Nolan hat-trick inspires Shels to convincing win
SHELMALIERS FAYTHE HARRIERS
THE MOST open game on the first weekend of the Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship saw Shelmaliers slide past a new-look Faythe Harriers in sun-baked Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday.
A major hat-trick inside the first 15 minutes from county footballer Eoghan Nolan left the Wexford town club in a hole from which they spent the next 45 minutes unsuccessfully trying to dig themselves out in this Group A clash.
All in all the sides shared 42 scores in the 60 minutes, battling man-on-man, taking the vast majority of their chances between them, and serving up a scoring treat for the small enough crowd in county headquarters.
Conditions certainly played their part as, while other Senior teams might have justifiable excuses about long, dry grass or tight pitches, ‘The Park’, with its wide open spaces and lack of significant wind, played as well as it can possibly play.
The 2014 county champions have lulled slightly since their surprise success but they are showing signs of life.
Not only does this team have a nice blend of youth and experience, but they have youth that can take the game to their opponents.
Between Conor Hearne, Seán Keane-Carroll and the exceptional Ross Banville, they notched 1-17, enough to beat the Harriers total on their own. All three are Under-20 and all three are serious hurlers who will only get better.
Banville, the youngest of the trio, has been on the radar for some time. The special thing about him is his shooting, as the youngster is deadly accurate, from dead-balls but more impressively from play.
It’s the most important art in the game but often overlooked.
The Harriers fielded four of their Minor team from last year. Between those lads, and the wave coming in the next couple of seasons, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with but they need to consolidate this season.
On this showing it might be tricky. The Senior hurling championship is ultra competitive, and there are no weak links.
Someone will have to be relegated and the Harriers will need to find more than they showed here to stay out of that battle.
The game was as good as over after 16 minutes. Nolan’s opening goal came in the second minute when Ciarán Walsh’s long ball was fed into his path by Keane-Carroll.
The goalscorer was under pressure but he managed to flip it under-armed past James Henebery to the net.
When Emmet Keeling pulled the ball back towards his goalkeeper, out of a scrum on the ‘20, it was clear trouble was brewing. Nolan broke at it and before Henebery could get the ball in his hand the Shelmaliers attacker dinked it over him to make it 2-2 to 0-3.
With Banville on fire, it was 2-6 to 0-6 when Nolan collected a crossfield Conor Hearne pass, darted in and shot one-handed to the net. Then, Keane-Carroll’s second point made it 3-8 to 0-6 in the 16th minute.
Lee Chin’s points, plus a couple from Conall Clancy, kept Faythe Harriers in it by the skin of their teeth. That wouldn’t have been the case had Henebery not saved Banville’s 22nd-minute penalty after Brian Malone was fouled.
The introduction of Pádraigh Farrell shot some life into the Harriers attack, however, his side had it all to do, trailing by 3-12 to 0-10 at the interval. It didn’t exactly go much better in the third quarter, as the Shels outscored their opponents 6-2 with Banville grabbing four of them.
The game was meandering towards a conclusion when one incident saw both teams down to 14 men. Eoin Doyle was given a second yellow for a flick back on substitute Alex Lynch, and the Harriers man retaliated with a wild pull across Doyle that rightly saw him shown a straight red.
Keeling’s long ball in the 56th minute broke for Farrell and he smacked past Adam Howlin for a consolation major.
However, Shelmaliers had the final say when Keane-Carroll found the net at the second attempt after he was initially hooked.
The win would have given Shelmaliers great confidence going in to face St. Martin’s next time up, but that’s hardly valid when the game is three months away.
The Harriers play Rapparees next time up in what promises to be a feisty affair between the two town clubs.
Shelmaliers: Adam Howlin; Andre O’Brien, Aidan Murphy, Ciarán Walsh; Simon Donohoe, Glen Malone, Jody Donohoe; Eoin Doyle, Tommy Barron (0-2); Seán Keane-Carroll (1-3), Brian Malone (capt.), James Cash; Conor Hearne (0-2), Eoghan Nolan (3-0), Ross Banville (0-12, 7 frees). Sub. - Joe Kelly (0-2) for Cash (52).
Faythe Harriers: James Henebery; Brendan Mulligan, Jim Berry, Ross Lynch; Cormac Byrne, Emmet Keeling (0-1), Tomás Campbell; Lee Chin (capt., 0-12, 8 frees, 1 ’65), John Bridges; Stephen Kearney (0-1), Michael Hanrahan, Conall Clancy (0-2); Cillian Gahan, David Mooney, Conall O Crualaoich. Subs. - Ciarán Kirwan for Campbell (23), Pádraigh Farrell (1-0) for Gahan (27), Alex Lynch for Clancy, inj. (39).
Referee: David O’Leary (Rathnure).