Seconds keep flag flying
ST. MARTIN’S RATHNURE 1-21 3-8
THE ST. Martin’s second string ensured that an otherwise disappointing weekend for the club finished on a bright note when advancing to the penultimate round of the Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship with a 1-21 to 3-8 victory over Rathnure in Sunday’s enjoyable quarter-final in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross.
And the Piercestown/Murrintown lads certainly won’t be short of motivation in the semi-final at Oylegate on Saturday, as they take on neighbours Glynn-Barntown, who of course ended their Senior team’s reign as county champions two nights earlier.
The maroon and whites signalled their intent here from the first whistle, as Joe Barrett almost got in for a net-rattler immediately after the throw-in before clipping over their opener in the follow-up play.
Some unselfish graft from Fran Murphy teed up Nigel Higgins for Rathnure’s first point on three minutes, only for Conor Kelly to grab the resultant puck-out and feed Kyle Firman to fire over, with the latter also converting a free from inside his own half by the fifth minute.
Last year’s county Minor A.J. Redmond followed suit from a placed ball that was made more manageable after being brought forward for some dissent, while a forceful run from Billy Conran eventually led to Higgins hitting his second equaliser of the evening by the ninth minute.
And after two wides from Redmond, Rathnure edged in front for the first time on twelve minutes when Declan Foley’s free was caught by Murphy, and he spun and slapped to the net beyond the near post.
However, they never pressed on after that green flag and in fact didn’t score again until a minute into the new half.
Instead, Kyle Firman hit a free and a ‘65, while David Codd pointed after some good work from Barrett post-water break to tie things up at 0-6 to 1-3.
Two more from Firman (one free) re-established St. Martin’s lead soon after, and they developed a 0-11 to 1-3 interval safety net in first-half injury time thanks to Adam Cantwell, an excellent effort from Codd, and another from willing runner Barrett.
Codd and Higgins swapped points from play on the re-start, and St. Martin’s really boosted their claims when youngster Jack Devereux conjured up a brilliant goal as he fetched Firman’s delivery before cutting in and dispatching to the dressing room-end net with conviction (113 to 1-5). Rathnure battled back to pull to within 1-13 to 2-6 when
Higgins drew on every ounce of his experience by legally nudging a St. Martin’s player out of possession before quickly batting beyond Callum Quirke.
However, much like the first-half, they couldn’t follow that reprieve with a score as the next four points all came from the victors, including one from Codd not long after knocking the air from his lungs following a heavy fall.
Barron pulled home a late goal for the Blackstairs men, but Firman rounded off the win with his eighth free and eleventh point in total.
St. Martin’s: Callum Quirke; Philip Dempsey, Donal Kelly (capt.), Tony Kelly; Johnny Hamilton, Mark Maloney, Eoin O’Leary; Adam Cantwell (01), Joe Barrett (0-2); Darren Codd (0-4), Kyle Firman (0-11, 8 frees, 1 ‘65), Conor Kelly; Zac Firman, David Cantwell (0-1), Jack Devereux (1-1). Subs. - Shane Walsh for Hamilton, inj. (25), Ryan Murphy (0-1) for D. Cantwell (56).
Rathnure: John Haughney; Ciarán Doyle-Maher, Philip Redmond, Cameron O’Leary; Stephen Martin, Declan Foley (joint capt.), Owen Lennon; Anthony Westnott, A.J. Redmond (0-1 free); Billy Conran, Teddy O’Connor (joint capt.), Seánie Redmond; Seán O’Neill, Nigel Higgins (1-4), Fran Murphy (1-1). Subs. - Syl Barron (1-2, 0-2 frees) for Foley, inj. (23), Ted O’Connor for T. O’Connor (40), Eoghan Byrne for Conran (47), Kyle Martin for O’Neill (55).
Referee: Aidan O’Brien (Cloughbawn).