Fethard’s stirring finish stuns near neighbours
THERE WAS an incredible transformation in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Sunday when Fethard held St. James’ scoreless from the 34th minute onwards, and picked off seven points on the trot in the process, to lay down a huge marker in the battle for qualification from Group B of the Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship.
It may have only been the first weekend of action, but every morsel of possession will be fought for with a vengeance given the presence of five New Ross District clubs in this section.
And while naturally enough Fethard folk will be walking tall when they encounter their Ramsgrange neighbours this week, the two points gained will be of a far more value in the long run than any temporary bragging rights.
The fact that this victory was achieved without the services of Mikie Dwyer makes it all the more noteworthy, and frankly it was hard to see it coming when Brian Molloy availed of a Robbie Barron pass to stretch the St. James’ lead to 1-7 to 0-5 less than four minutes into the second-half.
The champions of 2015 hadn’t been playing particularly well, but the key moment of the opening period had gone in their favour in the 30th minute.
Kevin O’Grady pumped in a long line ball from the right which was fielded on the edge of the square by Matthew O’Hanlon, and he passed to Tommy Walsh who was fouled by Fethard’s returning veteran Jesse Foley, back in the fold this year after a long spell up north with Castletown.
The midfielder departed on a black card and, to rub further salt into the wounds, the penalty was dispatched under the body of William Doyle by O’Grady for a 1-5 to 0-4 lead.
It was a strange outing for Ramsgrange’s county attacker because, although he finished as the game’s top scorer with 1-4, it will be remembered more so for some uncharacteristic misses from the number eleven.
He accounted for six of his side’s eight wides, three from frees including a scoreable brace in the second-half, and those wasted chances kept Fethard in the hunt.
The reds had opened brightly with points from Joe Sutton and Daire Barden, and it took a superb reflex save from John Ryan to deny Garrett Foley a ninth-minute goal after John Tubritt delivered a sublime pass.
Two O’Grady frees helped St. James’ to find their feet, and they moved ahead in the 20th minute when his pass was first-timed over the bar from a tight angle by Darragh Lyons.
Kevin Rowe levelled after playing a one-two with John Tubritt from a free, and Ciarán Dwyer edged Fethard ahead once more before O’Grady latched on to a good Matthew O’Hanlon delivery into the right corner to equalise (0-4 each).
O’Grady’s quickly-taken free was fisted over via the crossbar by Tommy Walsh, with that penalty goal following before Kevin Rowe pulled back a point from a free before half-time (1-5 to 0-5).
William Doyle denied Walsh with a good save on the re-start, but when O’Grady and Brian Molloy widened the gap to double scores it was clear that Fethard had a great deal to do.
They really produced the goods when they were needed most though, with John Tubritt at the heart of everything positive even though his own scoring contribution was restricted to one point.
That came in the 37th minute after an earlier free from Rowe who added another to leave two between them as the game entered a critical stage.
A ten-minute scoreless spell midway through the half featured two bad misses from Kevin O’Grady frees, with Rowe narrowing arrears to the minimum before another long stretch when neither side could hit the target.
Fethard lost goalkeeper William Doyle to an ankle injury which led to a long delay, and they pounced for the vital scores at the death.
Ciarán Dwyer levelled with 25 seconds of normal time left from a Rowe pass in the left corner, but it looked like the game might end in deadlock after Rowe (free) and John Tubritt sent chances wide.
Fethard won the vital midfield breaks in added time though, with Rowe punishing a foul on Mark Wallace by Graeme Molloy before Tubritt fed Garrett Foley for the insurance score from the kick-out.
Fethard: William Doyle; Seán Donohoe, Daniel Mullan, Eddie Power; Daire Barden (0-1), Graham O’Grady (joint capt.), Chris Molloy; Jesse Foley, Kevin Rowe (joint capt., 0-6, 5 frees); Garrett Foley (0-1), Joe Sutton (0-1), Rúairí Tubrid; Mark Wallace, John Tubritt (0-1), Ciarán Dwyer (0-2). Subs. - Michael Roche for Foley, black card (30), Richie Waters for Tubrid (39), Paul Foley for Doyle, inj. (57).
St. James’: John Ryan; Paul Barron, Jason Barron, Greg Doyle; Robbie Barron, Graeme Molloy (capt.), David Doyle; Brendan Doyle, Matthew O’Hanlon; Daniel Keating, Kevin O’Grady (1-4, 1-0 pen., 0-2 frees), Darragh Lyons (0-1); Tommy Walsh (0-1), Brian Molloy (0-1), Donal Barron. Subs. - Adam Parle for D. Barron (39), Jamie Myler for Keating (39), Liam Murphy for B. Doyle (53), Shane Murphy for B. Molloy (56), Alan Walsh for T. Walsh (60+2).
Referee: David Jenkins (Gusserane).