Harriers pip Ferns aft
Promising young guns introduced to th
FAYTHE HARRIERS FERNS ST. AIDAN’S
WE DIDN’T need to wait until Saturday afternoon in Bellefield to learn that the outstanding Lee Chin is the beating heart of the Faythe Harriers Senior hurling team.
However, the score that followed his equalising goal near the end of this absorbing Pettitt’s championship Group B opener suggested that he may finally be getting the help that was so evidently required to turn the Wexford town men from perennial strugglers into potential contenders.
At times unstoppable, Chin had a direct hand in all bar two points of the 2-11 tally that proved enough to pip a Ferns St. Aidan’s side guilty of some self-destructive acts in a thrilling finish.
The Gorey District men won their meeting last year by five points, and they appeared to be well placed again in a tight contest when they struck the first two scores after the second-half water break to increase their lead to 0-15 to 1-9.
Ciarán Roberts availed of a heavy touch by a Harriers defender following a Jonny Dwyer line ball to convert, before a stray handpass from the opposition ended with Paul Morris giving his team that three-point cushion.
It looked like fortune was going to favour Ferns then, after a needless free was conceded for a late challenge on Conall Clancy whose scoring attempt had been safely gathered by James Lawlor, his county Under-20 colleague from last year.
Chin stepped up for what appeared to be a straightforward conversion but hooked it left and wide, but his response to that rare error was precisely what one would expect from a player of his calibre.
Referee Joe Kelly penalised a Ferns defender, who wasn’t under pressure, for a throw, and dissent turned a likely tap-over free into a potential goal chance.
That’s exactly what Chin thought too and, even though the men on the line must have known his intentions, they were powerless to prevent his exocet from rattling the net and bringing the Harriers back to level terms in the 58th minute (2-9 to 0-15).
And they almost added what would have been a game-clinching third, as the tenacity of Colm Heffernan near the endline re-cycled the ball for Conall Ó Crualaoich, whose pulled pass was driven wide by Glen Murphy-Butler.
Even though Gavin Bailey – head and shoulders the best Ferns player throughout – won a vital free around midfield to alleviate some pressure, the chance to feed their attack was squandered.
Instead, a short pass found James Tonks who was blocked by Chin, but the latter’s wide off the left flank was followed by the eighth and last for the Harriers, from substitute Pádraigh Farrell (Ferns had eleven).
With the outcome finely poised, the score that I referred to in the second paragraph above delivered hope for a brighter future.
At a time when wise heads were required more than anything else, with 90 seconds of the 60 minutes left, Richie Lawlor passed to Kyle Scallan, who in turn found Josh Shiel – that was one Leinster Minor medal winner to another, and to another again, with all three making their Senior championship debuts.
Shiel’s slick finish edged the Harriers ahead by 2-10 to 0-15, and there was enough in that spell lasting no more than ten seconds to underline why so many hurling enthusiasts are intrigued by the quality of young player filtering through down Páirc Charman way.
Naturally enough, it took all three time to grow into this game, and their emergence doesn’t hide the fact that if a day arrives when Lee Chin is well contained, then the winners will have to continue working very hard on developing a more rounded team.
His value was underlined clearly again when he won a free after that tonic Shiel score and blasted it over from roughly 95 metres, leaving Ferns in need of a goal to snatch victory.
While Paul Morris did manage to work a point after Eoin Murphy and Ian Byrne created some space, referee Joe Kelly immediately called for the ball to leave the Harriers celebrating their first win on opening day since beating Rapparees in 2017.
The most noteworthy sub-plot to this game was the Waterford influence on the respective sidelines, with Derek McGrath a key figure in ‘Sack team, while Pat Be to assist Ferns man another campaign.
The onerous task fell to Conor Scallan marking duties were in the second-half b Scallan committed a a yellow card.
The All Star was a stage, having roame before and after, wh ‘Spot’ Murphy was a quite effective – add long periods.
Conall Ó Crualao both in defence an stages for the winne was the loose Fern during the first-half marked Conall Clanc was on Glen Murphy
Niall Murphy cove and varied roles, for h Harriers side it was Richie Kehoe deliver second-half clearanc back game following