Fine Fethard double while Clonee reach semis

FETHARD BACKED up their Féile na nGael Division 5 hurling title with a fantastic run to win the Féile Peil na nÓg Division 7 Cup at the weekend.

The seasiders made it all the way to the final after a dramatic come from behind victory over Shandonagh in the last four.

The Westmeath club led by 2-2 to 1-1 at the break but Fethard responded with six unanswered points in the second-half.

The hard-earned victory gave them a place opposite Glencar-Manorhamilton of Leitrim in the final.

Fethard simply proved too strong for their gutsy opponents, winning by 3-4 to 1-3 to take another national crown back to the south-east.

It was the culmination of a great weekend from the New Ross District club, one that saw them race through the group stages unbeaten.

They started with their toughest group game against O’Hanrahan’s of Carlow, winning by 3-7 to 4-2.

Patrick Emmets of Monaghan suffered in the second game as Fethard blitzed them with a string of goals, winning by 6-5 to 1-6, before hosts Seán McDermotts took a 3-7 to 0-1 thumping in the final round-robin game.

That set them up with a quarter-final against Cappawhite Gaels from Tipperary and the Wexford club breezed through that, 2-10 to 1-1.

At this stage a draining two weeks might have caught up with inferior teams but not Fethard, as they motored on to complete a memorable double.

Meanwhile, Clonee’s fantastic run in the girls’ Féile Peil na nÓg came to an end at the semi-final stages in Baileborough on Sunday morning against a very talented Doora-Barefield side from Clare.

The Wexford club had breezed into the last four but went down to a determined outfit by 2-4 to 1-5 in a closely-contested last four clash.

Their conquerors went on to win the final.

The adventure started for Clonee with a hard-earned 2-2 to 0-4 win against Aodh Ruadh from Donegal on Friday afternoon, a victory that was followed by another success against Drumlane of Cavan, 5-4 to 0-1, an hour later.

Going for top spot in the group, Clonee were simply too good for their hosts, Aghadrumsee from Fermanagh, in their last round-robin game, with a 4-8 to 1-1 success more than enough to book them a quarter-final against the second-placed finisher in Group A.

Clann na nGael from Roscommon were that side and, while they gave Clonee a good game, they were no match for the Wexford girls in the end, a 3-3 to 1-3 scoreline enough to book the semi-final spot.

While the result in the last four clash against Doora-Barefield was disappointing, it was an excellent campaign for a small Wexford club with plenty to look forward to in the years to come.