Joseph’s claim vital win
ST. JOSEPH’S BANNOW-B’MITTY
A CLEVER piece of quick thinking early in the second-half put St. Joseph’s on the road to a vital first win in Group A of the Amber Springs/Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate football championship in Clongeen on Sunday.
The call came from the sideline for Jason Murphy to take a free for the town team, but Wayne Carty, the man who was fouled, had other ideas.
He played a quick ball instead to the unmarked Paul Murphy who duly fed his big brother, Jason, for a well-worked goal that extended their lead to 1-8 to 0-6 and ensured they always had a bit in reserve down the home straight.
It was one of several key second-half interventions by Paul Murphy, a player whom I rate as the best in the county not to have donned a Wexford Senior jersey to date.
He also kicked one sublime line ball over the bar from the right, while on three occasions he won Jamie McMahon kick-outs after pointed frees by Niall Harney for the opposition, two of which led to vital scores.
Murphy was one of five St. Joseph’s players who had featured in a gruelling FAI Cup tie with North End United at 6 p.m. on the previous evening, making their victory all the more impressive.
And it has set them up for a town derby in the last round against St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) where anything from survival to a quarter-final spot could be at stake.
That will depend to a large degree on how Bannow-Ballymitty, now bottom of the table with just one point, fare in their back fixture against fancied Crossabeg-Ballymurn on Saturday.
Not for the first time, they were too reliant on captain Niall Harney for points from frees, although he showed a human side to his game too by kicking five wides from placed balls as well as registering nine points, including two from play.
The sides were level twice in the first six minutes before St. Joseph’s enjoyed a good run with four points on the trot from two Jason Murphy frees, Lee Wadding-Byrne from a Murphy pass, and a palmed effort by Wayne Carty from a Murphy ‘45 (0-6 to 0-2).
Harney drove a goal chance off the angle of post and crossbar in the 13th minute, while Jack Farragher made a super save to deny Gary Byrne at the other end.
Bannow-Ballymitty got the margin down to 8-6 by half-time, with Joe Sinnott and Art Sweetman joining Harney on their list of scorers, while Byrne and Paul Murphy contributed to the Joseph’s tally.
That Jason Murphy goal was the perfect boost for the Bishopswater side three minutes into the second-half, and they went on to move clear by 1-11 to 0-7 as Jason (free), Paul Murphy (line ball) and Adam Beary added points.
A hat-trick of Niall Harney frees gave Bannow-Ballymitty hope, and when his beauty from play after a long solo run was followed by a Jon Reville point, the gap was down to 1-13 to 0-12 with nine minutes left.
John Staples (Bannow-Ballymitty) and Derek Bergin (St. Joseph’s) were dismissed on second bookings before Jamie McMahon made a great save to keep out a Joe Sinnott shot, with the rebound crashing off the shins of an unfortunate Robert Cogley and going wide.
That was the best chance for the losers to get the goal they needed, and a late exchange of pointed frees between Paul Murphy and Niall Harney left four in it at the end.
St. Joseph’s: Jamie McMahon; Seamus King, Eddie Lawlor, Eddie Byrne; Paddy Harnett, Lee Wadding-Byrne (0-1), Philip Leniston; Derek Bergin, Decky Downes (0-1); Adam Beary (0-1), Paul Murphy (capt., 0-3, 1 line ball, 1 free), Gary Byrne (0-1); Jason Murphy (1-6, 0-5 frees), Andy Moore, Wayne Carty (0-1). Subs. - Paddy King for Carty (57), Josh Guerrine for J. Murphy (59), Kieran Kelly for Downes, black card (60+3).
Bannow-Ballymitty: Jack Farragher; Jaydee Cahill, Mark Wallace, David White; Nicky Doyle, John Staples, Pádraig McCormack; Mark Colfer, Art Sweetman (0-1); Niall Harney (capt., 0-9, 7 frees), Gary Morton, Jon Reville (0-1); Gary Jordan (0-1), Micheál Murphy, Joe Sinnott (0-1). Subs. - Robert Cogley for Wallace, inj. (11), Niall Murphy for Morton (HT), Robert Mageean for Cahill (56), Aaron Neville for Jordan (59).
Referee: David Jenkins (Gusserane).