Boss Roe jumps for joy
First football league semi secured since 1950
FANS BORN after the advent of the Premier League in 1992 often need reminding that their sport wasn’t invented there and then.
Not alone did it exist beforehand, but it was thriving in many respects, although the new competition did add some gloss.
In a similar vein, I believe that followers of Gaelic football in Wexford often forget the huge contribution made to the cause by Jason Ryan’s predecessor in the hot seat.
The Waterford man will always be remembered for bringing the county to the All-Ireland semi-final in 2008, but some of us feel that this would never have happened without the foundations laid by the man who served before him, Pat Roe.
The down to earth former Laois player commanded a low profile and was happy to get on with the job as far away from the glare of the spotlights as possible.
However, his name was on everybody’s lips in Wexford Park on the afternoon of April 3, 2005, and that adulation was well deserved.
Roe, a member of The Heath club, jumped for joy on the sideline after the Wexford team came of age, beating his native Laois in a dramatic encounter to reach the National League Division 1 semi-finals for the first time since 1950.
Emotional scenes and a mighty roar greeted the last whistle of Meath referee Seamus McCormack after the home side landed three sweet points without reply in a golden finish to claim the precious win on a 2-12 to 0-15 scoreline.
It left them second in the table on ten points, two behind Armagh but crucially ahead of nearest rivals Kildare and Down, both of whom finished with four wins and three losses.
Wexford had been gutted twelve months before when they lost in the last round to Laois in Portlaoise with the same big prize at stake, but those unhappy memories were obliterated as a fired-up side resisted a fierce second-half challenge to set up a semi-final clash with Tyrone.
A crowd of 4,888 witnessed a game of championship-like fervour, with Wexford battling heroically when the opposition came at them in waves after the interval.
Two scores from the most unlikely source were worth their weight in gold, with the long-serving Darragh Breen recovering from a shoulder injury to play a significant role in the success.
He was thrown into the fray at wing-back when Niall Murphy limped off in the 25th minute, and what a time the Gorey man picked to score his first-ever goal in a Wexford Senior jersey, on his 94th appearance.
He started and finished a flowing move in the last minute of the first-half, with Diarmuid Kinsella and Paddy Colfer also laying hands on the ball before Breen sent a low drive to the corner of Fergal Byron’s net at the Clonard end.
That goal widened Wexford’s interval lead to 2-7 to 0-9, and it gave them an important cushion when Laois came at them relentlessly in the third quarter.
If that score was crucial, Breen’s second offering was arguably of even greater importance. Laois had drawn level for the second time with quarter of an hour left (0-15 to 2-9), and the Wexford forwards were feeding off scraps.
Inspiration was needed from somewhere, and it came from Breen after seven tension-filled, scoreless minutes.
Diarmuid Kinsella held the ball up under the stand in search of a better-placed colleague, and Paddy Colfer duly accepted the pass.
Breen arrived on his left shoulder at top speed and hit a glorious point on the run, lifting Wexford when they needed it most.
Indeed, Laois didn’t score again, with Ross Munnelly kicking a wide and then landing a free into John Cooper’s hands.
The self-belief rushing through the Slaneyside ranks was evident in the heart-stopping finale as they shot two more precious points to make sure of victory.
Matty Forde miscued a scoring attempt and the ball hung menacingly in the air, with Laois captain Fergal Byron forced to punch it clear under pressure from substitute P.J. Banville.
It fell kindly for Paddy Colfer who coolly knocked it over the bar, and one minute later the Clongeen man sent a long crossfield ball into the path of Forde who had stolen in behind his marker.
He could have tried for a goal but took the smart option by fisting it over for a point via the top of the crossbar, making it 2-12 to 0-15.
There was no time to relax, but fortunately Shane Cooke of Laois fired a weak scoring attempt straight at Philip Wallace, who had a magnificent outing at full-back.
Roe admitted afterwards that he was ‘ very nervous’ when his native county drew level with 15 minutes remaining.
‘They were coming at us strongly at the time, and probably getting on top. Still, I thought that we were very good defensively; we stopped a lot of their attacks and kept them under pressure, and of course they never actually got ahead, which was very important psychologically.
‘Then once we got ahead again, we stablised ourselves and finished very strongly. It was a real struggle, but I’m glad we got there.’
Wexford: John Cooper; Niall Murphy, Philip Wallace, Colm Morris; Robert Mageean, David Murphy, Shane Cullen; Diarmuid Kinsella (0-1), Nicky Lambert; David Fogarty (0-1), Paddy Colfer (0-2), John Hegarty (0-1); Matty Forde (1-5, 0-4 frees), John Hudson (capt.), Redmond Barry (0-1). Subs. - Kieran Kennedy for Fogarty, Brendan Doyle for Lambert, Darragh Breen (1-1) for N. Murphy, inj., P.J. Banville for Kennedy, George Sunderland for Morris (yellow card).