Ferns point way to win over wasteful Rathnure
FERNS ST. AIDAN’S RATHNURE 0-17 0-10 RATHNURE NEVER really recovered from a very poor start in Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday as Ferns St. Aidan’s comfortably out-scored the black and ambers to join them on four points in the Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship Group B table after three rounds.
The Gorey District side surged clear by 0-6 to nil after 18 minutes, and the gap was never less than three thereafter in a lack-lustre contest.
Whatever chance Rathnure had of erasing their 0-9 to 0-5 interval deficit was undone in the third quarter when they chalked up six of their 13 wides while only managing two points.
Their inside forwards must have wondered was there any reason for them to be there at all as a succession of aimless long-range shots missed the target.
This surprising individual streak saw Rathnure lose their unbeaten record against opponents who prospered from playing as a team.
The absence of Brendan O’Leary, Rory Higgins and Jack Guiney didn’t help matters of course, although Ferns were without James Tonks whose centre-back duties were taken over by Gavin Bailey.
The winners also lost defender Pádraig Bolger to an injury in the warm-up, but this didn’t upset them unduly as Ryan Nolan moved back to the defence while Paddy O’Leary came in at corner-forward for his first Senior start and set up two points.
Interestingly, there has been no goal scored in any of Ferns’ three games, and while this highlights a defensive solidity, they will need to start rattling the net if they want to make serious progress.
Rathnure captain Michael Redmond won the toss and opted to play into the breeze, but his colleagues were ill-prepared for that task as they fell behind to six unanswered points from Benny Jordan (free), Christopher O’Connor, Jonathan Dwyer, Paul Morris, O’Connor (free) and Ian Byrne (’65).
Paddy O’Leary provided a lovely pass for Dwyer’s score and then picked out Morris with a handpass as Ferns negotiated the extra traffic around their own half-forward line which was caused by Rathnure bringing corner-forward Richie Flynn out around that sector.
Wing-back Paddy Whiteley finally got Kevin Ryan’s side off the mark in the 19th minute, and they had the margin down to 7-4 after a couple of Ciarán O’Connor frees and a rising shot from Aidan Redmond which worried netminder Mick Walsh.
Ferns went on to lead 9-5 at the break and made the most of Rathnure’s squandermania in that third quarter to move 13-7 clear.
The victors have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to free-takers, with three of those scores coming from captain Christopher O’Connor who was responsible for the close-range placed balls rather than the equally capable Ian Byrne or Tommy Dwyer.
When Byrne fired a neat point over his shoulder in the 47th minute, Ferns led 14-7 and the game was over.
There was still time for further grief for Rathnure though as de- fender Declan Foley was shown an inevitable red card after his inter-action with Jonathan Dwyer near the sideline during an otherwise tame last quarter.
Ferns St. Aidan’s: Mick Walsh; Brian O’Neill, John Breen, Declan Byrne; Ryan Nolan, Gavin Bailey, Ciarán Roberts; Benny Jordan (0-2, 1 free), Tommy Dwyer; Jonathan Dwyer (0-1), Ian Byrne (0-3, 1 ’65), Paul Morris (0-3); Paddy O’Leary, Derek Thorpe, Christopher O’Connor (capt., 0-8, 7 frees). Sub. - Peter Codd for O’Leary (59).
Rathnure: Dermot Flynn; Denis Maher, Antony O’Connell, Declan Foley; Paddy Whiteley (0-1), Brian Quigley, Seán O’Neill; Aidan Redmond (0-1), Podge Doyle; Shane Lawlor, Ciarán O’Connor (0-6, 5 frees), Michael Redmond (capt., 0-1); Syl Barron, Robbie Codd, Richie Flynn (0-1). Subs. - Francis Murphy for Codd, temp. (4-5), Murphy for Barron (39), Seánie Redmond for R. Flynn (52).
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James’).