’Wood hit form
Part one of notable double
HORESWOOD FETHARD 4-3 2-2
HORESWOOD TOOK a while to shake off the nerves but eventually found their form to take the New Ross Standard Under-13 hurling Division 3 shield in Gusserane.
Any time these two local rivals meet in a competitive fixture you can safely expect both sides will give everything they have to the cause. This was no different and Fethard were a vitally important component in a tense, tight decider.
The most impressive aspect of both of these sides was their unwillingness to give away anything defensively. Both sets of backs were superb throughout but, considering how much pressure they were under, the performance of the Fethard full-back line was particularly impressive.
Missing playmaker Cillian Byrne, Fethard still came out of the blocks with plenty of positivity and got their first goal on the board in the eighth minute. Mark Foley saw his initial shot saved by Joe Byrne but Darren Roche followed up to pull home.
Pádraig Wall made an impressive save from Conor O’Leary at the other end but there was no stopping Conor Lyng’s closerange pull after Tom Dempsey’s free caused a huge scramble in the goalmouth.
William Foley converted a free and Lyng fired home again after the excellent Cormac Shannon’s shot bounced down off the crossbar to give Horeswood a 2-1 to 1-0 interval lead.
However, David Conway got a point back soon after the re-start to set up an intriguing second period.
Lyng forced a third major over the line, only for Mark Foley to collect and drill home a classy response at the other end (3-1 to 2-1).
Conway put two between the sides but Foley scored two superb dead-balls and Shannon got the late goal his performance deserved to cement victory.
Fethard will learn from this season and come back stronger, and for Horeswood they completed a notable double with a last-gasp New Ross Standard Under-13 football Division 5 championship final win against Kilmore.
Horeswood: Joe Byrne; Rory Hunt, Callum Murphy, Dion Whitty; Robert Foley, Thomas Cummins, Keelan Fuhrmann; Tom Dempsey, Jason Roberts; Conor Lyng (3-0), William Foley (capt., 0-3 frees), Cormac Shannon (1-0); Richard Rice, Conor O’Leary, Mark O’Leary. Subs. - Cian Crosbie, Seán Óg Lyng, Darragh Bowe, Ben Parker.
Fethard: Pádraig Wall; Rory Sutton, Tomasso Hickey, Max Nunan; Jack Colfer, Kian Sutton, Eoin McLoughlin; Lennon Foley, Pádraig Gleeson (capt.); Ben Foley, David Conway (0-2 frees), Shayne Murphy; Jamie Morrissey, Darren Roche (1-0), Nathan Butler. Subs. (rolling) - Mark Foley (10), Darragh Kennedy, Oisín Gleeson, also Cillian Byrne.
Referee: James Mullally (Gusserane).
TAGHMON-CAMROSS ADAMSTOWN
TAGHMON-CAMROSS proved the better balanced team as they eventually fashioned a ten-point victory over a battling Adamstown outfit in this New Ross Standard Under-13 hurling Division 5 shield final in Grantstown.
The eventual winners showed best in the opening passages of play as they laid siege to the Adamstown goal, finding the net within two minutes of the start.
After a ball broke on the fringe of the square, Jack Power managed to get a boot to the loose ball and finished to the net, giving his side the ideal start.
However the Adamstown defence recovered from this early setback as they managed to stifle the opposing attack, restricting them to just three points in the following 13 minutes.
A David Foley free, Jack Murphy with a fine effort from play, and Dan Ruane, gave the eventual winners a 1-3 to nil lead.
Both sides struggled for scores in the second quarter, just managing to exchange a point apiece through Jack Murphy and Ben Sinnott, who opened the Adamstown account, but Taghmon-Camross led by 1-4 to 0-1 at the interval.
After points from Dan Ruane and a David Foley had extended their side’s lead within minutes of the resumption, Taghmon-Camross looked comfortable.
Adamstown’s mini comeback began in the 41st minute when Josh Power shot an excellent goal to reduce the deficit to five points (1-6 to 1-1).
After Jack Whitty had restored his side’s six-point advantage, it took a fine save from the winners’ goalkeeper, Ryan McLoughlin, to deny Philip Kearns a second goal for his team.
In a passage of play that produced some of the game’s finest hurling, Dan Ruane shot over an excellent 30-metre point for the leaders, but Adamstown weren’t finished yet.
Philip Kearns had his goal attempt saved, but substitute Alex Roche was on hand to fire the breaking ball to the net, leaving it 1-9 to 2-1 with seven minutes remaining.
One minute later Taghmon-Camross killed off the Adamstown revival when Jack Whitty goaled from close range, with the accurate David Foley adding two pointed frees to secure a hugely impressive win for the side.
Taghmon-Camross: Ryan McLoughlin; Conor Doyle, Bobby Doyle, Peter Whitty; John Banville, Conor Mernagh, Ben O’Toole; Pat Monaghan, David Foley (0-6 frees); Lar Banville, Dan Ruane (0-3), Jack Whitty (1-0); Jamie Cadogan, Jack Power (1-0), Jack Murphy (0-2). Subs. - Morgan Colfer for Ruane, inj., Ruane for Colfer, Colfer for Cadogan, Seán Doran for Power, Aaron Maloney for L. Banville, also Bobby Joe Pitt, Luke Barron.
Adamstown: Conal Doyle; Conor Curtis, Philip Wickham, Philip Conway; Ben Sinnott (0-1), Liam Furlong, Michael Dunleavy; Daniel O’Gorman, Charlie Purcell; Taylor Power, Philip Kearns, Richard Whelan; Oisín McManus, Jack Carthy, Josh Power (1-0). Subs. - Jack Furlong for McManus, Tony Heffernan for T. Power, Alex Roche (1-0) for Carthy, David McCall for Whelan, also Jake Cadogan, Martin Sinnott, Tadgh Furlong, Eoin Purcell.
Referee: Gearóid McGrath (St. James’).