Ferns pull off great escape
Horeswood left stunned
FERNS ST. AIDAN’S HORESWOOD
MINUTES AFTER the final whistle, the Ferns St. Aidan’s faces were still smiling as they were still coming to terms with one of the most dramatic finishes of the year to date.
Their late scoring flourish saw them leave Horeswood stunned in this enthralling Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group A game in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Sunday.
Two minutes from the end of normal time the punters’ money would have been very much on Horeswood as they were leading by 1-20 to 2-11 and looking comfortable.
With Ferns down to 14 players, after experienced full-back Colm Whelan received a straight red card on 40 minutes, very few would have envisaged the explosive finish that was about to alter the outcome.
There was less than two minutes of normal time remaining when P.J. O’Neill found the net for Ferns with what many believed was a consolation goal, but it was by no means over.
The north county side returned to the attack on the puck-out and on 60 minutes substitute Jamie Whelan sent a ground shot to the net from close in.
Amidst all the drama, the sides were amazingly level (4-11 to 1-20) as the game moved into additional time.
The initiative was now with Ferns as Horeswood were rocked and had lost their composure.
The eventual winners went for the vital scores, with Jonny Dwyer pointing them in front with a 70-metre free, before Wexford F.C. soccer player Ryan Nolan went on a dazzling run and cut inside for the final act of a dramatic finish with a point from an acute angle.
This was a game that was always interesting and produced some fine hurling as they battled their way through the opening half.
Ferns led by 1-8 to 0-10 at the break, with their goal a fourth-minute effort from Jonny Dwyer, while points from Seán Nolan, Jamie Myler, Michael O’Hanlon and Shane O’Hanlon kept Horeswood very much in contention.
Ferns got the ideal start to the second-half with a Pádraig Bolger goal inside the opening minute, but Horeswood went on to take the initiative.
This was particularly the case following the sending-off of Whelan, as a string of points from Michael O’Hanlon, Shane O’Hanlon, Jamie Myler and Seán Nolan edged them into what appeared a winning position, as they led by 1-20 to 2-11 with the game entering the final two minutes.
Credit to Ferns who stuck at it, never accepting defeat, as they somehow generated sufficient energy to transform the game with that explosive finish.
Ferns St. Aidan’s: Anthony Dwyer; Brian O’Neill (Clone), Colm Whelan, Peter Nolan; Brian O’Neill (St. Aidan’s), Seán Walsh, Christopher Davitt (0-1); Peter O’Toole (0-2, 1 free), P.J. O’Neill (1-0); Derek Thorpe, Pádraig Walsh (0-2), Jonny Dwyer (1-6, 0-5 frees); Ryan Nolan (0-1), Pádraig Bolger (1-0), Lee Quigley (0-1). Subs. - Keith Breen for S. Walsh, inj., Jamie Whelan (1-0) for Bolger.
Horeswood: Eoin Mythen; Gavin Murphy, Eamonn O’Sullivan, Eddie Breen; Danny Byrne, Jamie Myler (0-5, 1 free, 1 line ball), Shane O’Hanlon (02); Barry Hearn, David O’Shea; David Murphy (0-1), Eoin Murphy (0-1), Seán Nolan (0-5); Craig Collier, Michael O’Hanlon (1-6, 0-4 frees, 0-2 ‘65s), Conor Breen. Subs. - Paddy McMahon for E. Murphy, Paddy Roche for Breen.
Referee: Pat Kehoe (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown).