Unique derby clash
Nobody could have foreseen pairing
AFTER A 34-point defeat to St. Martin’s in the opening round back in April, St. Anne’s surprisingly will carry real momentum into next Sunday’s Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship final against the same opponents in Innovate Wexford Park (3.45 p.m.).
It’s a unique final pairing between the south county neighbours that few envisaged as the teams battled their way through their respective group games.
St. Anne’s were initially locked in a battle to keep themselves away from relegation, while St. Martin’s from the outset were everyone’s favourites to take the Dr. Bob Bowe Cup back to Piercestown and atone for last year’s final defeat to Naomh Eanna.
Where once St. Martin’s and St. Anne’s clashes were the most eagerly anticipated of any championship campaign, this is a unique final pairing.
As the championship progressed ,St. Martin’s became an unbackable force in the bookies, while one could have garnished the best of odds on St. Anne’s, but how things have changed over a short few weeks.
It’s a long way from edging away from a relegation battle to a final spot, with St. Anne’s having endured a pretty tough string of group games.
Few would have predicted them reaching this stage of the championship, but their sequence of knockout games have become the fairytale story of the year.
And when it comes to predicting what St. Martin’s might do, it’s a very distinct possibility they could turn on their best display of the year.
However, such has been their struggle with form and consistency, that they could make anyone offering predictions look very foolish.
But still, given the array of talent at their disposal, and their experience of being in the final shake-up over recent seasons, it should guarantee them an edge going into this eagerly-anticipated final clash.
St. Anne’s are an example of what can be achieved through sheer commitment, a belief in their own talents, and an ability to bounce back from a first round mauling.
There’s no better example of those traits than the manner in which they drove themselves to new heights as they continued to cause shock after shock.
Once they got into their stride, and began to find their way, they suddenly became the surprise packets of the championship.
All of the potential that is in so many of their players began to flow out. They developed an ability to score crucial goals at a crucial juncture in both their quarter-final and semi-final.
There is no explaining why a team that bobs along doing little or nothing for so long can suddenly get their teeth into a game and become this unstoppable force of nature.
They set all tongues wagging when they dismissed warm favourites Shelmaliers in the quarter-final but, despite this victory, they were still underdogs going into the semi-final clash with Rapparees.
But two goals in both games, through crucial stages of the opening half, set them up and they produced performances that now see them in the county final.
St. Martin’s, despite their tag of favourites, have had a tough route to the final. They edged out Glynn-Barntown in the quarter-final, and seemed to be coasting through their semi-final with Ferns St. Aidan’s when they were forced to lift themselves to hold off a late rally.
St. Martin’s are always capable of turning on a special display, but one is left waiting to see if they choose this final clash to give a display that would edge them to a county title.
Despite their momentum, this is a huge step up for St. Anne’s. What they have at their disposal are a few elements that can cause teams trouble.
St. Martin’s will be seeking out flaws in the opposition’s game, but one thing they can be assured of, is that St. Anne’s will bring bravery, commitment and passion to meet the demands of the occasion.
This is what St. Martin’s will have to match, apart altogether from the hurling skills the respective sides will bring to the occasion to decide the destination of the blue riband of Wexford hurling.
One can report on St. Martin’s well being. While they still hold out hope that Rory O’Connor will be available, they have considerable strength in depth, compared to St. Anne’s whose lack of strength in this area could catch them out.
Still, the manner in which they have overcome this to date suggests they have a gameplan to get them through the 60 minutes.
St. Martin’s play an open brand of hurling, but one of their difficulties is to decide who takes up the attacking responsibility should O’Connor be unavailable.
They struggled for scores in this area following O’Connor’s second-half semi-final dismissal, being hugely reliant on the accuracy of Joe Coleman.
They will need far more consistency from players like Ciarán Lyng and Jack O’Connor if they are to fashion the crucial scores.
Another concern is that their defence looks surprisingly unsettled, leading to the unexpected placing of Joe O’Connor at full-back, while areas of the back line look suspect under pressure.
Many will feel that St. Anne’s have an over-reliance on Diarmuid O’Keeffe, but the midfielder has delivered successive outstanding displays in the side’s march to the final.
While he is a top scorer, his workrate is colossal both in attack and defence. In the semi-final he was seen assisting his attack, while minutes later he was back mopping up in defence. He is sure to receive special attention from St. Martin’s.
St.Anne’s also have Liam Og McGovern who is such a vital cog in his side along with Aidan Rochford, Kevin Whelan and Aaron Craig, while veteran Redmond Barry is still posing problems around goal.
St. Anne’s will once again start as rank outsiders, a position they have experienced in all their games.
St. Martin’s will be hot favourites for a convincing victory, and their balance may give them that crucial edge.