Sars bridge a 21-year gap
Walsh goal on stroke of half-time crushes Cloughbawn
SARSFIELDS CLOUGHBAWN 1-10 0-7
DANNY WALSH’S well-worked goal on the stroke of half-time was the undoubted catalyst for Sarsfields as they went on to produce a strong finish which secured a first Greenstar Under-21 football Roinn 1 championship crown since 1996 at the expense of Cloughbawn under the St. Patrick’s Park floodlights on Saturday.
The town team had recovered from an early three-point deficit, and had just taken the lead for the first time from an Andrew Harrington free, when full-forward Walsh pounced.
Team captain Dylan Furlong claimed a mark from Cian O’Connor’s kick-out and quickly fed David Gouldson who, in turn, handpassed to the unmarked Walsh, and his calm finish 40 seconds into added time powered his side to a 1-6 to 0-5 half-time lead.
It was cruel luck on Cloughbawn given their early dominance, and they never fully recovered despite one purple patch nearly the end of the third quarter.
Indeed, they failed to score in the last 17 minutes plus added time, although dangerman Bob Whitty did miss one great opportunity to grab an equalising goal midway through the last quarter.
Sarsfields were ahead by three points at that stage, and they availed of the let-off to finish on a high note as three unanswered scores in the closing six minutes brought a second Roinn 1 title home, bridging that 21-year gap in the process.
As for Cloughbawn, they had to endure further misery at the
The victorious Sarsfields squad after winning a first Under-21 county championship since 1996.
final hurdle, having lost the corresponding hurling final to Craanford after a replay.
Quite remarkably, the outcome means that Ballyhogue (in 2015) remain the only Enniscorthy District club to win this competition which has now completed its 30th year.
No fewer than eleven of the 17 players used by the victors had featured with their Minors when the Wexford People Roinn 1 championship was secured with a replay win over Castle-Craan Gaels last year.
Eight of that crew have already gained experience in a tough Senior campaign, though, and that certainly stood to them despite their relative youth.
Fiach O Crualaoich was a tigerish defender on Bob Whitty and restricted him to one point from play, while the equally troublesome Connal Flood only grabbed a sole score too when pitted against Conor Halligan. Indeed, Cloughbawn struck a mere three points in all from play, and that was the key to their downfall.
Sarsfields were at their most dangerous when they ran at their rivals, and the pace of the two Conalls, O Crualaoich and Clancy, down the right flank was particularly noteworthy.
And when they needed someone to show composure on the ball, slow the play down if required and pick out the best pass, wing-forward David Gouldson delivered time and time again.
Cloughbawn’s strongest spell came in the opening twelve minutes when they surged clear by three points. A Whitty free opened their account, and the first of two particularly narrow escapes for Sarsfields followed in the seventh minute when a Darragh O’Connor delivery broke to Whitty who handpassed to Connal Flood, but the centre-forward directed his shot to the left and wide at the country end.
Flood did get a hand on the subsequent kick-out to regain possession, and Whitty fed O’Connor for a point. This trio had been the chief Cloughbawn performers throughout the campaign, and Sarsfields knew they were the men to stop in order to secure success.
Adam Dempsey, who missed the semi-final win over Réalt na Mara, had the task of curbing O’Connor who kicked a brilliant free directly off the ground - one of the best I have seen all year - from tight to the right sideline to push his side even further ahead in the twelfth minute.
Sarsfields got going before the end of the opening quarter when Pádraig Clancy lofted over a point after good work by Conor Halligan and Conall O Crualaoich.
David Gouldson quickly made it 0-3 to 0-2 after a one-two with Ciarán Kirwan, but a cheap foul in front of the posts led to a Bob Whitty point at the other end, seconds after he had hit the woodwork from an earlier free.
Sarsfields captain Dylan Furlong had the presence of mind to kick first time over the bar after the ball flew from his grasp onto the ground owing to a tackle in the 22nd minute, and his team drew level when Andrew Harrington got on the end of a move featuring Furlong, Ciarán Kirwan and Danny Walsh (0-4 each).
A Darragh O’Connor interception led to Connal Flood restoring the Cloughbawn lead, but they were never in front again after David Gouldson equalised seconds after a Danny Walsh effort on goal was smothered by Cian O’Connor.
Andrew Harrington put the Sars in front for the first time from a free earned by Shane Hall, and when Walsh got that second chance he made no mistake to push his team clear by 1-6 to 0-5 at the break.
A mere three scores were recorded in the first 27 minutes of a tight and tense second-half. Another Harrington free was eventually cancelled eight minutes later by Whitty (now at full-forward), and it looked like Cloughbawn were building a little bit of momentum when he added one from play near the end of the third quarter (1-7 to 0-7).
The big ‘what if’ moment for the losers arrived in the 52nd minute when a long Darragh O’Connor delivery went over the head of Fiach O Crualaoich and located Whitty.
It was the type of chance he normally converts in a heartbeat, but this time he shot across goal to the right and wide as Sarsfields breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Nearly six minutes later, Conall Clancy gave the Wexford District champions a tiny bit of breathing space when he used his speed to burst through the Cloughbawn defence before kicking one of the best points of the game.
Although Sarsfields hit the post via Dylan Furlong and also added a couple of wides from an overall tally of nine, they weren’t going to be denied at that stage.
And the two points that finally made fully sure of the title arrived during stoppage time, with Furlong fisting over the bar from a Harrington pass before substitute Seán Banville picked out centre-back Conor Halligan who joined the attack to split the posts with his left boot.
Sarsfields: Jake Clancy; Fiach O Crualaoich, Cathal Kirwan, Daire Reville; Conall O Crualaoich, Conor Halligan (0-1), Shane Hall; Dylan Furlong (capt., 0-2), Adam Dempsey; Conall Clancy (0-1), Ciarán Kirwan, David Gouldson (0-2); Pádraig Clancy (0-1), Danny Walsh (1-0), Andrew Harrington (0-3, 2 frees). Subs. - Shaun Donohue for Dempsey (55), Seán Banville for Walsh (60), also Adam Carroll, Matthew Murphy, Darragh Goodison, Eoghan Goodison, Cillian Gahan, Conor Hillis, Shane Bergin, Ryan Furlong, Gary Carroll.
Cloughbawn: Cian O’Connor; Daniel Dempsey, Gareth Murphy, Stephen Casserly; Shane Greene, James Dempsey, Jack Wickham; Robert Kinsella, Darragh O’Connor (02, 1 free); Seán Keating, Connal Flood (0-1), Kyle Murphy; Micheál Kavanagh, Colin Murphy, Bob Whitty (0-4, 3 frees). Subs. - Shane Flood for Wickham (42), also Lee Keeley (capt.), Billy Wickham, David Casserly, Jack Fleming, James Flood, Fearghus Rooney.
Referee: James Mullally (Gusserane).