O halt Duffry revival
Y title at expense of 14-man opponents
coreable free after no ed when he seemed e a goal chance after nor flick. et off the mark when erted a placed ball in nly for Mark Wallace ond from play from a Connor drilled a rising fter Donie O’Connor earance and made vering a handpass, nager Cian Fitzhenry e the close attention n Power and pick off a Paul Nolan centre livered a good chalFrayne before Ciarán o 0-3 at the other end e 25th minute was the ore half-time, and they -7 to 0-4 at the break ield duo Garrett Foley latter after Joe Sutton erous ball across the g a strong run. Connor pulled back e one minute of the olvement would be . bined as Ciarán set ning point before the d Mark Wallace made
Flynn-O’Connor was dismissed before the puck-out was taken, but his team responded in adversity, starting with a pointed free from Cathal Clince.
Wallace and Clince exchanged further scores before an Eamonn Doyle pass across goal was slightly too long for Alan O’Neill who struck into the side-netting in the 42nd minute.
The Duffry were playing with a lot more belief though, and Clince converted a ’65 and a free on either side of a missed placed ball from Wallace (1-10 to 0-9).
A low cross from substitute Eddie Power found Mikie Dwyer who split the posts under pressure as the game entered the last ten minutes, but the Duffry produced a stirring spell as they hit four scores on the trot to make it anyone’s game.
Clince (free) and Liam Pender narrowed the gap to 1-11 to 0-11 before the former shot to the left and wide from a gilt-edged chance.
They drove on undeterred though, and Robert Frayne pointed before the best Duffry score of the day from substitute Gavin Watchorn left Fethard clinging to a slender lead.
That supreme effort had taken its toll on the 14 men though, and their rivals weathered the storm as Ciarán Dwyer and Mark Wallace (free) got the points to secure their return to the second tier of adult hurling for 2018.
Interestingly, this year marks the centenary of the Junior football Division 2 title won by Fethard in 1917, and there was a direct link between the teams as Richie Rowe, the captain on that occasion, was the great-grandfather of current centre-back Kevin Rowe.
Fethard: Seán Foley; Daniel Mullan, Rúairí Tubrid, Martin Power; Richard Waters, Kevin Rowe, Brian O’Donoghue; Garrett Foley (capt., 0-1), John Tubritt (1-1); Graham O’Grady, Mark Wallace (0-7, 5 frees), Daire Barden; Ciarán Dwyer (0-2), Joe Sutton, Mikie Dwyer (0-2). Subs. - Eddie Power for Sutton (44), Darren Foley for O’Grady (60+3), also Jesse Foley, Chris Molloy, Jimmy Sutton, John Rice, Shane Tubrid, Conor O’Donoghue, Seán Sutton, Ricky Rowe, Ciarán Furlong, Paul Foley, Seán Donohoe, Adam Swan, James Dillon, Michael Roche, Bryan Power.
Duffry Rovers: Stephen Watchorn; Aidan Byrne, Donie Doyle (joint capt.), Thomas Dunne; Cathal Clince (0-7, 6 frees, 1 ’65), Paul Nolan, James Nolan; Johnny Flynn-O’Connor (0-2), Liam Pender (0-1); Alan O’Neill (joint capt.), Eamonn Doyle, Robert Frayne (0-1); Cian Fitzhenry (0-1), Donie O’Connor, Gavin Rafter. Subs. - Matthew Flynn-O’Connor for Rafter (28), Craig Casey for O’Connor (49), Gavin Watchorn (0-1) for O’Neill (53), also John Dunne, Feargal Kenny, Jamie Roban, Joe Coleman, Michael O’Leary, Gearóid Doyle.
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James’).