Furlong and Liam Rochford were all on target as St. Anne’s ended the first quarter 0-4 to 0-2 ahead.
They still led by two after Kevin Breen registered, but Peter O’Toole responded to make it 0-6 to 0-5 after 25 minutes.
Having played with the breeze, the Rathangan side needed something a little more substantial to take them into the second-half.
They got it in the 26th minute when Páraic O’Keefe’s long ball found its way to Liam Rochford and he located the back of James Lawlor’s net.
Byrne had five points on the board by the interval as his side stayed within three (1-7 to 0-7). His counterpart, Furlong, scored three frees early in the second-half as the lead swelled out to five.
But Byrne had a big say in the 38th minute. He raced around the outside left of the St. Anne’s defence and sent a clinical finish past Paul Brennan to make it 1-10 to 1-8.
were level by the 46th minute after opened his account, but they quickly arrears again.
Three points ahead, Brennan made a stunning save from Byrne, but it was all in the five Ferns points in a row gave the victory.
St. Aidan’s: James Lawlor; Patrick O’Hagan, John Breen, Rory Scallan; Niall Murphy, Scallan, James Tonks; Declan Byrne, Gavin Ciarán Roberts, Eoin Murphy, Brendan 0-2); Chris Turner, Ian Byrne (capt., 1-9, frees), Peter O’Toole (0-2). Subs. - Christopher O’Connor (0-1) for D. Byrne (39), Jonny Dwyer (0-2) urner (44), Tommy Murphy for O’Toole (52). Anne’s: Paul Brennan; Kenny Cloney, Tomás Páraic O’Keeffe; Aaron Craig, Aidan Rochford, Finn O’Driscoll; Kevin Whelan, Mark Furlong frees); Mikey Fogarty, Liam Og McGovern Jonathan Fogarty (0-1); Liam Rochford (capt., David O’Connor, Kevin Breen (0-1). Sub. - Kevin O’Connor (60+2).
Referee: Pat Kehoe (Rathgarogue-Cushins