Vital win for the Boker boys
Wexford C.B.S. edge closer to place in quarter-final
WEXFORD C.B.S. 3-7 CASTLECOMER C.S. 1-10
BATTLING WEXFORD C.B.S. defeated Kilkenny’s Castlecomer C.S. in the Top Oil Leinster Schools Senior hurling ‘B’ championship after a titanic battle in Páirc Charman on Tuesday.
The Boker boys fully deserved their victory but were made work every bit of the way for the two points on offer by a dogged Castlecomer side.
C.B.S. (who lost to Abbey C.C. of Ferrybank by 0-19 to 0-13 in the first round) started brightly and had the first point on the board when Glen Murphy-Butler converted a free.
The next score was a very wellworked team goal which saw Eoin Kavanagh, Cian Doyle and Murphy-Butler combine to put Jason Gordon in the clear, and he rifled the ball to the net.
It took a stunned Castlecomer 13 minutes to register their first score – a pointed free – but then they hit a significant purple patch which yielded four more points (including a free and a penalty) which left them 0-5 to 1-1 ahead after 18 minutes.
The momentum swung back in favour of C.B.S. as Glen Murphy-Butler scored the next three points.
The Faythe Harriers Senior player converted two frees and grabbed a peach of a point from a difficult angle.
However, at the other end, the Kilkenny students plugged away and had drawn level at 1-4 to 0-7 approaching the half-time break, but C.B.S. received a timely boost when Zach Breslin got a touch on Jason Gordon’s 50-yard free and the ball nestled in the net. C.B.S. retired with a 2-4 to 0-8 advantage.
The C.B.S. defence, led by captain Joe Barrett and Kyle Scallan, went on to play a huge part in securing this victory as they prevented Castlecomer from scoring from play in the second-half.
Glen Murphy-Butler popped over a free after 37 minutes, and it became clear that every score was going to be crucial.
Approaching the final quarter, Ollie McClair shoved the Boker boys into a 2-7 to 0-8 lead with two points within 60 seconds of each other.
Back came Castlecomer with a pair of converted frees, and the score was 2-7 to 0-10 with five minutes to go.
C.B.S. received a large stroke of luck when ’keeper Chris Ryan’s free from inside his own half deceived the Castlecomer defence and hit the net.
Almost immediately, Castlecomer were awarded their second penalty and there was no mistake this time as it was sent to the top right-hand corner of Chris Ryan’s net.
The last few minutes were nerve-wracking for the C.B.S. as Castlecomer threw everything at them, but the defence stood firm and Dickie Murphy’s final whistle was wildly celebrated by the Boker boys who were without Richard Lawlor, Josh Shiel and Michael Laffan from the county Minor hurling team.
Wexford C.B.S. face Gorey C.S. in the final group game tomorrow (Wednesday) in Páirc Charman at 11.30 a.m., where victory would cement a place in the quarter-final.
Wexford C.B.S.: Chris Ryan (St. Martin’s 1-0 free); Seán Byrne (Faythe
Harriers), Joe Barrett (St. Martin’s, capt.), Tommy Gallagher (Glynn-Barntown); Charlie McClair (Glynn-Barntown), Kyle Scallan (Faythe Harriers), Ben Hynes (Faythe Harriers); Darragh Carley (Glynn-Barntown), Eoin Kavanagh (Faythe Harriers); Ollie McClair (Glynn-Barntown, 0-2), Josh Carley (Glynn-Barntown), Jason Gordon (Faythe Harriers, 1-0); Zach Breslin (St. Martin’s, 1-0), Glen Murphy-Butler (Faythe Harriers 0-5, 4 frees), Cian Doyle (Shelmaliers). Sub. - Eoin Hartigan (Faythe Harriers) for Breslin.