Hogues produce big finish
Determined Fethard/Clongeen denied in shield final
BALLYHOGUE MOGUEGEEN GAELS
A ROUSING finish from Ballyhogue, during which they scored 1-2, helped them to an eventual flattering six-point victory over Moguegeen Gaels in this Wexford People Minor hurling Roinn 2 shield final in Killurin.
While Ballyhogue were clinging to a two-point lead entering the closing minutes, they had to rely heavily on this storming finish to hold off a determined Fethard/Clongeen combination.
Up to that closing spell the losers looked well capable of forcing this game into at least extra-time, but once Cian Wickham struck for a 60th-minute goal there was to be no way back.
Both teams entered this final on the back of some impressive championship displays, so it was no surprise that there was little to separate them for most of the game.
Ballyhogue had the boost of a Cian Wickham goal at the end of the opening quarter which helped them to a 1-1 to 0-2 lead, after the opposition points courtesy of Seán Walshe and Jimmy Sutton had given them an earlier lead.
Ballyhogue, who have not tasted much under-age hurling success, were putting immense passion into their game, leaving them with a 1-5 to 0-4 interval lead with Dean Doyle and Enda Minogue on the scoresheet.
Ballyhogue were a much-improved side in the third quarter, with Dean Doyle shooting a fine goal at the end of it to leave them leading by 2-6 to 0-7, with Fethard having much to do to get a result from this game.
They responded with four unanswered points by Jimmy Sutton, Aaron Murphy (free), Adam Waters (free) and Sutton once again to leave just two points separating the sides (2-7 to 0-11) with two minutes of normal time remaining.
Twice Ballyhogue launched attacks into the breeze, with first Wickham pointing following a good run, but Adam Waters pulled a point back for the opposition.
Then on the stroke of 60 minutes Wickham finished a high Enda Minogue ball to the net, with Dean Doyle closing out the scoring with a point to give his side a deserved if flattering six-point victory margin.
Ballyhogue: Chris Byrne; John Kehoe, Cian Rochford, Thomas Kennedy; Edward Byrne, Enda Minogue (capt., 0-3 frees), Ronan Byrne; Nick Doyle, Colm Parnell; Matt Browne, Peter Kelly (0-1), Dean Doyle (1-2); Adrian Doyle (0-1), Cian Wickham (2-2), Tadgh Malone. Subs. - Aaron Murphy for Malone, David Cloke-Rochford for A. Doyle, also Peter Rogers, Eamonn Doyle, Paul Sinnott.
Moguegeen Gaels: Seamie Kiely; Stephen Dundon, Peter Waters (capt.), Liam Whelan; Cian O’Grady-Fortune, Adam Waters (0-2 frees), Oisín Rooney; Aaron Murphy (0-3, 2 frees, 1 ‘65), Brian Dillon; Robbie Rochford, Jimmy Sutton (0-4, 1 free), Seán Dunne (0-1); Ryan Molloy (0-1), Seán Walshe (0-1), Jack Pearse. Sub. - Jimmy Molloy for Pearse, also Zachery Lavery, Andy Liu, Dylan Whelan, Adam O’Sullivan, Conor McGee, Louis Doherty, Niall Doherty, Oggie Doyle, Owen McLoughlin.
Referee: Francis Neville (Shelmaliers).